Keys to victory for Mississippi State football in the Egg Bowl

Mississippi State football heads up to Oxford on Black Friday for a clash in the Egg Bowl with the rival Ole Miss Rebels. The Bulldogs are massive underdogs in this matchup. So how can they overcome the odds and end the season as Egg Bowl champions? Here are five keys to victory...

Don't be the team that lets Ole Miss get its rushing attack going

One of the biggest storylines with this Ole Miss team is their inability to run the football. In SEC play, they're averaging less than 127 yards per game on the ground. They don't block well, and they don't have game-changers at RB. That's problematic for a Rebel offense that, despite putting up lofty passing stats, is schematically designed around the rushing attack. State has been horrific defending the run this season. They have to fix that in this game and not be the team that allows Ole Miss to get their ground game going.

Get pressure on Jaxson Dart

Jaxson Dart has had a big year and is a very good player. But he isn't perfect. When he doesn't have the benefit of effective play-action (see point number one) and doesn't have his first read schemed open, he's prone to mistakes in the passing game. Those mistakes get far worse when he's under pressure. Ole Miss allowed 14 combined sacks in their three losses. State has to get after Dart if they're going to have any chance at limiting this team.

Hold in the redzone on defense

Ole Miss generally moves the ball well enough, but they have problems converting in the red zone. In SEC play, they're scoring TDs on just 45.2% of red zone possessions. We know State is going to give up a lot of yards. They do that in literally every game. But they need to keep Ole Miss out of the endzone when they get in the red area.

Do whatever is needed to slow down the Ole Miss pass rush

Ole Miss has ridiculous talent in the Front Seven, especially along the defensive line. They lead the nation with 49 sacks on the season. They generate tons of pressure, and even more impressively, they do it without having to blitz all that often. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have struggled in pass protection, allowing over three sacks per game. Somehow, State has to find a way to alleviate that pressure. That means moving the pocket for Van Buren, calling more quick passes, and going max protect when they try to take shots. It also means finding success on the ground, so that DL can't just pin its ears back going after the QB.

Michael Van Buren needs to make plays with his legs

The other part of slowing down that pass rush is avoiding it altogether. Michael Van Buren will have to use his legs in this game, likely frequently so. He's going to have to be crafty in the pocket to not get taken down, and if he gets any sort of lane to run, he's got to take it. He hasn't been as good about evading pass rushers in recent weeks. He'll need to be at his best against Ole Miss.