Mississippi
What to watch for: Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss
Following a 41-20 win over Southern Miss in Greg Knox’s first game this season as Mississippi State’s interim head coach, it’s officially Egg Bowl week. The Bulldogs host No. 12 Ole Miss on Thursday night for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPN.
The Rebels’ only two losses have come on the road against Alabama and Georgia, who are both unbeaten in Southeastern Conference play, and they have a signature home win over LSU in late September. Quarterback Jaxson Dart is nearing 3,000 passing yards this season and has thrown 19 touchdown passes to just five interceptions, and he has a trio of dynamic receivers in Tre Harris, Dayton Wade and Jordan Watkins.
What: Ole Miss at Mississippi State
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
TV: ESPN
Betting line: Ole Miss by 11
Weather: Partly sunny skies with a high of 59 degrees and winds out of the north-northeast at 5 miles per hour, per AccuWeather
Records/rankings: MSU is 5-6 and 1-6 in the SEC. The Rebels are 9-2 and 5-2 in conference play. Ole Miss is ranked No. 12 in both the AP Top 25 and the AFCA Coaches Poll.
Series history: Ole Miss leads 64-47 with six ties. The Bulldogs defeated the Rebels in Oxford last year, with Ole Miss defeating the Bulldogs in Starkville in 2021. The series has been evenly matched of late — the teams have split their last 10 meetings.
Mississippi State update: The Bulldogs, at long last, are at full strength again offensively as quarterback Will Rogers and running back Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks returned last week against Southern Miss. Knox, who also led MSU to a win in the 2017 TaxSlayer Bowl, improved to 2-0 as the Bulldogs’ interim head coach spanning two separate stints on the coaching staff.
Linebackers Jett Johnson and Nathaniel “Bookie” Watson each had a career day against the Golden Eagles, combining for 39 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. Johnson is one tackle ahead of Watson for the SEC lead, while Watson leads the conference in sacks with 10.
Ole Miss update: A win Thursday night would give the Rebels their second 10-win regular season in program history, joining the 2021 team. Harris, Wade and Watkins all have at least 700 receiving yards and the ability to stretch the field. Running back Quinshon Judkins is nearing another 1,000-yard season, although his production hasn’t quite reached last year’s heights.
The defense has been generally solid, especially up front. Edge rushers Jared Ivey and Cedric Johnson lead the way there. Ole Miss has also been opportunistic in the back end, tied for the SEC lead with 12 interceptions.
Ole Miss players to watch: QB Jaxson Dart, RB Quinshon Judkins, WR Tre Harris, DE Jared Ivey, S Trey Washington.
Prediction: It is the Egg Bowl, where chaos often reigns supreme, but the Rebels just have too much offensive firepower for MSU to keep up with. Ole Miss 38, Mississippi State 20.
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 57 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.