LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The final game of the 2011 regular season will mean everything to the Mississippi State football team.
For the first time since 1990, MSU (5-6, 1-6 Southeastern Conference) will have to defeat the University of Mississippi to become bowl eligible.
MSU coach Dan Mullen tried Saturday to downplay the significance of that game to his program’s postseason aspirations after a 44-17 loss to the No. 6 University of Arkansas.
“The Egg Bowl is the most important thing. If it means a bowl game, fantastic, but if it doesn’t, fantastic,” Mullen said. “It’s all about winning that game, as it’s always been since the day I took this job.”
In 1989 and 1990, MSU lost to Ole Miss in Jackson to finish 5-6, one win short of a bowl bid. Mullen has called his team’s hunt for a second-straight postseason berth “critical” to the development of his program in his third season.
“It’s huge. Getting to a bowl game is critical to your program,” Mullen said Nov. 13. “We have so many young guys on our team. Those extra practices really are important to the development of your program and what we’re trying to do.”
Mullen is 2-0 against Ole Miss. But the Bulldogs didn’t have to deal with postseason uncertainty prior to either of those victories.
“The game next week is as big as we’ll have all season,” MSU defensive coordinator Chris Wilson said. “It’s the School Up North and for us to extend our season.”
MSU will wear a special uniform for the Nov. 26 regular-season finale. The “rivalry” design will feature maroon jersey and pants, with gold numbers and “Hail State” on the name plate. The gold accents on the uniform represent the importance of the yearly Egg Bowl game, officially known as The Battle for the Golden Egg.
Cox’s dominating performance
Fletcher Cox said he watches film of an opponent’s offense, and his play on defense, and the kicking game.
That extra preparation paid off for the junior defensive tackle Saturday when he blocked a 32-yard field goal.
“Special teams is real important, and you got to know where they’re weak in blocking so you can get to that gap,” Cox said. “That’s what I was able to do with the block.”
Cox had four tackles, one for a loss, and 52-yard fumble recovery after a sack by Johnthan Banks in the second quarter.
“We need all our guys to play like Fletcher Cox does,” Mullen said. “He practices that way, he prepares that way, he plays that way, and is starting to lead that way now.”
Cox was the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for three straight games (Oct. 10-31). He has 10 1/2 tackles for loss and four sacks this season in the SEC.
Relf medically cleared but held out Saturday
Mullen said the plan was to play senior quarterback Chris Relf a week after he suffered concussion-like symptoms in a 24-7 loss to then-No. 4 University of Alabama at Davis Wade Stadium.
That plan never came to fruition in Little Rock, Ark., as the 2011 Gator Bowl MVP was medically cleared to play but didn’t see any action.
Relf was not cleared to practice by the MSU medical staff the first two days of the week, and Mullen insisted his quarterback would be evaluated on a day-by-day basis.
“He came in Wednesday and Chris was certainly in the plan to play today,” Mullen said.
It’s the second time in the past two seasons Relf has been cleared to play but not seen any game action. The first time was a 14-12 home loss to the University of South Carolina on Oct. 15.
“I want to make sure he’s 100-percent healthy for next week,” Mullen said.
Instead of Relf, Mullen used redshirt freshman Dylan Favre in the short yardage situations and goal-line packages. Favre threw the first touchdown pass of his college career, a 13-yard strike to tight end Malcolm Johnson in the fourth quarter, and finish with 80 yards (72 passing, 8 rushing).
“I’d rather not play a single down and have us come out with the win than me getting experience in a loss, so we got to get better,” Favre said.
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