STARKVILLE – One had a night to forget. The other put on a performance that was unforgettable.
That was the difference in the 2013 Egg Bowl, a 17-10 overtime victory for Mississippi State. The night to forget belonged to Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace, who tossed three interceptions, failed to lead his team to the end zone and fumbled on the final play of the game to seal the seven-point loss.
On the other side, the unforgettable part of the game was delivered by MSU quarterback Dak Prescott, who entered the game with his team trailing 10-7 halfway through the fourth quarter and put the Bulldogs on his back as they rallied for their sixth win of the season. In just over 10 minutes of game time, Prescott passed for over 100 yards and added the dagger, a two-yard touchdown run in overtime that provided the difference.
“I was fighting it the whole game (the urge to play),” said Prescott, who was questionable for the game due to an injury suffered three weeks earlier. “Damian (Williams) was doing such a good job. I figured he was going to make a play to help us win the game. Emotions got to me, and I wanted to go in. I told coach Mullen I was ready to play. He went with me, and I just remember the stadium and atmosphere. It was a great game.”
Now, a year later, Prescott knows last year’s performance, as good as it was, means little this time around. The junior quarterback, now the unquestioned starter at MSU, has the Bulldogs on the brink of history, entering the Egg Bowl at 10-1 and in the thick of national championship contention. And while Prescott believes last year’s game has little bearing on the 2014 version of the Egg Bowl, one similarity will remain from a season ago; the two quarterbacks, Wallace and Prescott, will have a profound effect on determining the winner.
“This game means a lot to me, because it means so much to the university, my teammates and the people of the state of Mississippi,” said Prescott. “It’s a great rivalry. To be a part of it and be the quarterback of this team and represent Mississippi State going into this rivalry is special.”
As Wallace and Prescott go, so have the Rebels and Bulldogs this season. The two quarterbacks both rank near the top of the SEC in passing, as Wallace is second in the league with 2,789 yards and Prescott checks in at third with 2,714. Elsewhere in the passing department, the two signal callers are nearly even, as Wallace has thrown 22 touchdowns with 10 interceptions while Prescott has 23 scores and 10 picks.
In the games Ole Miss has won, Wallace has been outstanding, including a 251-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 23-17 over No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 4.
But when Wallace has played poorly, he’s played really poorly. In a 30-0 loss at Arkansas last week, Wallace turned the ball over four times – two interceptions, two fumbles – and he’s led the Rebels to a combined seven points in two of the team’s three losses.
“One of the things that can get you in danger is judging last week’s game as having any relevance toward this week,” said MSU coach Dan Mullen. “I think they turned it over six times last week. That’s not going to happen. It will be a very different to that we face. Look at what he does as a quarterback. He makes plays. When you look at the style that he plays, he’s a very dangerous player. He’s going to take some chances out there on the field, and he’s not afraid to throw some balls in some tight windows. You’re going to make a lot of big plays by doing that.”
Wallace’s importance to the Ole Miss offense can’t be overstated. The senior from Pulaski, Tennessee, has started every game in his three seasons in Oxford, and the Rebels’ passing game has ranked in the top five of the SEC in all three seasons. This season, his value may be increased by the Rebels’ struggles on the ground, as the Ole Miss rushing attack ranks 10th in the SEC.
Wallace was also banged up at Arkansas, leaving the game in the second half due to an ankle injury. But asked about his quarterbacks’ status on Monday, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said “He’s going to play. It’s going to take a lot more than a sprained ankle to keep him out of this game.”
Like his Ole Miss counterpart, Prescott has become indispensable for the 10-1 Bulldogs, perhaps even moreso. The Haughton, Louisiana native has accounted for 3,640 yards and a league-leading 36 touchdowns this season, and he’s been at his best in some of MSU’s biggest wins, including three straight over LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn. But Prescott struggled in Tuscaloosa, throwing three interceptions in a 25-20 loss to Alabama.
Now, two weeks later, he is charged with leading the Bulldogs into another hostile environment, this time Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Ole Miss, a place MSU has won just once since 1998.
“This game is just special,” said Prescott. “We’re going to come in and play with emotions and from the heart. It’s a good rivalry, and it’s great to be a part of it. Everybody is buzzing on social media. It’s big, and it bring that much more of a feeling to the nasty and good rivalry this is.”
One challenge facing Prescott this season is a nasty Ole Miss defense, a unit that ranks among the nation’s leaders in points allowed, turnovers created and yards per game.
The Rebels, behind nine interceptions from senior cornerback Senquez Golson, lead the SEC with 19 picks on the season, a total that ranks second nationally. Further, Ole Miss is allowing 309 total yards per game, good for second in the league behind Alabama.
In contrast, MSU’s offense leads the SEC in total yards per game, averaging 511. Asked about this Saturday’s opponent, Prescott was complimentary of the Rebels’ highly regarded defense.
“They have a good defense,” said Prescott. “They’re fast up front. Their secondary players get to the ball quickly off the hashes. They move around and are a little bit different in the way they line up pre-snap, but then again, they get to the same spot post-snap. We just have to watch that on film and get comfortable with where they’re going to be and where they’re zone-dropping.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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