KEY BULLDOG
Dak Prescott, quarterback
At this point, it’s predictable to call Prescott the most important Bulldog on offense entering each game. But against an Ole Miss defense that is solid against the run and outstanding against the pass, Prescott is the only answer here. To effectively move the ball against the Rebels’ defense, MSU will have to be balanced, and Prescott holds the key to that hope. Prescott, a junior, ranks third in the league in passing yardage and fifth in rushing, and he has accounted for 3,640 yards and a league-leading 36 touchdowns. For MSU to win Saturday, Prescott has to have a solid game.
KEY MATCHUP
MSU wide receivers against
Ole Miss defensive backs
On offense, MSU has one of the deepest wide receiver groups in the country, as 11 different Bulldogs – the highest total in the nation – have caught touchdown passes this season. On the other side, the Ole Miss defensive backs have been outstanding all year. The Rebels have allowed just seven passing touchdowns all season and have collected 19 interceptions, and both totals lead the SEC. Further, Ole Miss ranks third in the league in passing yards allowed while MSU’s passing game is third in the league in yards gained. Something will have to give on Saturday.
STATISTIC TO WATCH
Turnovers
When MSU has played poorly, turnovers have usually been the culprit. Such was the case in the Bulldogs’ only loss of the season, a 25-20 setback at Alabama two weeks ago when Prescott tossed a career-high three interceptions. Conversely, the Ole Miss defense ranks among the country’s best in forcing turnovers. Nationally, Ole Miss is ranked fifth in turnovers created with 28 on the season, a number that leads the SEC. If MSU can avoid giveaways on Saturday, the Bulldog offense should be enough to earn coach Dan Mullen’s fifth Egg Bowl victory in six years.
WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
Road performance
MSU started off the conference season with a masterful performance in a 34-29 win over then-No. LSU in Baton Rouge, a place where the Bulldogs hadn’t won since 1991. The SEC road grew more difficult from there, however, as MSU looked sluggish in a 45-31 win over 5-6 Kentucky on Oct. 25, then MSU struggled mightily at Alabama, falling behind 19-0 midway through the second quarter. In an Egg Bowl rivalry that has seen the home team win nine of the last 10 games,, MSU must avoid the road doldrums on Saturday in Oxford.
SURPRISE BULLDOG
De’Runya Wilson, wide receiver
There would be nothing altogether surprising about a big game from Wilson, MSU’s sophomore leader in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. But after sitting out last Saturday’s 51-0 rout over Vanderbilt, Wilson’s effectiveness could be in question as he nurses a leg injury suffered in the second half of MSU’s loss at Alabama. If he’s fully healthy, Wilson could be MSU’s key player against a stingy Ole Miss pass defense.
OLE MISS PLAYER TO WATCH
Senquez Golson, cornerback
Want one reason that the Ole Miss defense has emerged as one of the best units in the country? Look no further than the maturation of Golson, who has become one of the Southeastern Conference’s most dynamic defensive playmakers during his senior season. After recording six interceptions in his first three seasons in Oxford, Golson, Pascagoula High product, has exploded during his final campaign, topping the SEC with nine picks in 2014. That total ranks second nationally and is a big reason the Rebels lead the league in turnovers created. With MSU quarterback Dak Prescott having thrown 10 interceptions this season, the battle between quarterback and cornerback could go a long way toward determining a winner in Saturday’s Egg Bowl.
— Brandon Walker
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