OXFORD — In a game in which Mississippi State passed for a program record 440 yards, the Bulldogs fell a touchdown shy against rival Ole Miss Saturday night.
Winning its first Egg Bowl in Oxford since 2014, Ole Miss’ 31-24 victory marked the first in-state meeting between head coaches Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach. Kiffin, whose offense has been lauded for its up-tempo style, ran 82 total plays against the Bulldogs as the Rebels compiled 550 yards of total offense.
MSU freshman quarterback Will Rogers launched a last-ditch comeback effort as his Hail Mary fell just off the fingertips of classmate Jaden Walley in the back right corner of the end zone.
Walley, too, had a career game against the Rebels. One week after notching 115 yards against No. 9 Georgia, the D’Iberville native broke a 43-year-old freshman record with nine receptions for 176 yards and a highlight-reel one-handed catch that led to a late MSU touchdown to pull within three points.
Defensively, MSU largely held Ole Miss at bay in the second half after allowing three passes of 45-plus yards in the opening 30 minutes of competition. The backbreaker came with just under five minutes remaining as Rebels sophomore running back Jerrion Ealy dragged a gaggle of Bulldog defenders into the end zone for a score that put Ole Miss up by 10 and proved too much for MSU to overcome.
MSU is back in action Dec. 12 against No. 22 Auburn.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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