STARKVILLE — Wow, what a game.
For the 10th straight year, Mississippi State is going bowling.
The Bulldogs took down their rivals on Thanksgiving night, retaining the Golden Egg trophy with a 21-20 victory over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl.
This will still be considered a disappointing year to some, and it probably should be. Going 6-6 isn’t exactly a cause for celebration. But at least the Bulldogs kept the bowl streak alive, so there’s some solace at the end of the year.
As always, a quick programming note for those who are new here: Bulldog Bullets will be a weekly recurring article filled with short observations and commentary written throughout Mississippi State football games that posts shortly after the final gun.
To the Bulldog Bullets:
– We’re just as aware of the Joe Moorhead rumors as you guys are. Hopefully there will be an update in the not too distant future.
– Ole Miss completed a fourth-and-24 to keep the game alive with a 57-yard bomb. This game had no shortage of drama. I have no idea how the secondary lets a wideout get that far behind it considering the down and distance.
– Then the defense jumps offsides on fourth-and-4. Woof.
– Ole Miss scores a touchdown and then commits an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Then the kicker missed the PAT. That was the craziest ending to a game I’ve seen in a while.
– Thursday marked the first time in five years the home team has won the Egg Bowl.
– Bowl predictions are pointless and most often wrong. But what the heck, I’ll make one anyway: MSU will play in the Music City Bowl
– Kylin Hill quietly had another 100-plus yard rushing effort for MSU. Business as usual for the electric running back.
– A horrible late-game decision from Matt Corral resulted in a Marcus Murphy interception. Matt Luke is probably going to take some heat for benching John Rhys Plumlee for Corral in a game that Plumlee was effective through the air.
– MSU probably did the best job of containing Plumlee on the ground that any team has done all year. Just a pretty solid all around defensive effort.
– Right away, Ole Miss’ tempo on offense was driving MSU crazy. Then the Rebels fumbled. Completely changed the momentum around.
– Always cool to see a senior like Nick Gibson score a touchdown in his last Egg Bowl.
– Mississippi State actually had a kickoff go into the end zone. Must have been a mishit.
– Sarcasm aside, MSU’s kickoff coverage was pretty stellar Thursday.
– A wild Keytaon Thompson appeared and caught a pass. In all seriousness, that was interesting.
– I know he dropped the snap, but Tucker Day still had plenty of time to get a punt off instead of panicking and trying to run for a first down. Very costly mistake that let Ole Miss tie the game heading into halftime.
– Elijah Moore’s drops didn’t exactly help Ole Miss.
– That Willie Gay fumble recovery and failed pitch to Chauncey Rivers (MSU recovered the ball anyway) has to be the craziest play from the game, but not by much.
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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