Just like that, Egg Bowl week is here. Mississippi State (5-6, 1-6 Southeastern Conference) hosts rival and No. 12 Ole Miss (9-2, 5-2) for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff Thursday night on ESPN.
The Rebels’ only two losses have come on the road against Alabama and Georgia, who are both unbeaten in SEC play. Their signature win was a 55-49 shootout against LSU on Sept. 30, which helped them secure a perfect 7-0 record at home. To learn more about this Ole Miss team, The Commercial Dispatch chatted with Michael Katz, who covers the Rebels for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
Editor’s note: This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
The Commercial Dispatch: Ole Miss has had an excellent season, but dropped two games to top-10 teams on the road and will fall short of its ultimate goals. How would you assess the mood around this group heading into the Egg Bowl?
Michael Katz: Coming into the season, there were honestly mixed expectations for this team. Not because people thought the team wouldn’t be better than it was last season; that seemed pretty clear. But would it be reflected in the win-loss record due to the unforgiving schedule? Heading into the season, I thought eight wins would be a really good year, nine would be great, and 10 would probably be the absolute best-case scenario. Well, here we are.
Would Ole Miss love to have beaten Alabama or Georgia? Of course, particularly because the former was pretty mortal at that juncture. But for a few years, the question has been whether Lane Kiffin could win the big one here. The epic victory over LSU checked that one off the list. The Rebels won at Auburn for just the fourth time ever and beat an Arkansas team that has been quite pesky over the years. Ole Miss has a chance to win 10 regular-season games for the second time ever and will be in the New Year’s Six conversation. This is a really confident team, and a team that seems to have great chemistry. That’s gone a long way in the team’s success.
The Dispatch: There was a quarterback competition for Ole Miss before the season, but Jaxson Dart quickly showed the coaching staff they made the right decision. What makes him so effective behind center?
Katz: The talent was never in question with Dart. It was whether he could operate the offense efficiently without making the backbreaking mistake. He was dynamic in his first season, but interceptions and fumbles cost him and the offense at crucial junctures. He’s cleaned up the turnovers in a big way — he’s thrown just five interceptions and, as a team, the Rebels are plus-nine in turnover margin (tied for 11th nationally). He’s been among the most efficient passers in the country and is among the leaders in yards per attempt and yards per completion. Dart’s been smart with the ball but still knows how to make plays downfield to a trio of dynamic receivers. He’s also a threat in the run game, which opens up things for the running backs. He’s orchestrated the offense brilliantly.
The Dispatch: Dart aside, what will be the biggest challenges MSU’s defense will face on Thursday?
Katz: An easy answer would be stopping running back Quinshon Judkins, and it wouldn’t be wrong. He hasn’t been quite as productive as last season in some regards, but he is still paramount to the offense’s success. But the real challenge is slowing down the receiving trio of Tre Harris, Dayton Wade and Jordan Watkins. Each has at least 700 yards receiving this season, and each brings something different to the table. Harris is a big, physical presence who is also dynamic down the field — he’s 15th nationally in yards per catch — and has strong hands. Wade is smaller but also dynamic, though in a different way. He is a run-after-catch beast, as evidenced by his 58-yard touchdown last weekend. He also has a knack for making jaw-dropping receptions in tight coverage. Watkins is Mr. Reliable. He always seems to be open somewhere in the middle of the field, and he’ll break things open here and there as well. That trio is as good as there is in college football.
The Dispatch: What do you make of this Rebels defense, and what does it need to do to slow down the Bulldogs’ offense?
Katz: The defense has generally been pretty solid under new defensive coordinator Pete Golding. It hasn’t been perfect — there are still too many receivers running open down the field on occasion — but the group has done a good job of not breaking. The pass rush is key for this group, and a lot of that comes from edge rushers Jared Ivey and Cedric Johnson, who have 5.5 sacks each. There is a lot of depth on the defense, particularly up front; it’s not uncommon to see the equivalent of hockey line changes in the middle of drives. The biggest thing this defense has done under Golding is make adjustments. If something is working against them early, it likely gets figured out sooner than later.
The Dispatch: Ole Miss will win if…
Katz: The Rebels play clean football offensively and capitalize on their chunk plays down the field with tempo. This offense is at its best when it follows big plays with more big plays, not giving the defense a chance to regroup. They need to own the pace of the game.
The Dispatch: Ole Miss will lose if…
Katz: The Rebels turn the ball over and let MSU receivers get open behind them. Penalties have also been a big issue for Ole Miss this year; if they give up free yards, it just increases the chances something negative happens later in the drive.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 28 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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