Mississippi State got over the hump winning the Egg Bowl for the first time since 2019.
The Bulldogs put on a show on the defensive side of the ball and the run game complimented it to lead to a 24-22 victory over Ole Miss.
1) Defense came to play
The Mississippi State defense knew what was at stake in the Egg Bowl, and they put up one of their best performances of the season.
Ole Miss entered the game with the third-best rushing offense in college football at 278.3 yards per game, only behind triple option teams Air Force and Army, and the Bulldogs completely shut them down.
Mississippi State kept the Rebels to just 74 yards rushing on a stifling 1.9 yards per carry. It was the lowest total Ole Miss has rushed for, and the Bulldogs made a season-high 15 tackles for loss in the game. State also snapped Quinshon Judkins' five-game 100-yard streak as he was held to 91 yards on 22 attempts.
It was a collaborative effort for the Mississippi State defense to stuff the run, as 13 players made the stat sheet for a tackle for loss. Linebackers Nathaniel Watson and Tyrus Wheat each had 2.5 and a sack a piece, and defensive linemen Randy Charlton and Jaden Crumedy each had 1.5.
USC transfer Jaxson Dart was effective in the passing game completing 30 of 38 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, but the Bulldogs got some key stops when they needed them.
The most notable was late in the third quarter after State gave the Rebels a good field position on a Will Rogers fumble. Ole Miss had moved the ball to the six-yard line, and after Watson stuffed the gap to make a tackle in the backfield on 3rd and 1, Wheat broke through the line to get some pressure on Dart and force an unbalanced throw which was broken up Jalen Green.
"It was a strong effort by our defense…incredible effort," Mike Leach said. "I thought we were physical on both sides of the ball. I thought we were in pretty good physical shape responding throughout the game. They made some really key stops."
2) Ground and Pound
Mississippi State has been the most successful on offense this season when they've run the football.
Just look at the Texas A&M and Arkansas wins. The Bulldogs rushed for 144 and 173 yards in back-to-back weeks, leading to marginal victories and the run game proved to be effective again last night.
State's duo of junior running backs Dillon Johnson and Jo'quavious Marks combined for 149 yards on 26 carries with Marks finding the endzone in the 1st quarter. The Bulldog's two longest plays came via the run with Marks cutting a 3rd and 1 outside for 32 yards in the 3rd quarter and Johnson taking one 24 yards in the fourth.
Marks and Johnson have both had fantastic junior campaigns as they've combined for over 1,000 yards. Johnson stayed consistent from last year, averaging 5.5 yards per carry, but Marks was much improved as he increased from 3.9 to 5.2 yards per carry.
"I feel like we just need to run the ball. That's just what it comes down to," Johnson said. "Coach Leach was telling us to get ourselves some hard runs and not get behind the sticks. It was definitely good to get the running game going."
3) Building momentum
Winning the Egg Bowl is always a big deal for whoever wins it. It gives the victor some recruiting momentum for in-state prospects and of course, bragging rights.
After a two-year drought in the first two seasons of the Mike Leach-Lane Kiffin era, the Bulldogs finally got the job done. Mississippi State reached its first 8-win season since 2018, which means they'll hopefully be back to one of the more premier bowl games.
The Egg Bowl win should give this team some momentum heading into the bowl game and the 2023 season. Will Rogers is expected to return for his senior season and has a chance to climb up the record board as the SEC's all-time leading passer.
A majority of their offensive production should be back, as all of their wide receivers have remaining eligibility, with the exception of Caleb Ducking and Austin Williams. The running back tandem of Dillon Johnson and Jo'quavious Marks are both expected to stay.
That experience and continuity on offense could make for a big year in 2023, especially with a lighter schedule, as they'll trade Georgia for South Carolina in cross-division while getting eight home games.
