Egg Bowl Statistical Preview

The Battle for the Golden Egg returns to Thanksgiving for the first time in almost a decade, signifying a special occasion where we Mississippians can simultaneously celebrate our two favorite things: football and gluttony. ESPN will be broadcasting the festivities beginning at 6:30 PM Central, which is just in time for you to unbutton your pants and try to stay awake as your body breaks down a week's worth of calories in just a few hours.

If you're brave enough to spend your Thanksgiving in Starkville tonight, you'll need to bundle up. The weather forecast has the temperatures in the high-20s to low-30s. The locals won't be hospitable enough to part with their piping hot bulldog bites, so wear thick socks and fill up a thermos with (Irish) coffee to keep yourself warm. And definitely make sure you've got enough gas to get out of town, win or lose.

After Mississippi State fought from behind to beat the Arkansas Razorbacks in overtime last Saturday, they put themselves in position to earn bowl eligibility with a win over our Rebels tonight. Ole Miss, on the other hand, lost a frustrating game to the Missouri Tigers in Oxford, and will be on the road with hopes both improving their bowl standing and playing spoiler to Mississippi State's season. It's fair to think that State will have more to play for, with the game being at home and bowl eligibility being on the line, but I don't doubt that Hugh Freeze's Rebels will be playing with the energy and effort necessary to win in a hostile environment.

But, if anybody, yours truly included, claims he or she isn't a bit nervous about tonight, they're lying to you. As confident as we may be in our Rebels, we've all seen plenty of good Ole Miss teams lose in Starkville, and the sneaking suspicion that tonight could be a redux of 2009, for example, is too much to shake.

So what should we expect out of State? Well their quarterback situation isn't an ideal one, with Tyler Russell relegated to backup duties (despite being the statistically most prolific passer in school history) in favor of Dak Prescott and Damian Williams. Dak is likely out with a shoulder injury, meaning that Williams, a true freshman from Metarie, Louisiana, will take the reigns of the offense tonight. Williams is largely unproven, but he did scamper for a 25-yard touchdown against Arkansas in Little Rock to seal the overtime victory, showing confidence and the ability to make plays with the game on the line... against Arkansas.

State, true to Dan Mullen's style, loves to pound the ball with a read-option attack. Prescott is their team's leading rusher, but I don't doubt that they'll rely on Williams to pick up the yards that Dak would otherwise get. LaDarius Perkins and Josh Robinson should also get plenty of touches, as the cold weather and home atmosphere will benefit this attack a lot.

In the passing game, Jameon Lewis is State's most reliable weapon, averaging close to 60 yards per game and earning five touchdowns on the year. Expect the Bulldogs to use him on third down situations or in play action situations set up by their run game.

Mississippi State Passing Leaders

Mississippi State Rushing Leaders

Mississippi State Receiving Leaders

Ole Miss Defensive Leaders

Mississippi State Defensive Leaders

Keys to the game for a Rebel victory

1. Start fast, the Rebels need to force Mississippi State to have to score a lot of points to keep pace.
2. Convert red zone opportunities to TDs
3. Guard against a trick play, or special teams play that could emotionally charge MSU and the home crowd

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. Try not to eat too much. Hotty Toddy.