No. 12 Mississippi seeks 10th win. Mississippi State aims for bowl eligibility in Egg Bowl showdown

Mississippi is nearing 10 wins for the second time in three seasons and looking forward to another bowl game. Mississippi State seeks postseason eligibility, though the broader focus in Starkville is on who will be the Bulldogs' next head coach.

Those are the goals in play Thanksgiving night between the Magnolia State rivals, in addition to earning bragging rights in the annual Battle for the Golden Egg. A victory offers some revenge for the No. 12 Rebels (9-2, 5-2 Southeastern Conference), especially after falling a two-point conversion attempt shy of tying last year's soggy showdown the Bulldogs won 24-22 in Oxford.

“That game has ate at me ever since we walked off the field,” Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart said. “It’s a game that I really want back. I know the other guys on the team feel the exact same way about it. We can’t wait for the opportunity to play in it.”

Ole Miss has won six of seven, including Saturday's 35-3 non-conference rout of Louisiana-Monroe. The Rebels are just a win away from just their second 10-win regular season under Lane Kiffin and a possible New Year's Six bowl appearance, some consolation for falling short of winning the SEC West title. Kiffin can join John Vaught as the only Rebels coaches with multiple 10-win seasons.

Success depends on clearing MSU (5-6, 2-5), which outscored Southern Miss 18-13 in the fourth quarter to win 41-20 in Greg Knox's first game as interim coach after the school fired Zach Arnett on Nov. 13. Record-setting quarterback Will Rogers (144 yards passing, two touchdowns) and dual-threat running back Jo'Quavious Marks returned from missing multiple games with injuries, connecting for one score passing and restoring some flash to a Bulldogs offense that had scored only 33 points over the previous four contests.

The defense also regrouped to hold the Golden Eagles to 246 yards and seal the outcome with Marcus Banks' 60-yard interception return for a score. MSU must provide even more resistance against Ole Miss' potent offense to not only clinch a bowl berth, but maintain superiority over its archrival.

“A lot of guys, this is our, fourth, fifth or sixth Egg Bowl,” Rogers said. "We’re obviously really excited to play the game and you know they’re going to be excited to play. You don’t win nine games for nothing.

"We have to control our emotions, be ready to play and just execute the plan.”

EARLY PLANNING

Most coaches don’t admit to looking ahead to the next week’s opponent. Kiffin said that’s just what he and his staff did before facing Louisiana-Monroe, given the short turnaround. “Right or wrong, we game-planned last week, which is very unusual to do that in another opponent week,” he admitted. The Rebels went straight to MSU game film Sunday, normally a day off, after reviewing the ULM game.

HARD TO STOP

MSU linebacker Nathaniel Watson had a career-best 21 tackles against Southern Miss and stands one behind teammate and SEC leader Jett Johnson with 116 overall. The two have surpassed their 2022 totals and can make SEC history as the only players to finish 1-2 in stops in consecutive seasons. Watson leads the SEC with 10 sacks (eighth nationally), with Johnson (six) tied for sixth in the league.

JUDKINS, ON THE CUSP

Rebels running back Quinshon Judkins already ranks fifth in school history with 2,500 yards rushing and is just 67 away from his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. The sophomore rushed 18 times for 65 yards against ULM but has four 100-yard efforts this season, including 177 with a TD against LSU. Judkins leads the SEC with 14 rushing scores and has 30 career.

BACK BEHIND CENTER

Rogers was admittedly rusty against USM in his return from a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury sustained against Western Michigan on Oct. 7. But he stayed active during his recovery by practicing with the scout team and coaching teammates on the sideline during games. “I lost some weight, wasn’t able to lift as much in the weight room week to week," said Rogers, MSU’s career passing leader and owner of multiple school records. "But, you know, I felt in shape. I felt good after the game and just trying to try to take care of my body on a short week.”

SERIES NOTES

Ole Miss is 58-30-5 in the Egg Bowl and 16-14-1 in Thanksgiving Day meetings, including 10-4 in Starkville. MSU has won three of the past five matchups, including last year's defensive battle that marked Mike Leach’s final game as Bulldogs coach. He died last December at 61 from complications related to a heart condition.

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AP Sports Writer John Zenor contributed to this report.

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