Rivalry week for the SEC officially begins this Thursday night in Starkville, MS, as Mississippi State hosts Ole Miss for the 2023 Egg Bowl. An in-state rivalry that dates back to the early-1900’s, the two teams have split the last six meetings head-to-head, with Mississippi State having won last seasons game in Oxford by a final score of 24-22.
Led by interim head coach Greg Knox, Mississippi State enters the 2023 Egg Bowl sitting at 5-6 overall for the year, as well as 1-6 in SEC play. The Bulldogs are also coming off a 41-20 win over Southern Miss, which snapped what was previously a three-game losing streak.
Mississippi State’s offense comes into Saturday averaging 23.2 PPG led by the quarterback duo of Will Rogers and Mike Wright, as well as running back Jo’quavious Marks. Also joining Marks in the backfield are Seth Davis and Jeffery Pittman, while the Bulldogs top pass catchers are Lideatrick Griffin and Zavion Thomas, among others.
The Bulldogs defense is allowing an average of 27.5 PPG to opponents, and are led by two of the SEC’s top tacklers in the linebacker duo of Nathaniel Watson and Jett Johnson, both of which have 100+ each on the year. With both also Mississippi State’s top two pass rushers as well, the duo are joined by others such as Decamerion Richardson, Shawn Preston Jr., Corey Ellington, Marcus Banks, and more.
Special teams for Mississippi State is headlined by kicker Kyle Ferrie, while Keelan Crimmins is the Bulldogs punter. The aforementioned Griffin and Thomas also handle the kickoff and punt returns for Mississippi State.
Led by head coach Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss comes to Starkville ranked as the nation’s No. 12 team according to the latest College Football Playoff Rankings, and are sitting at 9-2 overall this season, as well as 5-2 in the SEC. The Rebels are also coming off a win last Saturday, as they defeated UL Monroe by a final score of 35-3.
Offensively, the Rebels are averaging 36.5 PPG so far this season, and are led on that side of the ball by quarterback Jaxson Dart, as well as one of the SEC’s premier running backs in Quinshon Judkins, who has rushed for 933 yards and 14 touchdowns on 209 attempts. In addition to the aforementioned Judkins, Ole Miss also has one other prominent running back in Ulysses Bentley IV, as well as a talented trio of wide receivers in Tre Harris, Dayton Wade, and Jordan Watkins.
The Rebels defense is allowing 23.7 PPG to opponents led by Trey Washington with a team-high 69 tackles, while Ashanti Cistrunk and John Saunders Jr. also have 50+ on the year. Ole Miss’ top pass rushers are Cedric Johnson and Jared Ivey with 5.5 sacks each, while Daijahn Anthony and Khari Coleman are among the additional names to know.
On special teams, Caden Davis is the Rebels kicker, while Fraser Masin handles the punts. Both the Rebels returners have also been mentioned previously as well in Bentley IV for kickoffs, as well as Watkins for punts.
Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss Line, Spread, Over/Under
As of Monday, November 20, Ole Miss is a 10.5-point favorite over Mississippi State in the 2023 Egg Bowl according to FanDuel, with the Rebels also at -410. The Bulldogs are at +315, while the over/under for the contest is 55.5.
Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss 2023 Egg Bowl Prediction
While this game is being played in Starkville, the pick to win the 2023 Egg Bowl goes to Ole Miss. I’ll say that the Rebels offense is too much for the Bulldogs, and that Ole Miss comes away with the win behind a big game from quarterback Jaxson Dart, and denies their in-state rivals a trip to a bowl game. Prediction: Mississippi State 24, Ole Miss 35
What Channel is the Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss Game On?
The 2023 Egg Bowl between Mississippi State and Ole Miss will be played Thursday, November 23 from Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, MS at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN.
Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss Live Stream
Available on fuboTV, Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss can be found here.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change