Egg Bowl

Egg Bowl
Teams	Mississippi State Bulldogs Ole Miss Rebels
Originated	1901
Series	Ole Miss leads 60–41–6
Largest Victory	Mississippi State 65 Ole Miss 0 November 6, 1915
Longest Win Streak	Mississippi State, 13, 1911–1925
Highest Scoring Game	Ole Miss 45 Mississippi State 30 November 23, 2000
Most Recent Game	Mississippi State 31 Ole Miss 23 November 27, 2010

The Battle for the Golden Egg (nicknamed the Egg Bowl) is an annual college football game between in-state rivals, the Mississippi State University (MSU) Bulldogs and the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels. The rivalry is the 10th longest uninterrupted series in the United States. The two teams have played each other since 1901, now having played each other a total of 106 times. 1927 was the first year the trophy was awarded to the winner. The "Battle for the Golden Egg" has never been an official name for the game. Additionally, the "Egg" part refers to more modern footballers referring to the 1927 football shaped in the old way, which resembeles an egg compared to the modern design. Thus, "Egg" was obviously never considered at the time of the trophy's conception as it was the norm of the day. While the game is called a "bowl," it is not in fact a postseason bowl game, but rather a regular season game between two SEC West teams.

History

Up until 1926, Ole Miss had won only five times out of twenty-three. When Ole Miss beat what was then known as Mississippi A&M College 7-6, the Ole Miss fans rushed the field, some trying to tear the goalposts down. A&M fans did not take well to the Ole Miss fans destroying their property and fights broke out. Some A&M fans defended the goal posts with wooden chairs, and several injuries were reported. To prevent such events in the future, students of the two schools created the "Golden Egg", a large trophy which has been awarded to the winning team each year since 1927. The trophy is a large football-shaped brass piece mounted to a wooden base and traditionally symbolizes supremacy in college football in the state of Mississippi for the year. The footballs used in American football in the 1920s were considerably more ovoid and blunter than those in use today and similar to the balls still used in rugby; the trophy thus, to modern eyes, more resembles an egg than a football. The awarding of the "Golden Egg" was instituted in 1927 by joint agreement between the two schools' student bodies. In the event of a tie, the school that won the game the previous year keeps the trophy for the first half of the new year and then the trophy is sent to the other school for the second half of the new year.^[1]

The game is a typical example of the intrastate rivalries between several public universities in the U.S. These games are usually between one bearing the state's name alone, and the land-grant university, often styled as "State University." Like most such rivalries, it is contested at the end of the regular season, in this case on Thanksgiving weekend, sometimes on Thanksgiving Day (or, in recent years, Thanksgiving Night) itself. At one point the level of rivalry was such that a victory by one of the schools in this game could salvage what had otherwise been a poor season. This was however proven not to always be the case when in 2004 Ole Miss won the game but fired its coach, David Cutcliffe, the next week, following a disappointing season.

For many years this game was played at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, which seats approximately 62,000. Besides being centrally located in the state, at the time it was the only venue in the state capable of seating the anticipated crowd; for many years Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, seated only about 32,000 and Scott Field in Starkville, seated only about 31,000. Both have been considerably expanded and are now capable of accommodating the crowds which can realistically be expected, and both on-campus venues have been continually upgraded to the point where they are actually superior in amenities to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Since the Egg Bowl was moved back to the campuses, Mississippi State has won 11 games to Ole Miss' 9.

Notable games

1929 Mississippi vs. Mississippi A&M football program. The game ended tied 7-7. Note on the cover the game was referred to as "Mississippi's Football Classic" and not the "Egg Bowl".

• 1907: Ole Miss and Mississippi A&M played a scoreless first half in extremely muddy conditions.^[2] Before the second half began, Ole Miss head coach Frank A. Mason brought out an urn filled with whisky-laced coffee in an attempt to warm his players.^[2][3][4] Sloppy second-half play resulted in a 15 to 0 A&M victory. After the game, many of the Ole Miss players blamed Mason for the loss. When asked if his team was returning home that night, Mason replied "Yes, the team is going north at 11 o'clock. I'm going in another direction, and hope I never see them again!"^[2][3] It would be his final game as head coach.^[2]

• 1941: Mississippi State won the Southeastern Conference title, behind quarterback Jennings Moates, after winning 6-0.

• 1976 and 1977: Mississippi State won the Egg Bowl these two years but had to forfeit the wins due to NCAA violations.

• 1983 - The Immaculate Deflection, or the Wind Bowl: In what has become known to Mississippi and MSU fans as "The Immaculate Deflection," the 1983 Egg Bowl played in Jackson is notable because the wind helped preserve Ole Miss' 24-23 victory. Down by a point with 24 seconds left in the game, MSU kicked what would have been a 27-yard game winning field goal. MSU freshman kicker Artie Cosby kicked it straight and long and what appeared to be over the crossbar, but as the ball reached the goal posts, a 40 mph gusting wind suspended the ball inches from the uprights, after which it fell short of the goal post, securing the victory for the Rebels.^[5]

• 1992 - The Stand: In a defensive struggle that saw a combined 12 turnovers between the two, a goal line stand of epic proportions by the "Red Death" defense ultimately gave Ole Miss the win. Mississippi St. had 11 plays in 2 different possessions inside the Rebel 10 with in the last 4 minutes of the contest but failed to score. The first possession ended on a third down pass that was intercepted in the end zone by Michael Lowery who would bring the ball out to the 2 yardline. A couple of plays later saw rebel running back Cory Philpot fumble the ball back to the Dogs making for the Rebels 7th turnover. On the ensuing possession, State had fourth and goal and the pass was incomplete. However, pass interference on Orlanda Truitt kept the drive alive, moving the ball to the 2. However, the next four plays resulted in negative yardage, with the final pass falling incomplete with only 20 seconds remaining. The Rebels won 17-10.

• 1997: A melee broke out between the teams before the game.^[6] The game was won 15-14 by Ole Miss on a game-winning 4th quarter drive. A first and 10 pass was completed to Andre Rone for the touchdown to bring the score to 14-13, advantage MSU. Tommy Tuberville, in his third season as the Rebels' head coach, opted to attempt a two-point conversion, determined to secure the victory in regulation. The conversion was successful as QB Stewart Patridge connected with Corey Peterson for the score. A late pass by MSU was intercepted by Tim Strickland to secure the win for the Rebels. Both teams finished 7-4, however, with limited bowl spots available, Ole Miss would secure its first bowl berth since 1992 while Mississippi St. would fail to reach a bowl for the 3rd consecutive season.

• 1998: Mississippi State clinched their first SEC West division title after winning 28-6. This win sent MSU to the SEC Championship game where they were defeated 24-14 by eventual national champion Tennessee. Also noteworthy is the fact that the following day it was announced that Ole Miss's Tommy Tubbervile was to be the new coach at Auburn.

• 1999 - The Pick and the Kick: Known as "The Pick and the Kick," this game is best known for its dramatic ending. Down 20-6, MSU rallied late in the 4th quarter to tie the game. With 20 seconds left, instead of kneeling the ball to go to overtime, Mississippi decided to run a play, deep in their own territory. Rebel quarterback Romero Miller dropped back and lobbed a deep pass which was deflected by the hands and then the foot of MSU cornerback Robert Bean before being intercepted by Eugene Clinton and returned deep into Rebel territory. On the next play, with 8 seconds left, Bulldog kicker Scott Westerfield kicked a 44-yard game-winning field goal.

• 2003: This year saw the 100th meeting between the two teams. Ole Miss earned a share of its first SEC West division title with current New York Giants quarterback and Super Bowl XLII MVP Eli Manning leading the team. A torrential downpour prevailed much of the game, with both teams fighting tooth and nail for the first 20 or so minutes of the contest. The heavily favored Rebs ultimately proved to be too much as the Rebels had 3 2nd quarter scores to take a 24-0 lead into the locker room. The final would be 31-0 marking the first shutout by the Rebels in this rivalry since 1971 (48-0). This Egg Bowl marked Jackie Sherrill's final game as a football coach as in the middle of the 2003 season he had announced his retirement. Sherrill had an overall record of 7-6 against the Rebels.

• 2007-The Comeback: Mississippi State, after trailing 14-0 late in the fourth quarter, reeled off seventeen points in the final 7 minutes, 51 seconds to win the game and leave Mississippi winless in the SEC for the first time in 25 years. Mississippi head coach Ed Orgeron was fired after the game and former Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Houston Nutt was hired.

• 2008: A year had passed since the epic meltdown in Starkville that resulted in the firing of Ed Orgeron. The Rebels, determined to right the wrong, won big with a 45-0 shutout, the third biggest margin ever in the series, to Mississippi State's 65-0 victory in 1915 and Ole Miss's 48-0 victory in 1971.^[7] Only once did the Mississippi State offense cross the 50-yard line into Ole Miss territory.^[8] Mississippi held MSU to just 37 total yards, which nets minus 51 rushing yards against 88 yards passing. The next day Sylvester Croom resigned as Mississippi State's head coach.

• 2009: Mississippi State won 41-27. The 41 points scored by the Bulldogs was their most in the series since 1917, the most scored on Ole Miss all season, and their 412 yards of offense was the most that the vaunted "Land Shark" defense had given up all year.^[9] The game ended by MSU taking a knee two times on the Ole Miss 4 yard line to run out the last 1:17 on the clock. This was the first Egg Bowl for new Bulldog Head Coach Dan Mullen.

• 2010: Mississippi State won 31-23. MSU led 31-9 in the fourth quarter before Ole Miss scored two late touchdowns. Head Coach Dan Mullen becomes the first Mississippi State head coach since 1940 to win his first two Egg Bowls. MSU was later picked to play The University of Michigan in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day in Jacksonville, Florida.

Game results

Ole Miss and MSU meet during a 1970s Egg Bowl

Mississippi State victories shaded in ██ maroon. Mississippi victories are shaded ██ blue. Ties shaded white. Forfeits shaded ██ gray.

Date	Site	Winning team		Losing team
October 28, 1901	Starkville	Mississippi State	17	Mississippi	0
October 25, 1902	Starkville	Mississippi	21	Mississippi State	0
November 14, 1903	Oxford	Mississippi	6	Mississippi State	6
October 22, 1904	Columbus	Mississippi	17	Mississippi State	5
November 30, 1905	Jackson	Mississippi State	11	Mississippi	0
November 29, 1906	Jackson	Mississippi	29	Mississippi State	5
November 28, 1907	Jackson	Mississippi State	15	Mississippi	0
November 26, 1908	Jackson	Mississippi State	44	Mississippi	6
November 25, 1909	Jackson	Mississippi	9	Mississippi State	5
November 24, 1910	Jackson	Mississippi	30	Mississippi State	0
November 30, 1911	Jackson	Mississippi State	6	Mississippi	0
November 6, 1915	Tupelo	Mississippi State	65	Mississippi	0
November 3, 1916	Tupelo	Mississippi State	36	Mississippi	0
November 3, 1917	Tupelo	Mississippi State	41	Mississippi	14
November 28, 1918	Starkville	Mississippi State	34	Mississippi	0
December 7, 1918	Oxford	Mississippi State	13	Mississippi	0
November 8, 1919	Clarksdale	Mississippi State	33	Mississippi	0
November 6, 1920	Greenwood	Mississippi State	20	Mississippi	0
October 29, 1921	Greenwood	Mississippi State	21	Mississippi	0
October 21, 1922	Jackson	Mississippi State	19	Mississippi	13
October 20, 1923	Jackson	Mississippi State	13	Mississippi	6
October 18, 1924	Jackson	Mississippi State	20	Mississippi	0
October 24, 1925	Jackson	Mississippi State	6	Mississippi	0
November 25, 1926	Starkville	Mississippi	7	Mississippi State	6
November 24, 1927	Oxford	Mississippi	20	Mississippi State	12
November 29, 1928	Starkville	Mississippi	20	Mississippi State	19
November 28, 1929	Oxford	Mississippi	7	Mississippi State	7
November 27, 1930	Starkville	Mississippi	20	Mississippi State	0
November 26, 1931	Oxford	Mississippi	25	Mississippi State	14
November 24, 1932	Starkville	Mississippi	13	Mississippi State	0
December 2, 1933	Oxford	Mississippi	31	Mississippi State	0
December 1, 1934	Starkville	Mississippi	7	Mississippi State	3
November 30, 1935	Oxford	Mississippi	14	Mississippi State	6
November 21, 1936	Starkville	Mississippi State	26	Mississippi	6
November 25, 1937	Oxford	Mississippi State	9	Mississippi	7
November 26, 1938	Starkville	Mississippi	19	Mississippi State	6
November 25, 1939	Oxford	Mississippi State	18	Mississippi	6
November 23, 1940	Starkville	Mississippi State	19	Mississippi	0
November 29, 1941	Oxford	Mississippi State	6	Mississippi	0
November 28, 1942	Starkville	Mississippi State	34	Mississippi	12
November 25, 1944	Oxford	Mississippi	13	Mississippi State	8
November 24, 1945	Starkville	Mississippi	7	Mississippi State	6
November 23, 1946	Oxford	Mississippi State	20	Mississippi	0
November 29, 1947	Starkville	Mississippi	33	Mississippi State	14
November 27, 1948	Oxford	Mississippi	34	Mississippi State	7
November 26, 1949	Starkville	Mississippi	26	Mississippi State	0
December 2, 1950	Oxford	Mississippi	27	Mississippi State	20
December 1, 1951	Starkville	Mississippi	49	Mississippi State	7
November 29, 1952	Oxford	Mississippi	20	Mississippi State	14
November 28, 1953	Starkville	Mississippi	7	Mississippi State	7
November 27, 1954	Oxford	Mississippi	14	Mississippi State	0
November 26, 1955	Starkville	Mississippi	26	Mississippi State	0
December 1, 1956	Oxford	Mississippi	13	Mississippi State	7
November 30, 1957	Starkville	Mississippi State	7	Mississippi	7
November 29, 1958	Oxford	Mississippi	21	Mississippi State	0
November 28, 1959	Starkville	Mississippi	42	Mississippi State	0
November 26, 1960	Oxford	Mississippi	35	Mississippi State	9
December 2, 1961	Starkville	Mississippi	37	Mississippi State	7
December 1, 1962	Oxford	Mississippi	13	Mississippi State	6
November 30, 1963	Starkville	Mississippi State	10	Mississippi	10
December 5, 1964	Oxford	Mississippi State	20	Mississippi	17
November 27, 1965	Starkville	Mississippi	21	Mississippi State	0
November 26, 1966	Oxford	Mississippi	24	Mississippi State	0
December 2, 1967	Starkville	Mississippi	10	Mississippi State	3
November 30, 1968	Oxford	Mississippi	17	Mississippi State	17
November 27, 1969	Starkville	Mississippi	48	Mississippi State	22
November 26, 1970	Oxford	Mississippi State	19	Mississippi	14
November 25, 1971	Starkville	Mississippi	48	Mississippi State	0
November 25, 1972	Oxford	Mississippi	51	Mississippi State	14
November 24, 1973	Jackson	Mississippi	38	Mississippi State	10
November 23, 1974	Jackson	Mississippi State	31	Mississippi	13
November 22, 1975	Jackson	Mississippi	13	Mississippi State	7
November 20, 1976	Jackson	Mississippi	11	Mississippi State	28*
November 19, 1977	Jackson	Mississippi	14	Mississippi State	18*
November 25, 1978	Jackson	Mississippi	27	Mississippi State	7
November 24, 1979	Jackson	Mississippi	14	Mississippi State	9
November 22, 1980	Jackson	Mississippi State	19	Mississippi	14
November 21, 1981	Jackson	Mississippi	21	Mississippi State	17
November 20, 1982	Jackson	Mississippi State	27	Mississippi	10
November 19, 1983	Jackson	Mississippi	24	Mississippi State	23
November 24, 1984	Jackson	Mississippi	24	Mississippi State	3
November 23, 1985	Jackson	Mississippi	45	Mississippi State	27
November 22, 1986	Jackson	Mississippi	24	Mississippi State	3
November 21, 1987	Jackson	Mississippi State	30	Mississippi	20
November 26, 1988	Jackson	Mississippi	33	Mississippi State	6
November 25, 1989	Jackson	Mississippi	21	Mississippi State	11
November 24, 1990	Jackson	Mississippi	21	Mississippi State	9
November 23, 1991	Starkville	Mississippi State	24	Mississippi	9
November 28, 1992	Oxford	Mississippi	17	Mississippi State	10
November 27, 1993	Starkville	Mississippi State	20	Mississippi	13
November 26, 1994	Oxford	Mississippi State	21	Mississippi	17
November 25, 1995	Starkville	Mississippi	13	Mississippi State	10
November 30, 1996	Oxford	Mississippi State	17	Mississippi	0
November 29, 1997	Starkville	Mississippi	15	Mississippi State	14
November 26, 1998	Oxford	Mississippi State	28	Mississippi	6
November 25, 1999	Starkville	Mississippi State	23	Mississippi	20
November 23, 2000	Oxford	Mississippi	45	Mississippi State	30
November 22, 2001	Starkville	Mississippi State	36	Mississippi	28
November 28, 2002	Oxford	Mississippi	24	Mississippi State	12
November 27, 2003	Starkville	Mississippi	31	Mississippi State	0
November 27, 2004	Oxford	Mississippi	20	Mississippi State	3
November 26, 2005	Starkville	Mississippi State	35	Mississippi	14
November 25, 2006	Oxford	Mississippi	20	Mississippi State	17
November 23, 2007	Starkville	Mississippi State	17	Mississippi	14
November 28, 2008	Oxford	Mississippi	45	Mississippi State	0
November 28, 2009	Starkville	Mississippi State	41	Mississippi	27
November 27, 2010	Oxford	Mississippi State	31	Mississippi	23

*Mississippi State won the Egg Bowl on the field in 1976 and 1977, but were later forced to forfeit the games by the NCAA.

References

1. ^ Ole Miss football 2007 Media guide
2. ^ ^{a b c d} The Egg Bowl: Mississippi State Vs. Ole Miss. Oxford, MS: Univ. Press of Mississippi. 2010. pp. 26-27. ISBN 1604738324, 9781604738322. http://books.google.com/books?id=54L0Bv-uNVgC&pg=PA26&dq. Retrieved 16 October 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Football Hall of Shame. New York City: Simon and Schuster. 1991. pp. 42. ISBN 0671745514, 9780671745516. http://books.google.com/books?id=jaD_is-geogC&pg=PT51&dq. Retrieved 16 October 2011. 
4. ^ Conner, Floyd (2000). Football's Most Wanted. Potomac Books, Inc.. ISBN 1574883097, 9781574883091. http://books.google.com/books?id=2j_Fr_2FiwYC&pg=PT106&lpg=PT106&dq. 
5. ^ The ClarionLedger: Cosby tried, God blew, and 2 teams celebrated
6. ^ YouTube: Video of the 1997 Egg Bowl melee
7. ^ The Clarion-Ledger: Ole Miss stifles State, allowing 37 total yards
8. ^ The Clarion-Ledger: Late night ramblings: Egg Bowl edition
9. ^ ESPN: Relf guides Mississippi State to Egg Bowl upset

External links

• 2003 The ClarionLedger Egg Bowl Series