Another year, Another Egg Bowl

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(Photo: CBSsports)

Another renewal of the Egg Bowl is upon us and it’s gearing up to be one of the best yet. Matt Corral in his final game in Starkville versus Will Rogers who has thrown for over 4000 yards and 34 touchdowns. Get your popcorn ready, this one looks to be a shootout as both teams have struggled defensively against good offenses.

Offensive Breakdown

Ole Miss is scoring over 36 points per game this season led by quarterback Matt Corral, who has thrown for 3100 yards, 19 touchdowns, and only 3 interceptions. He’s also added 10 touchdowns and 552 yards on the ground. This offense relies on the ground game to clear the way for the explosive passing offense, and along with Corral’s numbers comes the duo of Jerrion Ealy and Snoop Conner. The two have combined for over 1200 yards and 16 touchdowns on the year.

Mississippi State is not far behind at just under 32 points per game on the year. The Bulldogs rely heavier on the passing game than just about anyone in the country, nothing new for a Mike Leach-led team. They average 390 yards through the air and just 62 on the ground. The catalyst is obviously quarterback will Rogers who has thrown the ball over 570 times this year, over 200 more times than Corral. He’s racked up 4113 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He’s completed a pass to 16 different targets and 9 of them have over 200 yards receiving on the year. His favorite target is Makai Polk, a junior from California, who’s caught almost twice as many balls as the next leading receiver. He’s accumulated 891 yards and 9 touchdowns on the season.

Defensive Breakdown

The Rebel defense has played better than in years past but still hasn’t wowed anyone with their play. They’re giving up 428 total yards per game and almost 200 of those coming on the ground. This could play out nicely for Ole Miss though, as their secondary has played well, only giving up an average of 237 passing yards per game. If they can force Leach to have to run the ball, they could take care of this game early.

The best way to describe this Bulldog defense is probably inconsistent. They played great against the likes of Kentucky, Texas A&M, and NC State, all of which have had great seasons, but against Alabama, Arkansas, and Auburn not so much. They did play much better in the second half of the Auburn game, helping to erase a 25 point deficit and beat the Tigers. They’re only giving up 326 total yards and under 100 on the ground, which matches up with Ole Miss’s run game.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out; State’s run defense against Ealy and Conner, the Rebels’ secondary against Will Rogers. Special teams could play a deciding factor if this game stays close.

 

Betting Information

SPREAD: Miss State -2

MONEYLINE: Miss State -130

OVER/UNDER: 64

Game Information

Thursday, Nov. 25, 7:30 PM

Davis-Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS

ESPN

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