Mississippi State
8-3 , 4-3
#18 Ole Miss
8-3 , 5-2
No. 21 MSU Falls To No. 18 Rebels In Battle For The Golden Egg, 38-27
November 29, 2015 | Football
STARKVILLE, Miss. - On Senior Night in Starkville, Ole Miss (9-3, 6-2 SEC) used a quick start and a pair of forced turnovers to take down Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4) by a final score of 38-27. MSU turned the ball over on a fumble and an interception in the first quarter, both turnovers resulting in touchdowns for UM, helping the Rebels jump out to a 21-0 lead.
“That was the difference in the game,” head coach Dan Mullen said of the two turnovers. “We dug ourselves too big a hole.”
A stronger second half allowed MSU to work itself back into the game but, ultimately, the lead was too large to surmount. In his final game at Davis Wade Stadium, Dak Prescott completed 31-of-42 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 63 yards and one touchdown. His 31 passes completed set a new record for total completed passes in a game in Egg Bowl history.
Junior receiver Fred Ross was the biggest benefactor of Prescott's success passing as he caught 12 passes for 117 yards, while setting a single-season MSU record for catches in a season (81), breaking the previous record of 75. Malik Dear also had a pair of touchdown catches for the Bulldogs in the second half.
Defensively, MSU was paced by junior linebacker Richie Brown who had 12 tackles on the night, followed closely by freshman safety Brandon Bryant with 10 tackles.
Mississippi State will wait until next Sunday to hear what bowl they will be selected for. It will mark the sixth consecutive bowl appearance for the Bulldogs under Mullen, who is in his seventh campaign.
Team Stats
OM 7, MS 0
OM - Chad Kelly 27 yd run (Gary Wunderlich kick), 4 plays, 62 yards, TOP 1:14
OM 14, MS 0
OM - D. Stringfellow 2 yd pass from Chad Kelly (Gary Wunderlich kick) 9 plays, 68 yards, TOP 4:16
OM 21, MS 0
OM - Tony Bridges 45 yd interception (Gary Wunderlich kick)
OM 21, MS 3
MS - Westin Graves 22 yd field goal 9 plays, 58 yards, TOP 3:40
OM 28, MS 3
OM - D. Stringfellow 36 yd pass from Chad Kelly (Gary Wunderlich kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:32
OM 28, MS 10
MS - Dak Prescott 1 yd run (Westin Graves kick), 5 plays, 46 yards, TOP 1:50
OM 28, MS 13
MS - Westin Graves 27 yd field goal 12 plays, 70 yards, TOP 2:23
OM 31, MS 13
OM - Gary Wunderlich 48 yd field goal 7 plays, 44 yards, TOP 2:57
OM 38, MS 13
OM - Jordan Wilkins 38 yd run (Gary Wunderlich kick), 7 plays, 65 yards, TOP 2:40
OM 38, MS 20
MS - Malik Dear 13 yd pass from Dak Prescott (Westin Graves kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:44
OM 38, MS 27
MS - Malik Dear 7 yd pass from Dak Prescott (Westin Graves kick) 10 plays, 64 yards, TOP 3:43
