Bulldogs Turn Attention Toward Egg Bowl
November 19, 2022 | Football
STARKVILLE – Normally, Mississippi State has a 24-hour rule to celebrate wins.
This week, however, is anything but normal.
Mere moments after the Bulldogs stepped off Scott Field following their 56-7 victory over East Tennessee State on Saturday, the entire team's attention turned toward rival Ole Miss and the Battle for the Golden Egg taking place just five days away.
"Shortly after we leave the stadium, it's going to be all Ole Miss prep," said linebacker Jett Johnson. "It might be a five-hour rule. It'll be a lot less than 24 (hours) that's for sure."
In fact, MSU coaches and players had already started a preliminary scouting report on the Rebels this week as they were getting ready for ETSU with the annual Egg Bowl slated to kickoff on Thanksgiving night in Oxford.
"I definitely think we did a good job of starting to breakdown some of (Ole Miss') game film already and seeing what they do versus this formation or that formation," said quarterback Will Rogers. "We were really focused on our opponent this week but we're really going to dive in tonight. I'm going to watch their game live and then turn on the tape after that." Â
The Bulldogs will practice Sunday through Wednesday this week. Head coach Mike Leach stated that the practices will be shorter than usual due to condensed timeframe, but Wednesday's practice would be more rigorous than their usual day before a game walk-through.
Leach wants his players concentrating on themselves at practice this week and not let all the other outside noise that usually accompanies rivalry games divert their attention.
"The biggest thing is focusing on doing the best you can and being the best team that you can be and leave it at that," Leach said. "Otherwise, if you distract yourself with a bunch of other stuff, you're not going to help your approach or help what you're trying to do. You just go out there, lock in, try to improve and try to get better this week to be the best team that you can be."
The Bulldogs have 56 players on the roster that hail from Magnolia State, most of whom were raised by families on one side of the rivalry or the other and feel as if they have been a part of the Battle for the Golden Egg for as long as they can remember.
"It means a ton just growing up in it," Johnson said. "It's been a huge part of my life. I've been coming to these games ever since I was a young pup so it hits home for sure."
Those homegrown Bulldogs, as well as players that have participated in the Egg Bowl before, will do their best to educate their teammates that are experiencing the rivalry for the first time.
"I don't think you fully understand unless you're from here or are a part of the game," Rogers said. "This is the game that everybody thinks about every year. It doesn't matter where we play it or who is ranked higher or what the records are. It's the biggest game of the year, every year."
