First-And-10 To Know: State vs. Ole Miss

STARKVILLE – It's nearly time for the annual Battle for the Golden Egg
Thursday night at 6:30 p.m., MSU faces archrival Ole Miss. Instate bragging rights are on the line on Thanksgiving at Davis Wade Stadium. That much you know. However, there are several things you might not.
So, let's have a look at 10 items to be aware of headed into State's showdown against the Rebels:

A Mississippi State win on Thursday would be the Bulldogs' sixth of the season, making them bowl eligible and essentially locking them into a postseason game for the 14^th consecutive season. State is one of only seven programs in the country that have gone to a bowl game every year since 2010. MSU has the third-longest bowl streak in the SEC, behind only Alabama and Georgia.
It's likely no one could ever forget the last meeting between the Bulldogs and the Rebels. It came last Thanksgiving night in Oxford when MSU held on for a 24-22 victory. Ole Miss scored a late touchdown and went for what would've been a game-tying two-point conversion, however the right hand of State defensive lineman Randy Charlton batted down a Rebel pass to clinch the triumph for the Dawgs in what ended up being the final game in the legendary career of late, great head coach Mike Leach.
The 2022 State victory served as MSU's fourth on-field win in the last seven meetings against Ole Miss. In that stretch, the Dawgs topped the Rebs 55-20 in 2016, 35-3 in 2018 and 21-20 in 2019 in one of the wildest Egg Bowl finishes of all time.
State linebackers Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson enter play Thursday looking to polish off historic regular seasons. Johnson and Watson are two of only three Southeastern Conference players this season with over 100 tackles. Johnson leads the way with 117, followed by Watson with 116. The duo has the chance to be the first players in SEC history to finish first and second in the league in tackles in back-to-back seasons since tackles became an official stat in 2000.
Thursday night will truly be a family feud for a couple of guys. Former Mississippi State punter Kody Schexnayder currently serves as an analyst for Ole Miss. Meanwhile his identical twin brother, Kyle Schexnayder, is a football recruiting specialist at MSU. So one way or another, a Schexnayder will be happy once the clock expires on Thursday.
While Kody Schexnayder once wore the Maroon and White as a Bulldog player before putting on the red and blue of Ole Miss as a staffer, a pair of current Mississippi State coaches also have experience being on both sides of the Egg Bowl rivalry. MSU interim head coach Greg Knox is now in his second stint at State, but he previously served as an Ole Miss assistant under Tommy Tuberville from 1995 through 1998. State running backs coach and associate head coach Tony Hughes, who is also in his second stint at MSU, previously served as an assistant at Ole Miss from 2005 through 2007.
Ole Miss brings a well-rounded offensive attack into Thursday's action. Quarterback Jaxson Dart is only 41 rushing yards shy of becoming just the third Rebel signal caller to pass for 5,000-plus yards and rush for 1,000-plus in a career. Running back Quinshon Judkins leads the SEC with 14 rushing touchdowns this season and also leads the conference in yards after contact. Meanwhile three Ole Miss receivers – Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins and Dayton Wade – have all eclipsed the 700-yard mark in receiving yardage this year. The Rebels are one of only two FBS schools with three 700-plus-yard receivers.
As is always the case, turnovers could play a key role in deciding Thursday's outcome. And if the Bulldogs can force at least a couple of them, recent history shows that'll go a long way towards putting things in MSU's favor. State has forced multiple turnovers in a game 18 times since 2020. In those games, the Bulldogs have posted a record of 15-3.
If the Dawgs can force a turnover or two, there's a decent chance safety Shawn Preston Jr. could be right in the middle of things. Preston has three interceptions this season. That total ranks fifth in the SEC and is 31^st nationally.
Finally, Thursday's contest wraps up an eight-game home slate for the Bulldogs in 2023. It's the most home games MSU has ever played in program history. The next contest inside Davis Wade Stadium is slated for August 31, 2024, when State opens up next season against Eastern Kentucky.

Mississippi State University Athletics

First-And-10 To Know: State vs. Ole Miss

Players Mentioned

Randy Charlton

Jett Johnson

Shawn Preston Jr.

Nathaniel Watson

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