Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
State Drops 17-7 Decision To Ole Miss
November 23, 2023 | Football
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State fell 17-7 to No. 12 Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl on a chilly Thanksgiving night in Starkville.
The Bulldogs put forth a fantastic defensive performance, limiting the Rebels to just 307 yards of offense, but it wasn't enough to fend off Ole Miss.
MSU made a statement to start the game against its instate rival from Oxford. The Bulldogs held Ole Miss to a season-low in first-half points, led by an outstanding first-half performance from Nathaniel Watson who finished the contest with 20 total tackles.
With a 3-0 deficit coming out of halftime, the Bulldogs returned to the gridiron determined to respond. Quarterback Will Rogers led the offense 71 yards down the field on State's first possession of the third quarter. The senior signal caller finished the drive with a rushing touchdown to put State ahead of the Rebels 7-3. However, Ole Miss answered with two touchdowns on back-to-back drives to pull ahead for good.
Rogers completed 25-of-39 passes for 207 yards and scored one rushing touchdown against Ole Miss. Zavion Thomas led the Bulldogs in the receiving category with 88 yards on six receptions.
Watson and Jett Johnson led the Bulldogs' defense with a combined 33 tackles in the contest. Corey Ellington followed behind the dynamic duo with 12 tackles and one sack.
Â
The Bulldogs put forth a fantastic defensive performance, limiting the Rebels to just 307 yards of offense, but it wasn't enough to fend off Ole Miss.
MSU made a statement to start the game against its instate rival from Oxford. The Bulldogs held Ole Miss to a season-low in first-half points, led by an outstanding first-half performance from Nathaniel Watson who finished the contest with 20 total tackles.
With a 3-0 deficit coming out of halftime, the Bulldogs returned to the gridiron determined to respond. Quarterback Will Rogers led the offense 71 yards down the field on State's first possession of the third quarter. The senior signal caller finished the drive with a rushing touchdown to put State ahead of the Rebels 7-3. However, Ole Miss answered with two touchdowns on back-to-back drives to pull ahead for good.
Rogers completed 25-of-39 passes for 207 yards and scored one rushing touchdown against Ole Miss. Zavion Thomas led the Bulldogs in the receiving category with 88 yards on six receptions.
Watson and Jett Johnson led the Bulldogs' defense with a combined 33 tackles in the contest. Corey Ellington followed behind the dynamic duo with 12 tackles and one sack.
Â
Players Mentioned
FOOTBALL | 2026 Spring Practice Media Session - Fatt Forrest
Tuesday, April 07
FOOTBALL | 2026 Spring Practice Media Session - Jayson Jenkins
Tuesday, April 07
FOOTBALL | 2026 Spring Practice Media Session - Sanfrisco MaGee
Tuesday, April 07
FOOTBALL | 2026 Spring Practice Media Session - Jeff Lebby
Friday, April 03










