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

STARKVILLE – It's time.
The annual Battle for the Golden Egg is here, as Mississippi State faces rival Ole Miss with instate supremacy and a trophy on the line. Kickoff on Friday in Oxford at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is set for 2:30 p.m., and the game will be televised by ABC.
All that you probably already know. But there are some 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:

Friday marks the 121st all-time meeting between Mississippi State and Ole Miss. The Rebels are the Bulldogs' most common opponent throughout history and the series is one of the most-played in all of college football.
The upcoming contest marks the 97th edition of the Battle for the Golden Egg. The two schools started playing for the Golden Egg trophy in 1927 following a tumultuous ending to the 1926 game in Starkville where both student bodies were involved in a postgame altercation.
This marks the first time in 16 years that the Egg Bowl has been played on a Friday and just the fifth time ever. The last such occasion was back in 2008 in Oxford.
Several members of Mississippi State's coaching staff will be getting their first look at life on the Maroon and White side of the Egg Bowl rivalry on Friday after previously experiencing it in Rebel red. Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby, defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler, quarterbacks coach Matt Holecek and assistant strength and conditioning coach Jarwarski Beckum were all part of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin staffs earlier this decade. Lebby was the Rebs' offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021 while in that same time frame, Beckum held the same title at Ole Miss as he currently does at MSU. Holecek was an offensive graduate assistant for the Rebels in 2020 before becoming an analyst in 2021. Hutzler was the special teams coordinator in Oxford for the 2021 season.
Mississippi State's last trek into enemy territory was a successful one. In MSU's trip to Oxford back in 2022, the Bulldogs claimed a 24-22 victory in what ended up being the final career game for State's late, great, legendary head coach Mike Leach prior to his untimely passing a few weeks later.
As the Bulldogs look to win again on the Rebels' home field, it's likely the legs of running back Davon Booth will play a key role. Booth enters play Friday third in the Southeastern Conference in all-purpose yardage with 1,153. He is just 223 yards shy of cracking the MSU program's top-10 list for all-purpose yards in a single season.
The State offense could also use another big day out of receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. as the Dawgs look to topple the Rebs. Coleman has made a habit out of solid showings this season as he's hauled in 68 passes to become one of only six Bulldogs in program history with 65 or more receptions in a single season. Those 68 catches rank second in the SEC and are tied for 18th nationally. Coleman has caught a pass in 28 straight career games and has five or more receptions in nine consecutive contests.
Isaac Smith and Stone Blanton continue to be standouts on the State defense and will aim for one last big game in 2024 come Friday. Smith's 115 tackles are tops in the SEC and fifth nationally. Blanton is second in the league with his 111 takedowns. If Smith and Blanton, in some order, can maintain the top two spots among the SEC tackle leaders, it'd mark the third straight year in which MSU has boasted the conference's top two tacklers after former Bulldog linebackers Nathaniel Watson and Jett Johnson accomplished the feat in both 2022 and 2023.
On the Ole Miss side, the Rebels' passing attack and their ability to bring defensive pressure are major factors to watch on Friday afternoon. Ole Miss enters play Friday with the country's top passing offense at 361.8 yards per game. The Rebs also lead the nation in tackles for loss (108) and sacks (49).
Finally, while it might not factor much at all into the outcome of Friday's game, it'll be somewhat interesting to see who gets the ball first in Oxford. In all of its 11 games this season, Mississippi State has received the opening kickoff. Meanwhile, Ole Miss has received the opening kick in eight of its 11 contests. Both teams have elected to receive every single time they've won the coin toss this year.

Mississippi State University Athletics

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

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Players Mentioned

Stone Blanton

Davon Booth

Kevin Coleman Jr.

Jett Johnson

Isaac Smith

Nathaniel Watson

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