Ole Miss, MSU prepare for noisy, high-stakes Egg Bowl

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WLOX) - Three of the last four Egg Bowls have been decided by one possession - two of them by a field goal or less. All signs indicate Thursday’s edition of the rivalry - the 118th game - should be another close one.

For many of the main contributors on both teams, this will be their first Egg Bowl as a starter in front of a full capacity stadium. It’s also the first full capacity Egg Bowl for both coaches, and their first chance to see the rivalry at full strength. On the line for the home Bulldogs is a chance to recapture the Golden Egg on their home turf and earn five conference wins for the first time since 2014. For Ole Miss, it’s a chance to win consecutive Egg Bowls for the second time since 2003-2004, and earn 10 regular season wins for the first time ever. Lots on the line in front of over 60,000 fans will make for a memorable evening - but an all-important football game, above all else.

“It’s just a different type of atmosphere, just the game. And for it to be in Starkville, it’s just different, so I’m definitely ready for it, definitely ready to see the environment and ready to play,” Mississippi State defensive tackle Nathan Pickering said. “Every Egg Bowl I was watching, I was either here or watching it.”

“As a team, we have been in an environment like that, so it won’t be anything new as far as a loud crowd and hostile environments go,” Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral said. “I think all that stuff doesn’t matter, all the outside noise doesn’t matter. All that matters is us doing our job and taking it one play at a time.”

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