Ole Miss Football Secures Second Consecutive Egg Bowl Win Over Mississippi State

The Ole Miss Rebels did not play pristine football on Friday, but it was enough to claim their second straight Egg Bowl victory.

Nov 29, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Ulysses Bentley IV (24) runs the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during a play that would result in a touchdown during the second quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images

OXFORD -- It wasn't a perfect performance by any means, but the No. 14 Ole Miss Rebels secured their second straight Egg Bowl victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday by a final score of 26-14.

The rivalry win for the Rebels (9-3, 5-3 SEC) is their fourth out of the last five in the series.

The game began with an interception thrown by Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren to linebacker Chris "Pooh" Paul, and Ole Miss was able to capitalize with a field goal to claim a 3-0 lead. State would respond with a 34-yard passing score from Van Buren to Kevin Coleman, but a rush by the Rebels' JJ Pegues from six yards out gave Ole Miss a 10-7 lead partway through the first quarter.

Van Buren would then add a six-yard rushing score to give the Bulldogs a 14-10 lead at the end of the first, and that score remained in place until Ole Miss running back Ulysses Bentley IV broke an 89-yard rushing touchdown that gave the Rebels a 17-14 lead at halftime.

The only scoring of the third quarter came off the leg of Caden Davis (who went 2-for-3 in field goals on the day) to make it 20-14 entering the final frame. With just under 10 minutes remaining in the game, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart connected with tight end Caden Prieskorn who made a juggling catch in the end zone to give the game its eventual final score.

Ole Miss struggled on offense during Friday's game, but it did enough to secure the win. The Rebels put up 397 yards of total offense, 254 of which came on the ground, and they were forced to punt six times in the win.

Still, quarterback Jaxson Dart's 143 passing yards were enough to make him the all-time passing yardage leader in Ole Miss history, surpassing Eli Manning in the process. Bentley led the team in rushing with 136 yards, and Prieskorn was the leading receiver with 53.

Defensively, tackle Walter Nolen led Ole Miss in tackles with eight, and Pooh Paul and Trey Washington both hauled in interceptions for the Rebels.

With nine wins, Ole Miss will now await its postseason destination in the weeks ahead.