Ole Miss Rebels' Season Trends Continued in Hard-Fought Win vs. Mississippi State

Many wins for the Ole Miss Rebels weren't "pretty" in 2023, but they finished with 10 of them anyway.

It was neither pretty or easy, but the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels have reclaimed the Golden Egg Trophy and reached the 10-win mark after a 17-7 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Thursday night.

The Rebels only mustered three first half points in the game, but thanks to an equally-sluggish State offense, it was enough to lead 3-0 at the intermission. The Bulldogs claimed a brief lead in the third quarter on a touchdown rush from quarterback Will Rogers, but Ole Miss responded with 10-unanswered points to secure the win.

In short, that's what this team has done all season long. When adversity has hit or it hasn't played well, it has found a way to win anyway, over and over again.

If you look back at each win on the schedule, you'll find many that weren't pretty from start to finish. But those wins count just the same, and Ole Miss finished the regular season with 10 of them and a chance to make even more school history under Lane Kiffin with a bowl game victory.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart celebrates Ole Miss' Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023 :: © Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

That's a testament to the mental fortitude of this year's Rebels. Thursday night was (again) not a pristine performance, but this team will go down as one that simply won ballgames, and isn't that the goal?

It helps when a win comes over an in-state rival, no matter how ugly the game itself was, and that's what Ole Miss found on Thanksgiving night.

Now, the focus shifts to a bowl game date. Will the Rebels find themselves in the New Year's Six, or does a meeting at the Citrus Bowl await them?

Ole Miss Reaches 10 Wins With Egg Bowl Victory vs. Mississippi State

Either way, a win in that game, and this team will have done something that no other Ole Miss team has done before: win 11 games in a single season.

Even if the individual wins themselves aren't pretty, that final mark certainly would be for Lane Kiffin and company.