The Golden Egg is staying in Oxford after Ole Miss handled Mississippi State 38-27 in the 112th meeting between the in-state rivals. Here’s a few things you need to know:

5 TAKEAWAYS

  1. New Year’s Plans – Hugh Freeze told reporters after the game that he believes his team has earned a spot in one of the New Year’s Six bowl games. If Florida loses to Alabama in the SEC Championship, there’s a chance that Ole Miss could draw a Sugar Bowl invite — which would pit the Rebels against the best team from the Big 12 that’s not playoff-bound. Bowl success would give Freeze 10 wins on the season and continue his trend of increasing his win total by one a year, starting with seven victories during his debut season in 2012. Despite the success, there’s nothing the coach wants more than to avenge Ole Miss’ dismal bowl showing last season, getting their doors blown off 42-3 by Texas Christian in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
  2. Move over, Eli Manning – Chad Kelly is the new single-season passing leader in Ole Miss history. Kelly has 3,740 yards with one game left to play, having surpassed Manning’s 3,600 yards from the 2003 campaign. The junior transfer is one of just five players in SEC lore with more than 4,000 total yards in a season (4,167 yards, to be exact), joining Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton, Tim Tebow and Tim Couch. With Kelly and the Rebels running up 479 yards against Mississippi State, the offense now has 6,177 total yards on the season, a new program record formerly held by the 2013 squad. Kelly was in control from the beginning against the Bulldogs, throwing for 236 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 74 yards and adding a 26-yard score, his longest of the season.
  3. D-lightful – Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze sung the praises of his defense for holding Dak Prescott in check and keeping the Golden Egg in Oxford. The Rebels defense held the superstar quarterback, who passed for 508 yards last week against Arkansas, to only 254 yards through the air. The edge rushers of Robert Nkemdiche (4 tackles, 1.5 TFL) and Marquis Haynes (1.0 sacks) paced a Rebels defense that set a season-high by sacking Prescott seven times, adding 9.0 tackles-for-loss.
  4. Ole Miss History – The Ole Miss win marks the first time since 1961-62 that the program has claimed nine or more wins in consecutive seasons. Ole Miss’ four victories over ranked opponents this year ties the program mark set in 1969. Cornerback Tony Bridges turned his third interception of the year into the first career touchdown with a 45-yard pick-six. The interception return was the fourth for the Ole Miss defense this season, equaling a mark set way back in 1938.
  5. Going Out In Style – Ole Miss is going to miss this year’s senior class. The group earned its 33rd win together, the most in program history since players began playing all four years during the 1970s. Among the graduating seniors making an impact in their final Egg Bowl was Chief Brown, who recovered a Dak Prescott fumble; Mike Hilton, who tallied team-highs for tackles (10.0) and tackles-for-loss (2.0); and Trae Elston, who earned 7.0 tackles and broke up two passes. A great group of juniors who might be heading off to the pros helped with that win total, as well. It’s been a special time in Oxford.

REPORT CARD

  • Offense: (A) – Chad Kelly’s two touchdown passes give Ole Miss 31 on the season as a team, setting the program mark previously held by the 2001 team.
  • Defense: (A) – The Ole Miss defense sacked Dak Prescott seven times and held the Bulldog offense to 7 of 16 on third-down conversions.
  • Special Teams: (D) – Gary Wunderlich missed field goal attempts of 38 and 34 yards, allowing Mississippi State to gain some momentum. Punter Will Gleeson had two punts travel for 31 yards, with a long of just 18 yards. Wunderlich atoned slightly, hitting a career-high 48-yard field goal.
  • Coaching: (A) – Hugh Freeze stuck with his game plan and it paid dividends. The Rebels scored  38 points in each of their past two games and won four of their final five contests to close the regular season, the only loss being that crazy 53-52 over time game to Arkansas.
  • Overall: (A) – This was a complete team effort, getting the job thoroughly done on both sides of the ball. The Rebels are playing some of their best ball right now, a testament to a team that was a fourth-and-25 lateral from playing in the SEC Championship and not Alabama.

GAME PLAN

Ole Miss wanted to come out fast, get a lead and allow its defense to suffocate Dak Prescott and the Mississippi State offense. It was a plan that worked nearly flawlessly, recovering a fumble, scoring two offensive touchdowns and notching a pick-six all within the first four drives of the game to take a 21-0 lead. The torrid start proved vital, as Prescott was able to orchestrate somethingof a comeback, outscoring Ole Miss 24-10 in the second half.

GAME BALLS

  • Chad Kelly, Jr., QB – 236 passing yards, 2 TDs, 74 rushing yards, TD
  • Damore’ea Stringfellow, So., WR – 84 rec. yards, 2 TDs
  • Tony Bridges, Jr., CB – 3 tackles, 45-yard interception return TD

INJURIES

  • Defensive lineman Fadol Brown, who is dealing with a stress fracture in his foot, played against Mississippi State, but failed to crack the stat sheet.
  • Sophomore defensive back C.J. Hampton sat for the second straight week with a stinger.
  • Denzel Nkemdiche was sidelined again after the linebacker spent time in intensive care last week with an undisclosed injury.