Improving to 5-6, the Mississippi State Bulldogs had little problem dispatching FCS Abilene Christian, 45-7, on November 23.

Showcasing his dual-threat abilities, redshirt senior Tommy Stevens completed 13-27 passes for 165 yards and two scores, while adding another 88 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Rushing for 372 yards as a team on over nine yards per carry, junior Kylin Hill paced Mississippi State’s attack with 153 yards on 16 attempts.

Setting up as large of a stage as possible for this team, the Bulldogs need a win over their archrival – the Ole Miss Rebels – on Thanksgiving to secure a bowl berth for the second straight season to begin head coach Joe Moorhead’s tenure.

Sitting at 4-7, the game has no postseason implications for Ole Miss but still carries significant weight. Located less than 100 miles apart, these two programs have met 115 times dating back to 1901. The Rebels lead the all-time series, 62-47-6, but Mississippi State has forfeited two victories, bringing the recognized total to 62-45-6.

The only FBS game set to air on Thanksgiving, ESPN’s Football Power Index released their updated projection for the latest installment of the Egg Bowl on Sunday, giving Mississippi State a 64.9% chance to prevail victorious.

Here’s a brief of description of FPI:

The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance moving forward. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily.

Thursday’s action from Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville will kick at 7:30PM ET on ESPN.