Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald spoke with the media in Starkville ahead of the Bulldogs’ annual Egg Bowl rivalry game against Ole Miss.

Fitzgerald is trying to help get his team ready for the game. He said the Bulldogs had their usual victory meal and “champions meeting” on Sunday night before going straight into a new game plan to prepare for the Rebels.

“We came out last night, and I thought we had a lot of energy and practiced really well,” he said. “Nobody was jogging … It was full speed, getting down to business.”

Fitzgerald also spoke about the nastiness of the Egg Bowl and what makes the game against Ole Miss a special one every year.

“It’s a rivalry game, and it is a game you’ve gotta win. On top of that, it’s an SEC game,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a game we need to win to finish out strong and get a good bowl game. It’s huge … If you’re terrible and have a bad season, but you win the Egg Bowl — to some people — that’s a win.

“There’s animosity, nastiness … It’s a big game,” he added. “Once you step on campus, it’s not hard to tell this is a big rivalry and a nasty game. We don’t use the name of their school. It’s not hard to tell we don’t like each other.”

Fitzgerald added that it was a game State looks forward to each year, and mentioned the team even has a countdown clock in the locker room anticipating Ole Miss’ arrival.

“A lot of stuff has happened off the field and behind the scenes, but we have to worry about what’s on the field,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s an SEC team we need to beat to get to a better bowl game — and once you’re playing on the field, it’s just another game.”

State hosts Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday). The game will be televised on ESPN.