The Egg Bowl kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

This year’s edition of the annual rivalry game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State seems to be even more vicious than usual for various reasons.

Most of those reasons stem from off-the-field issues regarding Ole Miss being investigated by the NCAA for recruiting violations.

Mississippi State linebacker Leo Lewis, who testified at the Ole Miss hearing in front of the NCAA Committee on Infractions in September, has been at the center of vitriolic responses from Rebels fans.

Things heated up on Thursday evening, and not in a good way.

Some Ole Miss fans on message boards are apparently hoping for Lewis to sustain an injury in the Thanksgiving night game.

Some “fans” said they hope the injury results in Lewis being carted off the field. Another said they hope he has to walk with a limp for the rest of his life.

These people certainly don’t represent the majority of the Rebels’ fan base, but this is brutal: