Mississippi State makes change at quarterback for Egg Bowl
By Jacob Moss
Published:
College football Rivalry Week has finally arrived in the SEC, and one of the biggest games of the entire weekend is underway in Starkville, Mississippi, between No. 7 Ole Miss and Mississippi State in the iconic Egg Bowl.
The Rebels are fighting to secure their first-ever 11-win regular season and to also keep their SEC Championship Game hopes alive, while the Bulldogs are looking to secure bowl game eligibility with a win over their hated in-state rivals.
In order to help secure what would be a massive upset, Mississippi State made a switch at quarterback. Talented true freshman Kamario Taylor received the nod over veteran gunslinger Blake Shapen.
Taylor, who was the highest-rated quarterback recruit in MSU history, had previously been utilized by head coach Jeff Lebby throughout the year in various packages, and now he’ll be tasked with leading State against one of the best teams in the country in his first career start.
Lebby told the ESPN broadcast crew covering the game that “it was hard” to bench the veteran Shapen, but he felt that Taylor “gave them the best chance to win” against the Rebels.
The early results certainly support Lebby’s assessment, as Taylor and the Bulldogs’ offense marched right down the field on their opening drive, and the talented true freshman capped things off with a 22-yard rushing touchdown to tie the ballgame.
