The Egg Bowl, played annually between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, was first played on this day in 1901.
On October 28, 1901, one of the greatest in-state rivalries in college football began when Mississippi A&M (now Mississippi State) welcomed Ole Miss to Starkville for the first football game between the two schools. 114 years later, the series, known as the Egg Bowl, is the 10th longest uninterrupted rivalry game in the country. The Egg Bowl has a very storied history and, in more recent years, has shown to be a crucial tilt in deciding the SEC West champion. In honor of this great gridiron tradition, NCAA.com presents five of the greatest games in Egg Bowl history.
1907: Mason's Bold Choice
Mississippi endured torrential rains the week leading up to the state's biggest football game in 1907, leaving the fall wind rather frigid and the fields more comparable to a mud pit than an football field. The first half was uneventful and highlighted by sloppy play on both sides. So, at the half, Rebels head coach Frank A. Mason passed around an urn filled with coffee -- and a little bit of whiskey -- to warm up his players and energize them for the second half. However, Mason's plan backfired, and the second half belonged entirely to the Bulldogs, who shut out Ole Miss for a 15-0 victory. After the game, Mason was asked if his team was heading home that night, and the coach replied, "Yes, the team is going north at 11 o'clock. I'm going in another direction, and hope I never see them again!" He would never coach another college football game.
1926: Calling for the Egg
Ole Miss came into Starkville in 1926 the losers of 13 consecutive games to the Bulldogs. In fact, Mississippi State had outscored the Rebels 327-33 in those thirteen contests, so when Ole Miss won 7-6 to end the streak, Rebel fans were pretty excited, to say the least. Ole Miss fans stormed the field, while State fans, not having any of the nonsense, went after the revelrous Rebels on the field, hitting them with cane bottom chairs. The student bodies of the two schools, horrified at the outcome of the game, decided to create the Golden Egg, "a trophy to cool the heat of battle," which would remain on the campus of the victor until the following season's tilt.
1983: The Immaculate Deflection
The 1983 edition of the Egg Bowl was back in Jackson, and the Rebels were looking for revenge after falling to the Bulldogs 27-10 the previous year. Ole Miss had a one point lead in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, but State would get the ball one last time. The Bulldogs drove down the field as the clock ticked down, but the Rebel defense kept them out of the red zone, forcing a MSU field goal try. Bulldog freshman kicker Artie Cosby came on the field for a 27-yard chip shot with 24 seconds left on the clock. However, a 40 mile per hour gust of wind blew from behind the goal posts, knocking the on-target football just short of the crossbar to give Ole Miss the one point victory.
1997: The Two-Minute Drill
With only two minutes and twelve seconds left on the clock, the Rebels, trailing by seven, had 64 yards between themselves and the endzone. But that wasn't a problem for head coach Tommy Tuberville and his boys, who capped off their two-minute drill with a 10-yard touchdown grab by wide receiver Andre Rone. Instead of electing to tie the game with an extra point kick, Tuberville sent out his offense for a two point conversion try for the win. Ole Miss quarterback Stewart Patridge found Cory Peterson to give the Rebels a 15-14 lead with 25 seconds left on the clock. The Rebel defense clinched the win with an interception on State's ensuing offensive drive, and Ole Miss would finish the season playing in a bowl game for the first time since 1992.
1999: The Pick and the Kick
Ole Miss was enjoying a 20-6 lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs weren't done fighting. State scored 14 points in the waning minutes of the final quarter to tie the game and took over on offense, deep in their own territory, with only 20 seconds left in the game. Once again, the Rebels decided not to go gently into that good overtime, and quarterback Romero Miller dropped back for a desperation shot at the endzone. However, the risky chance wouldn't go in Ole Miss' favor this time, as Bulldog cornerback Robert Bean deflected the pass into the hands of Eugene Clinton who ran the ball back into Rebel territory. Then, with eight seconds left on the clock, State kicker Scott Westerfield notched the game-winning field goal from 44 yards.
