Why is it called the Egg Bowl?

The Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs meet once again in Week 13 for the Egg Bowl, one of the fiercest rivalries in the SEC. While it might not stack up to the likes of the Iron Bowl or the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, the Egg Bowl is the ultimate contest for bragging rights in the state of Mississippi.

Why is it called the Egg Bowl?

The game was initially called the Battle for the Golden Egg, due to the trophy presented to the winner. In 1926, a fight broke out when Ole Miss snapped a 13-game losing streak and fans stormed the field attempting to take down the goalposts. The trophy was presented beginning with the 1927 game in an attempt to prevent future fights from breaking out.

In 1978, the Clarion-Ledger dubbed the game “The Egg Bowl” as both teams were not in contention for bowl game that season. The name stuck, and has remained ever since.

Who won last year?

The Rebels won last year’s game 31-24. Ole Miss jumped out to a 14-0 lead before the Bulldogs stormed back, with Will Rogers throwing a touchdown just before halftime to cut Mississippi State’s deficit to 21-14. The Bulldogs to to within 24-21, but Matt Corral led a touchdown drive with Jerrion Ealy scoring on a run play.

All-time results

Ole Miss leads the all-time series 63-46-6 but the last six meetings have been split evenly between the two schools.

History

There have been several notable games in this rivalry. The 1983 “Immaculate Deflection” will stand out for older fans, while the 1997 contest featured a fight before kickoff and a late score from Ole Miss to send the Rebels to a bowl game over the Bulldogs due to limited bowl spots.

The 2014 Egg Bowl may have had the biggest stakes, with Mississippi State needing a win and an Alabama loss to enter the SEC championship game. The Rebels spoiled that potential scenario with a victory. The 2018 Egg Bowl also featured a brawl between the two teams, this time at the end of the third quarter in what wound up being a 35-3 Mississippi State win.

But one of the craziest endings in the rivalry came in 2019. Take a look.

Trophy

The Golden Egg is actually a golden football-shaped piece on top of a wooden base. This has been presented to the winner since the 1927 game.