Egg Bowl

Battle for the Golden Egg

Mississippi State Bulldogs Ole Miss Rebels
Sport	Football
First meeting	October 28, 1901 Mississippi State 17, Ole Miss 0
Latest meeting	November 28, 2015 Ole Miss 38, Mississippi State 27
Trophy	Golden Egg
Statistics
Meetings total	112 total, 88 Egg Bowls
All-time series	Ole Miss leads, 63–43–6
Largest victory	Mississippi State, 65–0 (1915)
Longest win streak	Mississippi State, 13 (1911–1925)
Current win streak	Ole Miss, 2 (2014–present)

Ole Miss

Mississippi State

Locations in Mississippi

The Battle for the Golden Egg, also informally known as the Egg Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game played annually between Southeastern Conference members Mississippi State University and Ole Miss (The University of Mississippi). The rivalry is the tenth longest uninterrupted series in the United States. The two teams first played each other in 1901. Since 1927 the winning squad has been awarded possession of the "Golden Egg Trophy". In cases where the game ended in a tie the previous winner retained possession of the trophy. Ole Miss currently leads the series, 63-43-6.

Series history

The first game in the series was played on October 28, 1901 at Mississippi State. Mississippi State, then known as the Mississippi A&M College and nicknamed the Aggies, defeated Ole Miss, nicknamed the Red and Blue at that time,^[1] by a final score of 17–0. The two squads met on the gridiron every year from 1901 until 1911 and then, after a 3-year hiatus, resumed the series in 1915; since that 1915 meeting the two teams have met on the field every season with the exception of the 1943 season when neither school fielded teams due to World War II.^[2][3][4] From 1973 through 1990 the game was played at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, which seats approximately 62,000. Besides being centrally located in the state, at the time it was the only venue in the state capable of seating the anticipated crowd; for many years Vaught–Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, seated only about 32,000 and Scott Field in Starkville, seated only about 31,000. Both have been considerably expanded and are now capable of accommodating the crowds which can realistically be expected, and both on-campus venues have been continually upgraded to the point where they are actually superior in amenities to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The game is a typical example of the intrastate rivalries between several public universities in the U.S. These games are usually between one bearing the state's name alone, and the land-grant university, often styled as "State University." Like most such rivalries, it is contested at the end of the regular season, in this case during the Thanksgiving weekend and has been played on Thanksgiving 21 times, including from 1998–2003 and in 2013.^[5] At one point the level of rivalry was such that a victory by one of the schools in this game could salvage what had otherwise been a poor season. This was however proven not to always be the case when in 2004 Ole Miss won the game but fired its coach, David Cutcliffe, the next year, following a disappointing season.

The series was relatively close for most of the first half of the 20th century. However, Ole Miss now leads the series by a significant margin, due in part to its dominance of the rivalry under Johnny Vaught. Vaught went 21-2-3 against the Maroons/Bulldogs during his two separate tenures at Ole Miss.

The birth of the Golden Egg

The Aggies (Bulldogs) dominated the early days of the series including a 13-game A&M winning streak from 1911–25 during which time the Aggies outscored the Red and Blue by a combined 327–33.^[6] Through 1925 Ole Miss had won only five times out of twenty-three total contests. In 1926 when the Red and Blue ended their 13-game losing streak by defeating A&M 7–6 in Starkville, the Ole Miss fans rushed the field with some trying to tear the goalposts down. A&M fans did not take well to the Ole Miss fans destroying their property and fights broke out. Some A&M fans defended the goal posts with wooden chairs, and several injuries were reported. According to one account:

"Irate Aggie supporters took after the ambitious Ole Miss group with cane bottom chairs, and fights broke out. The mayhem continued until most of the chairs were splintered."^[7]

To prevent such events in the future, students of the two schools created the "Golden Egg", a large trophy which has been awarded to the winning team each year since 1927. The trophy is a large football-shaped brass piece mounted to a wooden base and traditionally symbolizes supremacy in college football in the state of Mississippi for the year. The footballs used in American football in the 1920s were considerably more ovoid and blunter than those in use today and similar to the balls still used in rugby; the trophy thus, to modern eyes, more resembles an egg than a football. The awarding of the "Golden Egg" was instituted in 1927 by joint agreement between the two schools' student bodies. In the event of a tie (before overtime was instituted in Division-I college football in 1996)^[8] the school that won the game the previous year kept the trophy for the first half of the new year and then the trophy was sent to the other school for the second half of the new year.^[9] The game was given the nickname "Egg Bowl" by Clarion-Ledger sportswriter Tom Patterson in 1979.^[10]

Notable games

1929 Ole Miss vs. Mississippi A&M football program. The game ended tied 7–7. Note on the cover the game was referred to as "Mississippi's Football Classic" and not the "Egg Bowl", a moniker that would not be applied to the game until the 1979 contest by sportswriter Tom Patterson.

Ole Miss and MSU meet during a 1970s Egg Bowl

• 1901: The first ever meeting between the two schools was delayed for 40 minutes because of a dispute between the rivals over the eligibility of A&M’s Norvin E. (Billy) Green, who had played for the Ole Miss squad the year before. Eventually it was agreed that Green would not play and the game kicked off with A&M going on to win by a score of 17–0.^[11]
• 1902: The second contest resulted in the first Ole Miss victory by a score of 21-0. Clyde R. Conner "plunged through the line at will" according to the Memphis paper. Conner would play for the University of Virginia and be named to the All Southern team in 1903 before returning to UM in 1906 where he was once again selected to the All Southern team.
• 1903: The third meeting between the Aggies and the Red and Blue resulted in the first tie in series history and marked the first time that neither team was shut out. A&M entered the contest undefeated, untied, and unscored upon. A&M led 6-0 for most of the games, but Ole Miss tied the score with less than a minute to go when halfback Fred Elmer went 70 yards for a touchdown and Edgar Moss kicked the extra point to make it 6-6 (touchdowns were worth 5 points at the time). Those were the only points that the Aggies would surrender that season, as they went to tie Tulane in their final contest of the season by a score of 0-0.
• 1904: This marked the first time that the game was played off campus, with the two squads meeting at the Mississippi and West Alabama Fairgrounds as part of the fair. Ole Miss went on to win 17-5.
• 1905: This game featured two "firsts", the first time the game was played in Jackson and the first time the game was played on Thanksgiving. The games was held at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds and because there was no barrier to stop them, the crowd poured out onto the playing field for a closer look at what, for many, was their first college game. The curious got so close that at one point, the University captain refused to continue until the field was cleared. A&M would eventually win the contest 11-0.
• 1906 - Passing Fancy: James C. Elmer of Ole Miss caught the first forward pass in the history of the rivalry. Elmer's kicking accounted for 13 points in a 29 to 5 rout. For the first time the game marked the end of the season for not one but both teams.
• 1907: Ole Miss and Mississippi A&M played a scoreless first half in extremely muddy conditions.^[12] Before the second half began, Ole Miss head coach Frank A. Mason brought out an urn filled with whisky-laced coffee in an attempt to warm his players.^[12][13][14] Sloppy second-half play resulted in a 15 to 0 A&M victory. After the game, many of the Ole Miss players blamed Mason for the loss. When asked if his team was returning home that night, Mason replied "Yes, the team is going north at 11 o'clock. I'm going in another direction, and hope I never see them again!"^[12][13] It would be his final game as head coach.^[12] Ike Knox played for Ole Miss.
• 1908: With a 44-6 victory the Aggies became the first of the squads to claim consecutive victories in the contest. A&M scored a total of 8 touchdowns (only worth 5 points at that time) in the game.
• 1909: In a 9 to 5 Ole Miss win, Earl Kinnebrew was called by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger "the particular star of his team."
• 1911: Earlier that week a new set of stands had been added on the east side of The Fairgrounds in Jackson. As the teams prepared for kickoff the new stands collapsed injuring at least 60 people, some seriously. Despite the disaster, the game proceeded without interruption and resulted in a 6 to 0 A&M win. The play of A&M'sHunter Kimball at the end position was cited as 'superb' by the Commercial Appeal, which also complimented the play of Ole Miss halfback Pete Shields. The Aggies would end the season in Havana, Cuba for their first ever postseason appearance, a 12-0 victory over the Havana Athletic Club in the Bacardi Bowl.
• 1915: After a three-year hiatus the two squads met on the gridiron in a game played in Tupelo. The A&M squad proved too much for Ole Miss and rolled to a 65–0 victory in which they scored ten touchdowns. The contest remains the most one-sided in series history.^[11]
• 1918 – Gotcha! Twice!: This marked the only time that the two teams would square off twice in the same season. A&M won the first contest in Starkville 34–0 and completed the sweep taking the second game in Oxford 13–0.^[15] The Rebels were coached that season by legendary future Mississippi A&M baseball coach C.R. "Dudy" Noble^[16]
• 1926 – A&M's Streak Ends: After 13 straight losses to the Aggies, Ole Miss pulled off a victory in Starkville by a score of 7–6. The ensuing melee between fans prompted the purchase of a football-shaped trophy to be awarded to the winner each year upon their victory, and kept on their respective campus until the game was played again the following year.^[17]
• 1927 – First Game for The Trophy: In the first game after the commissioning of the Golden Egg Trophy was played on Thanksgiving Day in Oxford. Ole Miss posted back-to-back wins against A&M for the first time since 1909–10, taking the egg by a final score of 20–12. Sollie Cohen scored the first touchdown for Ole Miss, capping a 51-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard plunge.^[18] V. K. Smith starred from his guard position.
• 1936: Mississippi State got its first win in the series since the creation of the Golden Egg ending an Ole Miss 10-game unbeaten streak (9–0–1) in the series by a final score of 26–6.
• 1964: The 17-year unbeaten streak (14–0–3) by Ole Miss against Mississippi State came to an end as the Bulldogs claimed a 20–17 victory.
• 1976 and 1977: Mississippi State won the Egg Bowl these two years but had to forfeit the wins due to NCAA sanctions.
• 1983 – The Immaculate Deflection, or the Wind Bowl: In what has become known to Ole Miss and MSU fans as "The Immaculate Deflection," the 1983 Egg Bowl played in Jackson is notable because the wind helped preserve Ole Miss' 24–23 victory. Down by a point with 24 seconds left in the game, MSU kicked what would have been a 27-yard game winning field goal. MSU freshman kicker Artie Cosby kicked it straight and long and what appeared to be over the crossbar, but as the ball reached the goal posts, a 40 mph gusting wind suspended the ball inches from the uprights, after which it fell short of the goal post, securing the victory for the Rebels.
• 1991 – Back to Campus: In the first Egg Bowl played on either campus since 1972 and the first played at Mississippi State since 1971, first year MSU head coach Jackie Sherrill led the Bulldogs to a 24–9 victory over the Rebels.
• 1992 – The Stand: In a defensive struggle that saw a combined 12 turnovers between the two, a goal line stand of epic proportions by the "Red Death" defense ultimately gave Ole Miss the win. Mississippi State had 11 plays in 2 different possessions inside the Rebel 10 within the last 4 minutes of the contest but failed to score. The first possession ended on a third down pass that was intercepted in the end zone by Michael Lowery who would bring the ball out to the 2 yardline. A couple of plays later saw rebel running back Cory Philpot fumble the ball back to the Dogs making for the Rebels 7th turnover. On the ensuing possession, State had fourth and goal and the pass was incomplete. However, pass interference on Orlanda Truitt kept the drive alive, moving the ball to the 2. However, the next four plays resulted in negative yardage, with the final pass falling incomplete with only 20 seconds remaining. The Rebels won 17–10.
• 1997: The 1997 contest was notable for two things: first for the melee that broke out between the teams before the game kicked off and second for the dramatic way in which it ended.^[19] Trailing 14–7 with 2:12 remaining the Rebels put together a 64-yard drive that culminated with a 10-yard TD pass to WR Andre Rone. Ole Miss then elected to attempt a two-point conversion to take the lead rather than kick the extra point for the tie. Rebel QB Stewart Patridge completed a pass Cory Peterson with 25 seconds left that gave Ole Miss a 15–14 lead. A late pass by MSU was intercepted by Ole Miss DB Tim Strickland to secure the win for the Rebels. Both teams finished 7–4, however, with limited bowl spots available, Ole Miss would secure its first bowl berth since 1992 while Mississippi State would fail to reach a bowl for the 3rd consecutive season.^[20][21]
• 1998: Mississippi State clinched the SEC West division title after winning 28–6. This win sent MSU to the SEC Championship Game where they were defeated 24–14 by eventual national champion Tennessee.
• 1999 – The Pick and the Kick: This game is best known for its dramatic ending. Down 20–6, MSU rallied late in the 4th quarter to tie the game. With 20 seconds left, instead of kneeling the ball to go to overtime, Mississippi decided to run a play, deep in their own territory. Rebel quarterback Romero Miller dropped back and lobbed a deep pass which was deflected by the hands and then the foot of MSU cornerback Robert Bean before being intercepted by Eugene Clinton and returned deep into Rebel territory. On the next play, with 8 seconds left, Bulldog kicker Scott Westerfield kicked a 44-yard game-winning field goal.
• 2003 - Number 100: The 2003 game marked the 100th meeting between the two teams. Ole Miss earned a share of its first SEC West division title with Eli Manning leading the team. A torrential downpour prevailed much of the game, with both teams fighting tooth and nail for the first 20 or so minutes of the contest. The heavily favored Rebs ultimately proved to be too much as the Rebels had 3 2nd quarter scores to take a 24–0 lead into the locker room. The final would be 31–0 marking the first shutout by the Rebels in this rivalry since 1971 (48–0). This Egg Bowl marked Jackie Sherrill's final game as a football coach as in the middle of the 2003 season he had announced his retirement. Sherrill had an overall record of 7–6 against the Rebels.^[22]
• 2007 – The Comeback: Mississippi State trailed 14–0 with less than 8 minutes left to play in the fourth quarter when Ole Miss Head Coach Ed Orgeron elected to go for a fourth down at the Mississippi 49-yard line. Rebel running back Benjarvus Green-Ellis was stopped for a loss turning the ball over on downs. The Bulldogs drove in, scored a touchdown, seized the momentum and went on to win the game 17–14. It marked the last game of Ed Orgeron's tenure as head coach after the Rebels went 0–8 in the SEC.
• 2008 – Croom's Farewell: In Houston Nutt's first Egg Bowl as the Ole Miss Head Coach, the Rebels would avenge the loss from 2007 in impressive form, utterly dominating Mississippi State in Oxford by the score of 45–0.^[23] The game featured the largest margin of defeat in any Egg Bowl game since 1971 and was the second shutout win in 5 years for Ole Miss. The game brought Ole Miss to 8–4 (5–3 in the SEC) and eventually secured them a bid to the 2009 Cotton Bowl Classic. The loss dropped Mississippi State to 4–8 (2–6 in the SEC). Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom, resigned only hours later, leaving MSU after 5 years at the helm and with a career record of 21–38.^[24]
• 2009 – : One of the first things new Bulldog head coach Dan Mullen did upon taking the job was to install a countdown clock in the Mississippi State locker room to count down the seconds until the next Egg Bowl.^[25] The Rebels, fresh off an upset win over LSU, came into Starkville with an 8-3 record and a #20 ranking, while the Bulldogs had already clinched bowl ineligibility at 4-7. However, Mullen's emphasis on the game paid off, as Anthony Dixon ran for 133 yards and a touchdown, backup quarterback Chris Relf ran for 131 yards a touchdown and completed two touchdown passes, and cornerback Corey Broomfield sealed the 41-27 win by returning an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
• 2013 – The Dak Back Game: In the first Egg Bowl ever to go into overtime, Mississippi State claimed a 17–10 victory. Mississippi State entered the game with both of their primary quarterbacks, Tyler Russell and Dak Prescott, injured. True freshman Damian Williams made his first collegiate start after having scored a game winning TD in overtime against Arkansas the week before in relief of an injured Tyler Russell. Down 10–7 in the middle of the 4th quarter, a still injured Dak Prescott, who had only been cleared to play earlier that day, entered the game.^[26] After tying the game with a field goal, Mississippi State missed a potential game-winning field goal as time expired. In overtime, Prescott scored a touchdown on fourth down from the three yard line. On the ensuing Ole Miss possession, Nickoe Whitley stripped the ball from Rebel quarterback Bo Wallace as he tried to score a game-tying touchdown. Mississippi State's Jamerson Love recovered the ball in the endzone to seal the victory.^[27]
• 2014: The 2014 game was of particular importance due to its implications on post-season play. Mississippi State entered the game with a 10-1 overall record, 6-1 in conference play, and a #4 ranking in the College Football Playoff poll. A win for Mississippi State, coupled with a loss by Alabama in the Iron Bowl, would give the Bulldogs the SEC West championship and a berth in the SEC Championship Game. Ole Miss entered the game #19, marking only the fifth time in the rivalry's history, and the first since 1999, that both teams entered the Egg Bowl ranked. For the first time since 1964, the game was televised by a national network. CBS, acknowledging the importance of the game, along with contractual limitations on how many times it can feature each team in its SEC package, passed on televising the Iron Bowl and chose to carry the Egg Bowl instead. In an upset, Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State 31–17. The victory was highlighted by a strong performance from Ole Miss running back Jaylen Walton who had a career high with 148 yards rushing including a 91-yard touchdown.^{[28][29][30][31][32]}

Game results

Mississippi State victories

Ole Miss victories

Ties and forfeits

# Date Location Winner Score 1 October 28, 1901 Starkville Mississippi State 17–0 2 October 25, 1902 Starkville Ole Miss 21–0 3 November 14, 1903 Oxford Tie 6–6 4 October 22, 1904 Columbus Ole Miss 17–5 5 November 30, 1905 Jackson Mississippi State 11–0 6 November 29, 1906 Jackson Ole Miss 29–5 7 November 28, 1907 Jackson Mississippi State 15–0 8 November 26, 1908 Jackson Mississippi State 44–6 9 November 25, 1909 Jackson Ole Miss 9–5 10 November 24, 1910 Jackson Ole Miss 30–0 11 November 30, 1911 Jackson Mississippi State 6–0 12 November 6, 1915 Tupelo Mississippi State 65–0 13 November 3, 1916 Tupelo Mississippi State 36–0 14 November 3, 1917 Tupelo Mississippi State 41–14 15 November 28, 1918 Starkville Mississippi State 34–0 16 December 7, 1918 Oxford Mississippi State 13–0 17 November 8, 1919 Clarksdale Mississippi State 33–0 18 November 6, 1920 Greenwood Mississippi State 20–0 19 October 29, 1921 Greenwood Mississippi State 21–0 20 October 21, 1922 Jackson Mississippi State 19–13 21 October 20, 1923 Jackson Mississippi State 13–6 22 October 18, 1924 Jackson Mississippi State 20–0 23 October 24, 1925 Jackson Mississippi State 6–0 24 November 25, 1926 Starkville Ole Miss 7–6 25 November 24, 1927 Oxford Ole Miss 20–12 26 November 29, 1928 Starkville Ole Miss 20–19 27 November 28, 1929 Oxford Tie 7–7 28 November 27, 1930 Starkville Ole Miss 20–0 29 November 26, 1931 Oxford Ole Miss 25–14 30 November 24, 1932 Starkville Ole Miss 13–0 31 December 2, 1933 Oxford Ole Miss 31–0 32 December 1, 1934 Starkville Ole Miss 7–3 33 November 30, 1935 Oxford Ole Miss 14–6 34 November 21, 1936 Starkville Mississippi State 26–6 35 November 25, 1937 Oxford Mississippi State 9–7 36 November 26, 1938 Starkville Ole Miss 19–6 37 November 25, 1939 Oxford Mississippi State 18–6 38 November 23, 1940 Starkville #16 Mississippi State 19–0 39 November 29, 1941 Oxford Mississippi State 6–0 40 November 28, 1942 Starkville #16 Mississippi State 34–12 41 November 25, 1944 Oxford Ole Miss 13–8 42 November 24, 1945 Starkville Ole Miss 7–6 43 November 23, 1946 Oxford Mississippi State 20–0 44 November 29, 1947 Starkville #15 Ole Miss 33–14 45 November 27, 1948 Oxford #17 Ole Miss 34–7 46 November 26, 1949 Starkville Ole Miss 26–0 47 December 2, 1950 Oxford Ole Miss 27–20 48 December 1, 1951 Starkville Ole Miss 49–7 49 November 29, 1952 Oxford #6 Ole Miss 20–14 50 November 28, 1953 Starkville Tie 7–7 51 November 27, 1954 Oxford #6 Ole Miss 14–0 52 November 26, 1955 Starkville #14 Ole Miss 26–0 53 December 1, 1956 Oxford Ole Miss 13–7 54 November 30, 1957 Starkville Tie 7–7 55 November 29, 1958 Oxford #13 Ole Miss 21–0 56 November 28, 1959 Starkville #2 Ole Miss 42–0 57 November 26, 1960 Oxford #3 Ole Miss 35–9 # Date Location Winner Score 58 December 2, 1961 Starkville #5 Ole Miss 37–7 59 December 1, 1962 Oxford #3 Ole Miss 13–6 60 November 30, 1963 Starkville Tie 10–10 61 December 5, 1964 Oxford Mississippi State 20–17 62 November 27, 1965 Starkville Ole Miss 21–0 63 November 26, 1966 Oxford Ole Miss 24–0 64 December 2, 1967 Starkville Ole Miss 10–3 65 November 30, 1968 Oxford Tie 17–17 66 November 27, 1969 Starkville #14 Ole Miss 48–22 67 November 26, 1970 Oxford Mississippi State 19–14 68 November 25, 1971 Starkville #18 Ole Miss 48–0 69 November 25, 1972 Oxford Ole Miss 51–14 70 November 24, 1973 Jackson Ole Miss 38–10 71 November 23, 1974 Jackson Mississippi State 31–13 72 November 22, 1975 Jackson Ole Miss 13–7 73 November 20, 1976 Jackson Mississippi State 28–11† 74 November 19, 1977 Jackson Mississippi State 18–14† 75 November 25, 1978 Jackson Ole Miss 27–7 76 November 24, 1979 Jackson Ole Miss 14–9 77 November 22, 1980 Jackson #17 Mississippi State 19–14 78 November 21, 1981 Jackson Ole Miss 21–17 79 November 20, 1982 Jackson Mississippi State 27–10 80 November 19, 1983 Jackson Ole Miss 24–23 81 November 24, 1984 Jackson Ole Miss 24–3 82 November 23, 1985 Jackson Ole Miss 45–27 83 November 22, 1986 Jackson Ole Miss 24–3 84 November 21, 1987 Jackson Mississippi State 30–20 85 November 26, 1988 Jackson Ole Miss 33–6 86 November 25, 1989 Jackson Ole Miss 21–11 87 November 24, 1990 Jackson #21 Ole Miss 21–9 88 November 23, 1991 Starkville Mississippi State 24–9 89 November 28, 1992 Oxford #24 Ole Miss 17–10 90 November 27, 1993 Starkville Mississippi State 20–13 91 November 26, 1994 Oxford #19 Mississippi State 21–17 92 November 25, 1995 Starkville Ole Miss 13–10 93 November 30, 1996 Oxford Mississippi State 17–0 94 November 29, 1997 Starkville Ole Miss 15–14 95 November 26, 1998 Oxford #25 Mississippi State 28–6 96 November 25, 1999 Starkville #18 Mississippi State 23–20 97 November 23, 2000 Oxford Ole Miss 45–30 98 November 22, 2001 Starkville Mississippi State 36–28 99 November 28, 2002 Oxford Ole Miss 24–12 100 November 27, 2003 Starkville #17 Ole Miss 31–0 101 November 27, 2004 Oxford Ole Miss 20–3 102 November 26, 2005 Starkville Mississippi State 35–14 103 November 25, 2006 Oxford Ole Miss 20–17 104 November 23, 2007 Starkville Mississippi State 17–14 105 November 28, 2008 Oxford #25 Ole Miss 45–0 106 November 28, 2009 Starkville Mississippi State 41–27 107 November 27, 2010 Oxford #25 Mississippi State 31–23 108 November 26, 2011 Starkville Mississippi State 31–3 109 November 24, 2012 Oxford Ole Miss 41–24 110 November 28, 2013 Starkville Mississippi State 17–10 ^OT 111 November 29, 2014 Oxford #18 Ole Miss 31–17 112 November 28, 2015 Starkville #19 Ole Miss 38–27 Series: Ole Miss leads 63–43–6 † Mississippi State was later forced to forfeit as part of NCAA penalties.

See also

• List of most played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBS
• List of NCAA college football rivalry games

Notes

• The University of Mississippi is colloquially known as Ole Miss.
• In the early days of Ole Miss athletic their teams were called the Red and Blue. In 1929 they became known as The Flood and in 1936 they changed their nickname to the Rebels.^[7]
• From 1880–1932 Mississippi State was named Mississippi A&M College, from 1932–1958 it was named Mississippi State College, and in 1958 was granted university status and changed its name to Mississippi State University.^[33]
• Although references as long ago as 1905 refer to Mississippi State as the Bulldogs, the Bulldog wasn't adopted as the official mascot until 1961. The first teams representing Mississippi State were called the Aggies, and when the school officially became Mississippi State College in 1932 they were nicknamed the Maroons.^[34]

References

1. Price of Defiance: James Meredith and the Integration of Ole Miss
2. Mississippi Yearly Results 1940-1944
3. Mississippi State Yearly Results 1940-1944
4. SEC Football: 75 Years of Pride and Passion
5. Egg Bowl moved to Thanksgiving
6. College football's great rivalries: Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State
7. Crack the Egg: Ole Miss-Mississippi State Rivalry Fights On
8. College Football History
9. Ole Miss football 2007 Media guide
10. Tom Patterson: He Named the Egg Bowl
11. The Egg Bowl Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss, Second Edition
12. Berner, William G.; McKenzie, Danny (2010). The Egg Bowl: Mississippi State Vs. Ole Miss. Oxford, MS: Univ. Press of Mississippi. pp. 26–27. ISBN 9781604738322. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
13. Nash, Bruce; Zullo, Allan (1991). Football Hall of Shame. New York City: Simon and Schuster. p. 42. ISBN 9780671745516. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
14. Conner, Floyd (2000). Football's Most Wanted. Potomac Books, Inc. ISBN 9781574883091.
15. 2013 Mississippi State Football Notes • Game 12 • Ole Miss • Battle For The Golden Egg
16. Noble's 1918 coaching record @ College Football Data Warehouse
17. Egg Bowl Historical: "Golden Egg" trophy added as part of the rivalry in 1927
18. William G. Barner. The Egg Bowl: Mississippi State Vs. Ole Miss. p. 76.
19. YouTube: Video of the 1997 Egg Bowl melee
20. FRIDAY FLASHBACK: 1997 Egg Bowl
21. EGG BOWL FLASHBACK: Matt Wyatt & Romaro Miller
22. SDN Bulldog Blog – Gameday 2010 Week 13: Egg Bowl style vs. Ole Miss – Can State keep the trophy?
23. Mississippi embarrasses Mississippi State in lopsided Egg Bowl
24. Croom resigns after five years at Mississippi State
25. McCready, Neal (2009-11-23). "Rebs not worried about Egg Bowl letdown". Rivals.com. RebelGrove.com.
26. Dak Prescott and a Crazy Finish Highlight Mississippi State's Win over Ole Miss
27. 2013 Egg Bowl final results: Mississippi State shocks Ole Miss 17-10 in overtime
28. Low, Chris. "If Mississippi State wins Egg Bowl, it should be playoff bound". ESPN.com. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
29. "All eyes are on the Egg Bowl". Sun-Herald. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
30. "State of Mississippi's spotlight not leaving after Ole Miss' Egg Bowl win". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
31. "No. 19 Ole Miss topples No. 4 Mississippi State in Egg Bowl". ESPN.com. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
32. "How ESPN landed the Iron Bowl, plus more Media Circus". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
33. General Information from msstate.edu
34. Mississippi State Traditions: The Bulldog