November 27, 2009
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State football team will play host to the No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels for the 106th annual Egg Bowl. It will also be a senior day celebration, where the Bulldogs will honor 15 departing seniors, who will participate in their last game for MSU. Kickoff is set for 11:21 a.m. at Davis Wade Stadium and will be televised by the SEC Network.
State (4-7, 2-5 SEC) enters Saturday's contest coming off two-straight losses to 2nd-ranked Alabama at home and a road slipup to the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Among those senior being honored will be MSU's all-time leading rusher, Anthony Dixon, who ranks sixth in the nation with 125.8 rushing yards per contest and leads MSU's 12th-nationally ranked rushing attack.
Defensively, the Bulldogs are paced by senior linebacker Jamar Chaney who leads the team and stands at fifth in the league with 88 tackles. Junior defensive end Pernell McPhee has been successful applying pressure all season long and enters the final game of the season at second in the SEC with 12 tackles for loss and tied at eighth with five sacks, to lead MSU in both categories. Also, redshirt freshman cornerback Corey Broomfield has become a spark for MState's defense in the second half of the season tallying five picks, which ties for second in the league and 11th nationally.
The Rebels (8-3, 4-3 SEC) are coming three-straight wins and return to the polls for the first time in almost a month. Senior tailback Dexter McCluster leads Ole Miss' ground game with 903 rushing yards this season, including an impressive league-high 282-yard rushing performance on Nov. 14 against Tennessee, while senior split end Shay Hodge leads the receiving game with a league-best 84.3 receiving yards per game.
In addition to Dixon and Chaney the seniors honored in Saturday's game will be wide receiver Andrew Ellard, wide receiver Major Sosebee, offensive lineman Chris Spencer, tight end Austin Wilbanks, wide receiver Tay Bowser, defensive tackle Charles Burns, running back Christian Ducre', offensive guard Craig Jenkins, defensive tackle Kyle Love, wide receiver Brandon McRae, cornerback Marcus Washington, running back Arnil Stallworth and quarterback Tyson Lee.
The Bulldogs have won the previous two meetings against Ole Miss in Starkville, most recently a thrilling 17-14 come-from-behind win over the Rebels in 2007. Ole Miss owns a 60-39-6 advantage in the Egg Bowl.
Courtesy: Mansel Guerry
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