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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Egg Bowl Concludes 2005 Season For Rebels.
11/21/2005 | Football
Nov. 21, 2005
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss Rebels (3-7, 1-6) will finish out the 2005 season this Saturday when they travel to Starkville to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the annual "Egg Bowl." Kickoff from Davis-Wade Stadium/Scott Field will be at 1:30 p.m.
For Ole Miss, it will mark the first ever trip to Starkville for first year head coach Ed Orgeron. And, it is one that both he and his team are looking forward to.
"I've never been to Starkville," Orgeron said. "I'm looking forward to going there. I realize how big of a game it is for Ole Miss and Ole Miss fans, so I'm looking forward to going down there."
Quarterback Flatt will get his third start of the season as he directs the Rebel offense heading into the final game of the season. Through three games this season, the junior has thrown for 439 yards and a touchdown. Behind Flatt, senior Micheal Spurlock has seen action in all 10 games this season, throwing for 1,617 yards and six touchdowns. Their favorite target has been senior Mike Espy. The Madison, Miss., native, who enters Saturday's game having recorded a catch in 24 straight games, has 47 catches for 500 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Rebels have seen a significant improvement from last season to this season. Entering Saturday's contest, the Ole Miss defense is ranked 25th in the nation in total defense. Led by middle linebacker Patrick Willis, the Rebels are ranked 22nd in the nation in pass defense. Willis, a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation's most outstanding defensive player, leads Ole Miss with 114 total tackles, 79 solo. The junior also leads the Rebels in tackles for loss with nine. Willis is also tied with sophomore linebacker Garry Pack and senior defensive tackle McKinley Boykin in QB sacks with three.
Mississippi State is led by head coach Sylvester Croom. Croom is 5-15 in two years with the Bulldogs. Offensively, MSU is led by running back Jerious Norwood. The senior has rushed for 932 yards and three touchdowns this season to become the Bulldogs all-time career leading rusher.
"Jerious Norwood is an excellent back," Orgeron said. "I don't think one guy can get him down all game. We are going to have gang tackle him."
Defensively, senior defensive end Willie Evans leads both the Bulldogs and the SEC in sacks with 13, while linebacker Quinton Culbertson leads MSU in total tackles with 72.
Saturday's meeting will be the 102nd between the two in-state rivals. In what has been known as the "Battle for the Golden Egg," Ole Miss holds a 58-37-6 overall advantage over the Bulldogs, including a 20-9-3 record in Starkville. Ole Miss has won three straight over the Bulldogs, but the series has been split 14 even since 1991.
"There is a lot of pride riding on this game," Orgeron said. "When you go to the store, you will see both a Mississippi State Bulldog and an Ole Miss Rebel there everyday. You have to live with these people everyday for a year. So it is a pride factor, and you want to win this football game."