SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 29, 2014
No. 19 Ole Miss 31, No. 4 Mississippi State 17: Evan Engram had a career-high 176 receiving yards and Jaylen Walton rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown as the host Rebels spoiled the rival Bulldogs' playoff hopes.
Bo Wallace completed just 13-of-30 passes but racked up 296 yards and added a rushing touchdown as Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3 SEC) won the Egg Bowl for only the second time in six years. Jeremy Liggins added a rushing touchdown and running back Jordan Wilkins threw a TD pass to Cody Core for the Rebels.
Dak Prescott went 22-of-37 for 282 yards and a TD and rushed for 48 yards and a score for Mississippi State (10-2, 6-2), which was eliminated from contention for the SEC West title and likely bumped out of the College Football Playoff picture. De'Runnya Wilson had eight receptions for 117 yards and a TD and Fred Ross added six catches for 103 yards for the Bulldogs.
The defenses dominated the first half, as Ole Miss took a 7-3 lead to the break on the strength of Wallace's 1-yard run — one play after he hit Engram for a 46-yard pass. Prescott punched in a 1-yard run on the Bulldogs' first possession of the second half for a 10-7 lead, but the Rebels responded by going 84 yards in four plays and Liggins capped the drive with a 1-yard plunge to put Ole Miss on top for good.
After a Gary Wunderlich field goal, Walton busted the third-longest TD run in school history, changing directions in the backfield and breaking a tackle to go 91 yards to make it 24-10 with 2:13 remaining in the third. Prescott led the Bulldogs on a 75-yard drive capped by Wilson's leaping 32-yard TD catch to cut the deficit to 24-17, but Wilkins' trick-play TD pass to Core restored the two-touchdown margin and the Ole Miss defense took care of the rest.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Ole Miss, which already was without start WR Laquon Treadwell, lost senior WR Vince Sanders to a right knee injury in the second quarter. … Walton's 91-yard run is the Rebels' longest play from scrimmage since 1997. … Ole Miss failed to force a turnover, ending its streak of 34 consecutive games with a takeaway, which had been the longest active streak in the nation.