Mississippi State @ Mississippi preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 26, 2011 ) Mississippi 3, Mississippi State 31

There will be plenty on the line in the 109th edition of the Egg Bowl on Saturday when a Mississippi team coming off a near-upset hosts 24th-ranked Mississippi State. The Rebels gave No. 7 Louisiana State all it could handle before late mistakes resulted in a 41-35 loss. That kept Ole Miss from gaining bowl eligibility for the first time since 2009, a goal it will attempt to reach against the Bulldogs, who have won the last three meetings between the old rivals. Mississippi State snapped a three-game losing streak by routing Arkansas last week at home. The Bulldogs, with a win Saturday and then another in a bowl game, would become just the third team in school history to reach double digits in victories.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Pick 'em

ABOUT NO. 24 MISSISSIPPI STATE (8-3, 4-3 SEC): As Tyler Russell goes, so go the Bulldogs. The junior had 17 touchdown passes against one interception during Mississippi State's 7-0 start, and two touchdowns against three picks in the three-week gauntlet that included Alabama, Texas A&M and LSU. Against the Razorbacks, he threw for 274 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions to earn SEC Player of the Week honors. Overall, the Bulldogs have done a fine job of taking care of the football -- they rank fourth in the nation with a plus-16 turnover margin and 12th nationally with 27 forced turnovers.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI (5-6, 2-5): If the Rebels had been able to finish games a bit better, their season would look a lot different. They blew a 17-point second-half lead in a 27-26 loss at Vanderbilt two Saturdays ago and then lost a fourth-quarter advantage at Baton Rouge. Bo Wallace accounted for four touchdowns, two on the ground, but had three interceptions in a game that had Ole Miss cursing itself for mistakes. Donte Moncrief had six catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns, including a 30-yard score with 11:11 left that put the Rebels ahead 35-28.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Bulldogs are 25-2 when leading at halftime under head coach Dan Mullen.

2. Ole Miss has lost its last two games by a total of seven points.

3. Mississippi State has not won four straight games in the rivalry since 1939-42.

PREDICTION: Mississippi 41, Mississippi State 38