Mississippi State’s defense held up reasonably well in the 31-21 loss in last year’s Egg Bowl, but it couldn’t come up with enough good third down stops… and that’s about to be the problem again. Ole Miss’ running style isn’t just about racking up the big yards, it’s about setting up manageable and easy chances to move the chains. While the Ole Miss offense is great on third downs, the Mississippi State offense – stunningly, considering what Mike Leach’s team does – isn’t. Mississippi State is 6-1 at home (the one loss coming to Georgia) and 1-3 on the road. On the other hand, Ole Miss is 5-1 at home (the one loss coming to Alabama) and 3-2 on the road.
