Egg Bowl

Battle for the Golden Egg
Sport Football
First meeting October 28, 1901
Mississippi State 17, Ole Miss 0
Latest meeting November 26, 2016
Mississippi State 55, Ole Miss 20
Next meeting November 23, 2017
Trophy Golden Egg
Statistics
Meetings total 113 total, 89 Egg Bowls
All-time series Ole Miss leads, 63–44–6
Largest victory Mississippi State, 65–0 (1915)
Longest win streak Mississippi State, 13 (1911–1925)
Current win streak Mississippi State, 1 (2016–present)
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Locations in Mississippi

The Battle for the Golden Egg, also informally known as the Egg Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game played annually between Southeastern Conference members Mississippi State University and Ole Miss (The University of Mississippi). The rivalry is the tenth longest uninterrupted series in the United States. The two teams first played each other in 1901. Since 1927 the winning squad has been awarded possession of the "Golden Egg Trophy". In cases where the game ended in a tie the previous winner retained possession of the trophy. Ole Miss leads the series, 63–44–6.

The game is a typical example of the intrastate rivalries between several public universities. These games are usually between one bearing the state's name alone, and the land-grant university, often styled as "State University." Like most such rivalries, it is contested at the end of the regular season, in this case during the Thanksgiving weekend and has been played on Thanksgiving 21 times, including from 1998–2003 and in 2013 (and again in 2017 and 2018).[1]

Series history

The first game in the series was played on October 28, 1901 at Mississippi State. Mississippi State, then known as the Mississippi A&M College and nicknamed the Aggies, defeated Ole Miss, nicknamed the Red and Blue at that time,[2] by a final score of 17–0. The two squads met on the gridiron every year from 1901 until 1911 and then, after a 3-year hiatus, resumed the series in 1915; since that 1915 meeting the two teams have met on the field every season with the exception of the 1943 season when neither school fielded teams due to World War II.[3][4][5] From 1973 through 1990 the game was played at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, which seats approximately 62,000. Besides being centrally located in the state, at the time it was the only venue in the state capable of seating the anticipated crowd; for many years Vaught–Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, seated only about 32,000 and Scott Field in Starkville, seated only about 31,000. Both have been considerably expanded and are now capable of accommodating the crowds which can realistically be expected, and both on-campus venues have been continually upgraded to the point where they are superior in amenities to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

At one point the level of rivalry was such that a victory by one of the schools in this game could salvage what had otherwise been a poor season. This was however proven not to always be the case when in 2004 Ole Miss won the game but fired its coach, David Cutcliffe, the next year, following a disappointing season.

The series was relatively close for most of the first half of the 20th century. However, Ole Miss now leads the series by a significant margin, due in part to its dominance of the rivalry under Johnny Vaught. Vaught went 19–2–4 against the Maroons/Bulldogs during his two separate tenures at Ole Miss. The series has been more even recently; as of the 2016 season, the past 10 games have been 4–6 (Ole Miss–Mississippi State), 15 games 8–7, 20 games 10–10, and 25 games 12–13.

The birth of the Golden Egg

The Aggies (Bulldogs) dominated the early days of the series including a 13-game A&M winning streak from 1911–25 during which time the Aggies outscored the Red and Blue by a combined 327–33.[6] Through 1925 Ole Miss had won only five times out of twenty-three total contests. In 1926 when the Red and Blue ended their 13-game losing streak by defeating A&M 7–6 in Starkville, the Ole Miss fans rushed the field with some trying to tear the goalposts down. A&M fans did not take well to the Ole Miss fans destroying their property and fights broke out. Some A&M fans defended the goal posts with wooden chairs, and several injuries were reported. According to one account:

"Irate Aggie supporters took after the ambitious Ole Miss group with cane bottom chairs, and fights broke out. The mayhem continued until most of the chairs were splintered."[7]

To prevent such events in the future, students of the two schools created the "Golden Egg", a large trophy which has been awarded to the winning team each year since 1927. The trophy is a large football-shaped brass piece mounted to a wooden base and traditionally symbolizes supremacy in college football in the state of Mississippi for the year. The footballs used in American football in the 1920s were considerably more ovoid and blunter than those in use today and similar to the balls still used in rugby; the trophy thus, to modern eyes, more resembles an egg than a football. The awarding of the "Golden Egg" was instituted in 1927 by joint agreement between the two schools' student bodies. In the event of a tie (before overtime was instituted in Division-I college football in 1996)[8] the school that won the game the previous year kept the trophy for the first half of the new year and then the trophy was sent to the other school for the second half of the new year.[9] The game was given the nickname "Egg Bowl" by Clarion-Ledger sportswriter Tom Patterson in 1979.[10]

Notable games

1929 Ole Miss vs. Mississippi A&M football program. The game ended tied 7–7. Note on the cover the game was referred to as "Mississippi's Football Classic" and not the "Egg Bowl", a moniker that would not be applied to the game until the 1979 contest by sportswriter Tom Patterson.
Ole Miss and Mississippi State meet in the 1975 Battle for the Golden Egg

Game results

Mississippi State victoriesOle Miss victoriesTies and forfeits
#DateLocationWinnerScore
1 October 28, 1901 Starkville Mississippi A&M 17–0
2 October 25, 1902 Starkville Ole Miss 21–0
3 November 14, 1903 Oxford Tie6–6
4 October 22, 1904 Columbus Ole Miss 17–5
5 November 30, 1905 Jackson Mississippi A&M 11–0
6 November 29, 1906 Jackson Ole Miss 29–5
7 November 28, 1907 Jackson Mississippi A&M 15–0
8 November 26, 1908 Jackson Mississippi A&M 44–6
9 November 25, 1909 Jackson Ole Miss 9–5
10 November 24, 1910 Jackson Ole Miss 30–0
11 November 30, 1911 Jackson Mississippi A&M 6–0
12 November 6, 1915 Tupelo Mississippi A&M 65–0
13 November 3, 1916 Tupelo Mississippi A&M 36–0
14 November 3, 1917 Tupelo Mississippi A&M 41–14
15 November 28, 1918 Starkville Mississippi A&M 34–0
16 December 7, 1918 Oxford Mississippi A&M 13–0
17 November 8, 1919 Clarksdale Mississippi A&M 33–0
18 November 6, 1920 Greenwood Mississippi A&M 20–0
19 October 29, 1921 Greenwood Mississippi A&M 21–0
20 October 21, 1922 Jackson Mississippi A&M 19–13
21 October 20, 1923 Jackson Mississippi A&M 13–6
22 October 18, 1924 Jackson Mississippi A&M 20–0
23 October 24, 1925 Jackson Mississippi A&M 6–0
24 November 25, 1926 Starkville Ole Miss 7–6
25 November 24, 1927 Oxford Ole Miss 20–12
26 November 29, 1928 Starkville Ole Miss 20–19
27 November 28, 1929 Oxford Tie7–7
28 November 27, 1930 Starkville Ole Miss 20–0
29 November 26, 1931 Oxford Ole Miss 25–14
30 November 24, 1932 Starkville Ole Miss 13–0
31 December 2, 1933 Oxford Ole Miss 31–0
32 December 1, 1934 Starkville Ole Miss 7–3
33 November 30, 1935 Oxford Ole Miss 14–6
34 November 21, 1936 Starkville Mississippi State 26–6
35 November 25, 1937 Oxford Mississippi State 9–7
36 November 26, 1938 Starkville Ole Miss 19–6
37 November 25, 1939 Oxford Mississippi State 18–6
38 November 23, 1940 Starkville #16 Mississippi State 19–0
39 November 29, 1941 Oxford Mississippi State 6–0
40 November 28, 1942 Starkville #16 Mississippi State 34–12
41 November 25, 1944 Oxford Ole Miss 13–8
42 November 24, 1945 Starkville Ole Miss 7–6
43 November 23, 1946 Oxford Mississippi State 20–0
44 November 29, 1947 Starkville #15 Ole Miss 33–14
45 November 27, 1948 Oxford #17 Ole Miss 34–7
46 November 26, 1949 Starkville Ole Miss 26–0
47 December 2, 1950 Oxford Ole Miss 27–20
48 December 1, 1951 Starkville Ole Miss 49–7
49 November 29, 1952 Oxford #6 Ole Miss 20–14
50 November 28, 1953 Starkville Tie7–7
51 November 27, 1954 Oxford #6 Ole Miss 14–0
52 November 26, 1955 Starkville #14 Ole Miss 26–0
53 December 1, 1956 Oxford Ole Miss 13–7
54 November 30, 1957 Starkville Tie7–7
55 November 29, 1958 Oxford #13 Ole Miss 21–0
56 November 28, 1959 Starkville #2 Ole Miss 42–0
57 November 26, 1960 Oxford #3 Ole Miss 35–9
58 December 2, 1961 Starkville #5 Ole Miss 37–7
#DateLocationWinnerScore
59 December 1, 1962 Oxford #3 Ole Miss 13–6
60 November 30, 1963 Starkville Tie10–10
61 December 5, 1964 Oxford Mississippi State 20–17
62 November 27, 1965 Starkville Ole Miss 21–0
63 November 26, 1966 Oxford Ole Miss 24–0
64 December 2, 1967 Starkville Ole Miss 10–3
65 November 30, 1968 Oxford Tie17–17
66 November 27, 1969 Starkville #14 Ole Miss 48–22
67 November 26, 1970 Oxford Mississippi State 19–14
68 November 25, 1971 Starkville #18 Ole Miss 48–0
69 November 25, 1972 Oxford Ole Miss 51–14
70 November 24, 1973 Jackson Ole Miss 38–10
71 November 23, 1974 Jackson Mississippi State 31–13
72 November 22, 1975 Jackson Ole Miss 13–7
73 November 20, 1976 Jackson Mississippi State 28–11†
74 November 19, 1977 Jackson Mississippi State 18–14†
75 November 25, 1978 Jackson Ole Miss 27–7
76 November 24, 1979 Jackson Ole Miss 14–9
77 November 22, 1980 Jackson #17 Mississippi State 19–14
78 November 21, 1981 Jackson Ole Miss 21–17
79 November 20, 1982 Jackson Mississippi State 27–10
80 November 19, 1983 Jackson Ole Miss 24–23
81 November 24, 1984 Jackson Ole Miss 24–3
82 November 23, 1985 Jackson Ole Miss 45–27
83 November 22, 1986 Jackson Ole Miss 24–3
84 November 21, 1987 Jackson Mississippi State 30–20
85 November 26, 1988 Jackson Ole Miss 33–6
86 November 25, 1989 Jackson Ole Miss 21–11
87 November 24, 1990 Jackson #21 Ole Miss 21–9
88 November 23, 1991 Starkville Mississippi State 24–9
89 November 28, 1992 Oxford #24 Ole Miss 17–10
90 November 27, 1993 Starkville Mississippi State 20–13
91 November 26, 1994 Oxford #19 Mississippi State 21–17
92 November 25, 1995 Starkville Ole Miss 13–10
93 November 30, 1996 Oxford Mississippi State 17–0
94 November 29, 1997 Starkville Ole Miss 15–14
95 November 26, 1998 Oxford #25 Mississippi State 28–6
96 November 25, 1999 Starkville #18 Mississippi State 23–20
97 November 23, 2000 Oxford Ole Miss 45–30
98 November 22, 2001 Starkville Mississippi State 36–28
99 November 28, 2002 Oxford Ole Miss 24–12
100 November 27, 2003 Starkville #17 Ole Miss 31–0
101 November 27, 2004 Oxford Ole Miss 20–3
102 November 26, 2005 Starkville Mississippi State 35–14
103 November 25, 2006 Oxford Ole Miss 20–17
104 November 23, 2007 Starkville Mississippi State 17–14
105 November 28, 2008 Oxford #25 Ole Miss 45–0
106 November 28, 2009 Starkville Mississippi State 41–27
107 November 27, 2010 Oxford #25 Mississippi State 31–23
108 November 26, 2011 Starkville Mississippi State 31–3
109 November 24, 2012 Oxford Ole Miss 41–24
110 November 28, 2013 Starkville Mississippi State 17–10 OT
111 November 29, 2014 Oxford #18 Ole Miss 31–17
112 November 28, 2015 Starkville #19 Ole Miss 38–27
113 November 26, 2016 Oxford Mississippi State 55–20
114 November 23, 2017 Starkville
Series: Ole Miss leads 63–44–6
† Mississippi State was later forced to forfeit as part of NCAA penalties.

See also

Notes

References

  1. Egg Bowl moved to Thanksgiving
  2. Price of Defiance: James Meredith and the Integration of Ole Miss
  3. Mississippi Yearly Results 1940–1944
  4. Mississippi State Yearly Results 1940–1944
  5. SEC Football: 75 Years of Pride and Passion
  6. College football's great rivalries: Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State
  7. 1 2 Crack the Egg: Ole Miss-Mississippi State Rivalry Fights On
  8. College Football History
  9. Ole Miss football 2007 Media guide
  10. Tom Patterson: He Named the Egg Bowl
  11. 1 2 The Egg Bowl Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss, Second Edition
  12. 1 2 3 4 Berner, William G.; McKenzie, Danny (2010). The Egg Bowl: Mississippi State Vs. Ole Miss. Oxford, MS: Univ. Press of Mississippi. pp. 26–27. ISBN 9781604738322. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  13. 1 2 Nash, Bruce; Zullo, Allan (1991). Football Hall of Shame. New York City: Simon and Schuster. p. 42. ISBN 9780671745516. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  14. Conner, Floyd (2000). Football's Most Wanted. Potomac Books, Inc. ISBN 9781574883091.
  15. 2013 Mississippi State Football Notes • Game 12 • Ole Miss • Battle For The Golden Egg
  16. Noble's 1918 coaching record @ College Football Data Warehouse
  17. Egg Bowl Historical: "Golden Egg" trophy added as part of the rivalry in 1927
  18. William G. Barner. The Egg Bowl: Mississippi State Vs. Ole Miss. p. 76.
  19. YouTube: Video of the 1997 Egg Bowl melee
  20. FRIDAY FLASHBACK: 1997 Egg Bowl
  21. EGG BOWL FLASHBACK: Matt Wyatt & Romaro Miller
  22. SDN Bulldog Blog – Gameday 2010 Week 13: Egg Bowl style vs. Ole Miss – Can State keep the trophy?
  23. Mississippi embarrasses Mississippi State in lopsided Egg Bowl
  24. Croom resigns after five years at Mississippi State
  25. McCready, Neal (2009-11-23). "Rebs not worried about Egg Bowl letdown". Rivals.com. RebelGrove.com.
  26. Dak Prescott and a Crazy Finish Highlight Mississippi State's Win over Ole Miss
  27. 2013 Egg Bowl final results: Mississippi State shocks Ole Miss 17–10 in overtime
  28. Low, Chris. "If Mississippi State wins Egg Bowl, it should be playoff bound". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  29. "All eyes are on the Egg Bowl". Sun-Herald. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  30. "State of Mississippi's spotlight not leaving after Ole Miss' Egg Bowl win". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  31. "No. 19 Ole Miss topples No. 4 Mississippi State in Egg Bowl". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  32. "How ESPN landed the Iron Bowl, plus more Media Circus". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  33. General Information from msstate.edu
  34. Mississippi State Traditions: The Bulldog
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