Mississippi State wins Egg Bowl, 55-20

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OXFORD, MS (WMC) - The Golden Egg trophy is going back to Starkville.

Mississippi State defeated arch-rival Ole Miss in a 55-20 blowout in the 2016 Egg Bowl.

The Bulldogs ran the ball at will against the Rebel defense, racking up over 450 yards on the ground. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald had a monster game, rushing for 258 yards and two touchdowns. The sophomore gashed Ole Miss on runs of 61 and 70 for an average of 18 yards per carry.

The Rebels actually got on the board first, stopping MSU on their first drive and topping off a 75-yard drive of their own with a field goal. Ole Miss would take the lead again with a touchdown to Damore'ea Stringfellow to make it 10-6 in the first.

From there, it was all Bulldogs. MSU took a 27-20 lead into halftime, but the score was a bit deceptive. Momentum shifted when Rebels QB Shea Patterson tossed an interception in the end zone that would have made it a three point game.

Sophomore running back Aeris Williams toted the ball 25 times and had his best game as a Bulldog, running for 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

MSU rarely had to pass the ball at all on offense. Fitzgerald completed just eight passes on the day, throwing three touchdowns as the running game carried the team.

As easily as Ole Miss moved the ball in the first half, no one could have foreseen the shutout MSU pitched in the second half.

Shea Patterson looked every bit worthy of the Johnny Manziel comparisons he's received in his short time as Ole Miss QB in the first half, but was contained in the second.

Patterson and RB Akeem Judd combined for 180 yards on the ground, but Ole Miss was unable to move the ball through the air while playing from behind for most of the game.

The Bulldogs snapped Ole Miss' two-game win streak in the Egg Bowl and effectively ended their season as both teams sit at 5-7.

The Bulldogs' chance for a bowl game may still be alive, however. Mississippi State still stands a chance at being one of the few 5-7 teams to earn a postseason trip. Last season, those teams went undefeated in bowl play.