No. 16 Mississippi State is big favorite in Egg Bowl

Nov 22, 2017 - 9:16 PM Mississippi (5-6, 2-5 SEC) at No. 16 Mississippi State (8-3, 4-3, CFP No. 14), Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) Line: Mississippi State by 16. Series record: Ole Miss leads 63-44-6 WHAT'S AT STAKE? Mississippi State is trying to wrap up an impressive regular season and win a second straight game over its in-state rival. Ole Miss is not eligible for a bowl because of a self-imposed postseason ban, but will try to end its season with six wins by pulling off a significant upset in Starkville. KEY MATCHUP Mississippi State QB Nick Fitzgerald vs. the Ole Miss defense. Fitzgerald is solid in the passing game, but the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder is especially dominant as a runner. He has 964 yards rushing this season — the most for a non-RB in the SEC — and has scored 14 rushing touchdowns. The Ole Miss run defense is among the worst in the SEC and is giving up more than 240 yards per game. PLAYERS TO WATCH Mississippi: WR A.J. Brown. The sophomore is the SEC's leader with 69 catches, 1,085 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. He's also from Starkville, and will be returning to his hometown for the first time to play in a college game. Mississippi St: DE/LB Montez Sweat. The junior is tied for the lead in the SEC with nine sacks, which is tied for the most by a Mississippi State player in the last 12 years. FACTS & FIGURES Fitzgerald has run for at least 100 yards six times this season. All six have been wins for Mississippi State. ... The Bulldogs have allowed just eight sacks in 11 games, which is the fewest by a team in a Power Five conference. ... Ole Miss LB DeMarquis Gates is tied for second in the SEC with 101 tackles this season. ... Brown needs 69 yards receiving to become the single-season leader in Ole Miss history. ... The Egg Bowl rivalry has been incredibly even over the past three decades. Ole Miss and Mississippi State have each won 15 games. Neither side has won more than three straight during that span. ___ More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25 .