I remember it like it was just yesterday. It was a cold Thanksgiving night in Starkville in 1999. Mississippi State was looking to win its second straight Battle for the Golden Egg against visiting Mississippi in front of a primetime ESPN audience.
Seven-year-old me was wearing a Wayne Madkin jersey, and I am almost certain my hand froze to my cowbell that night. The ensuing game was one of almost Hollywood-esque proportions.
The Bulldogs entered the fourth quarter down 20-6. I remember my family wanting to leave the game early because of the outcome at that point, but with child-like faith I told them, “We can come back,” and come back the Bulldogs did. In case you aren’t familiar, MSU rallied to win the game 23-20 behind Madkin’s leadership and Scott Westerfield’s foot.
The fourth quarter had many miraculous moments, none more than when C.J. Simones dove into the end zone after being “WIDE OPEN,” as Mike Tirico exclaimed on the ESPN broadcast that night. I still remember the play that sealed the win for the Bulldogs: Willie Bean tipped and then kicked a pass from the Ole Miss quarterback into the air to the outstretched arms of Eugene Clinton, who returned the ball deep into Rebel territory to set up Westerfield’s game-winning boot to seal the improbable MSU comeback.
If you’re like me, you have family members who, unfortunately, made that awful decision to be Rebel fans, and Thanksgiving meals have always turned into a MSU/UM discussion or argument.
I was absolutely thrilled when I heard the 2013 Egg Bowl was moved to Thanksgiving night. There are so many positives to be taken from this decision, including the opportunity to be the only two schools playing on Thanksgiving night for ESPN’s primetime game.
This game will give our university, Starkville and the state of Mississippi so much more exposure, with the move from the Saturday night ESPNU regional game. The positives far outweigh the negatives. Even if you did not grow up a Bulldog or a Rebel, you almost certainly remember the game being played on Thanksgiving night with Tirico, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit in the booth.
With both teams now competitive, this change has harkened back to the 90s when both teams were in their prime and both were household names. The game now has the potential to make both MSU and Ole Miss nationally recognized in college football discussions. With a win this year, the Bulldogs could further propel into the national limelight. It’s like what Fred Smoot once said: “The only thing better than turkey on Thanksgiving is beating Mississippi.”