Lane Kiffin saga adds to Egg Bowl lore: Revisiting wildest moments of Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State rivalry

The Lane Kiffin will-he-or-won't-he saga adds another layer of intrigue to an Egg Bowl rivalry that frankly doesn't need one.

Sure, it might not get the national attention of The Game, Iron Bowl or Army-Navy. But those who have lived it know just how intense, sometimes frighteningly so, the Magnolia State rivalry between Ole Miss and Mississippi State can be. 

And that's before you add in the subplot of Kiffin's impending decision -- expected on Saturday -- on whether he will stay at Ole Miss or leave for either LSU or Florida. As CBS Sports has previously reported, Ole Miss is not expected to let Kiffin coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff (should they make it) if he intends to leave. No. 7 Ole Miss (10-1) is in great shape to make the playoff and even host a first-round game if it beats Mississippi State on Friday, but a loss could be catastrophic. 

Where will Lane Kiffin land post-Egg Bowl? Momentum for LSU, Florida falls back in race for Ole Miss coach

John Talty

In honor of what should be an especially weird Egg Bowl this year in Starkville, in what could be Kiffin's last as Ole Miss head coach, we decided to take a stroll down memory lane and give you five other particularly notable Egg Bowl games or moments. I've covered a few Egg Bowl games during my time at The Clarion-Ledger in Mississippi, but I still consulted with two of the foremost Egg Bowl experts I know -- radio host Brian Hadad and writer Alex McDaniel -- on what should make the cut. 

The Fake Dog Pee Game (2019)

An all-time Egg Bowl moment that led to two coaching changes (one of which led to Lane Kiffin coming to Oxford) and memes that will forever live on the internet. 

After scoring what should have been the game-tying touchdown, Ole Miss receiver Elijah Moore pretended to be a dog and pee as his celebration. It was an homage to former Ole Miss receiver DK Metcalf who had done a similar celebration against the Bulldogs two years prior. The issue for Moore this time was the officials hit him with a 15-year unsportsmanlike penalty. That led to a missed extra point kick, a loss for Ole Miss and ultimately Matt Luke's firing a few days later. It became known as "the Piss and Miss." 

The win made Mississippi State bowl eligible. During bowl preparations, starting quarterback Garrett Shrader reportedly got into a fight with a teammate and missed the bowl game because of an eye injury. After a Music City Bowl loss to Louisville, Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead was fired after only two seasons. 

So, in totality, one fake dog pee celebration directly or indirectly led to Luke and Moorhead losing their jobs and Kiffin and Mike Leach coming to Mississippi. 

The rare road field storming (1926)

After finally ending a 13-year losing streak against their in-state rivals with a 7-6 win, Ole Miss fans were overcome with a need to celebrate on the field. 

Of course, those fans were in rival territory at Scott Field. As Ole Miss fans tried to tear down the goalposts, they were met with fierce resistance from the home fans. That included State fans grabbing wooden chairs and smashing them over the heads of Ole Miss fans. 

It was such a wild scene that a Golden Egg trophy -- hence the Egg Bowl name -- was created to try to create a sense of brotherhood.

The Immaculate Deflection (1983)

Mississippi State was down 24-23 when Artie Crosby lined up for a 27-yard field goal to win the game. The Bulldogs had coughed up a previous 23-7 lead late in the third quarter, but still had a chance to win it behind Crosby's leg. 

The Mississippi State kicker had already successfully made three field goals that day, including a 51-yard one, and was more than ready to hit a fourth to win.

Crosby looked like he hit it perfectly, the ball soaring higher and higher and then…it just stopped and fell to the ground. On a windy day with gusts as high as 40 miles per hour, Crosby's kick got caught in the wind, stopped mid-air and fell to the end zone. It's an unbelievable play that you have to see to believe. 

After the game Mississippi State coach Emory Ballard told long-time Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland, "God just decided that Mississippi State wasn't going to win that game."

The Brawl (1997)

The 1997 Egg Bowl featured a dramatic finish but it is what happened before the game even started that people remember most. A wild pregame brawl broke out involving tens of players and had to be broken up by Mississippi Highway Patrolmen. And because the game officials weren't out on the field at the time of the brawl, no involved players were even ejected for their role in it.

Once the pregame extracurriculars subsided, fans were in for a back-and-forth affair. 

Mississippi State held a 14-7 lead late in the fourth quarter as Ole Miss attempted one last drive to tie the game. The Rebels got it when quarterback Stewart Patridge connected with Andre Rone for a 10-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left. Ole Miss head coach Tommy Tuberville got bold and opted for a two-point try rather than just kicking the extra point to go to overtime. 

This time, Corey Peterson made a diving catch for a successful two-point conversion to give Ole Miss a stunning 15-14 win. The win sent Ole Miss to its first bowl game since 1992. 

The Whiskey Game (1907)

On a cold, rainy Thanksgiving day in Jackson, Ole Miss coach Frank Mason reportedly gave his team coffee spiked with whiskey to keep them warm at halftime. The whiskey didn't help the Rebels, who drank it throughout the game on the sidelines, as Mississippi State went on to win 15-0. 

After the game Mason famously said his team would be returning to Oxford that night but he wouldn't be joining them.

"I'm going in another direction, and hope I never see them again!" Mason said. 

Mason never coached another college football game after the booze-filled loss to the Bulldogs. Ole Miss finished the season 0-6.