STARKVILLE — Mississippi State senior safety Jay Hughes doesn’t need an inspirational speech from Dan Mullen this week.
Hughes said MSU’s opponent in its regular-season finale will provide all the inspiration.
“Nobody on the team needs motivation,” Hughes said. “We know who we’re playing, and we know how big of a deal it is.”
No. 4 MSU will have a number of goals on the line at 2:30 p.m. Saturday (WCBI) when it takes on No. 18 Ole Miss at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford. First, MSU (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) will try to win the Battle for the Golden Egg for the fifth time in six tries with Mullen as head coach. A win would keep MSU alive in the race for the SEC Western Division title and a chance to play for the league title in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and would keep the Bulldogs in contention for the first College Football Playoff. Additionally, MSU could earn the first 11-win regular season in school history and finish 7-1 in conference play for the first time since the SEC moved to a divisional format 22 years ago.
Mullen affirmed the importance of the rivalry multiple times at his weekly media gathering. He said everything takes a backseat to the importance of the annual Battle for the Golden Egg.
“This week changes everything being a rivalry week,” Mullen said. “We have to leave it all out there on the field. You kind of work year-round for this type of game. I know we’re going into a hostile environment. I don’t think they’re big fans of mine up in that part of the state, but our kids have been in hostile environments before. It will be a huge game.”
A loss to Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3) would end MSU’s hopes for a SEC title and a national championship. Two weeks removed from a 25-20 loss at Alabama, MSU returns to Oxford, where it lost to Ole Miss 41-24 in the 2012 regular-season finale. The victory helped Ole Miss gain bowl eligibility for the first time under coach Hugh Freeze. This time, the Rebels, who can’t finish any higher than third in the SEC West, will have a chance to end MSU’s dreams.
Mullen said the high stakes for his team don’t increase the magnitude of the game.
“Every one of these games is as important as the others,” Mullen said. “This is my sixth one, and I view the other five as equally as important as this one. This is the biggest game of the year for us. None of that other stuff really matters coming into this game. It’s all about winning this game and getting bragging rights within this state.”
Two days after a 30-0 loss to Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Rebels aren’t searching for motivation either.
“It’s State. I feel like if you can’t get up for that, you probably don’t need to be playing,” Ole Miss linebacker Deterrian Shackelford said. “It’s everything. It’s the Egg Bowl. It’s Senior Day. If I have to motivate some people for next week, they probably shouldn’t be playing.”
Last season, MSU beat Ole Miss 17-10 in overtime. The Bulldogs won despite playing for three quarters with then-third-string quarterback Damian Williams, who played in place of injured starter Tyler Russell and backup Dak Prescott. But Prescott threw for 123 yards and rushed for a touchdown after entering the game in the fourth quarter.
Mullen said the win helped set MSU up for its success this season.
“It was huge,” Mullen said. “All that other stuff was great, but just winning the game was the biggest part of it. Winning this game is always a big deal. My first year, we had a losing record but we won this game (41-27 in 2009), and to me that catapulted us into the next season. For your program, your university and your team, it is important to win this game and to have this trophy.”
MSU’s last trip to Oxford didn’t go as well. The Rebels outscored the Bulldogs 24-7 in the second half to earn their only win against Mullen. For players like Hughes, this year’s game feels like a return to the scene of a crime.
“It felt terrible walking off the field that night,” Hughes said. “I talked to the coaches earlier today and said I don’t ever want to feel like that again. That’s what we have to prevent this Saturday.”
n Prescott, Beckwith honored: At Birmingham, Alabama, the SEC honored Prescott and senior left guard Ben Beckwith on Monday for their performances against Vanderbilt.
Prescott, who had 223 total yards and four touchdowns, was named the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week, while Beckwith was named the conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Week.
It was the third such award for each player this season.
Prescott was 16 of his 21 for 193 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for 30 yards and another score to lead MSU to its largest margin of victory in league play since 1936.
Beckwith, a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given to the top player in the country who began his career as a walk-on, helped the Bulldogs amass 502 yards of offense against the Commodores, including 283 on the ground.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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