history & records THE BATTLE FOR THE GOLDEN EGG on a pedestal. Costs of approximately $250 would be 1978 The following is the background as to how the Ole Miss- shared by both schools. Ole Miss students held a tag day The Ole Miss-Mississippi State series took on a new Mississippi State football game came to be known as the to raise funds. twist in 1978, a season which saw the Rebels 4-6 and the “Battle of the Golden Egg” or even “The Egg Bowl.” Many of the excerpts are reprinted from the book “Mississippi The joint resolution of the two student bodies Bulldogs 6-4 heading into the season finale. As Steve Mayhem,” written by WIlliam Banner, III. declared they agreed on the trophy “in order to effect a Doyle of the Jackson, Miss., Clarion-Ledger reported in better understanding in athletic relations, to foster clean the Nov. 20 edition, “In a year in which neither team will sportsmanship, and to promote a lasting tradition...” be remembered, the Battle of the Golden Egg is a bowl 1926 A brand-new series between the University of game. Intense, heated, unbelievable in its lore, this one Up until the 1926 meeting in Starkville, Ole Miss Mississippi and Mississippi A&M College began on is for supremacy of the season. Bragging rights, recruit- had only claimed five victories in the previous 23 football Thanksgiving Day, 1927; the first Battle of the Golden ing edges and sheer pride are the guts of it. Every cliche contests between the Rebels and Bulldogs. Thus, when Egg. you’ve ever heard about a single game applies to it.” Ole Miss claimed a 7-6 victory over then Mississippi Of course, it was the Ole Miss-A&M slugfest, played In 1978, with both teams apparently out of the A&M College, a celebration was due at Scott Field after before a crowd of 14,000 for the first possession of the bowl picture, Executive Sports Editor Tom Patterson that ‘26 contest. gold football which was to become symbolic of suprema- decided to do something extra to spice up coverage of Oddly, huge roars went up from both sides at the cy in this annual feud-battle. the annual grudge match, instructing his staff to follow final whistle, not just from the Ole Miss stands. While the It was actually the 25th meeting of the two combat- the “Egg Bowl” theme throughout the week. The result A&M players walked slowly off the field with heads bowed, ants. And for the second time in four years it was Push was an award winning special section on Sunday, which wrote one newsman, the Maroon student section stood versus Pass, a heavier line versus a lighter passing recounted in great detail the Rebels’ stunning 27-7 vic- and sang the alma mater. attack. And once again the Pushers prevailed, except tory over the highly-favored Bulldogs. In that game, John But on the east side, pandemonium. Well wishers this time the pushing team was Ole Miss. The score was Fourcade made his first start at quarterback to become rushed “like madmen onto the field,” Webb Burke said in 20-12. the first Ole Miss freshman since 1945 to receive the his 1957 interview. Some fans made a dash for the goal Unlike the previous year’s brawl ending, the 1927 starting nod at the signal-caller slot. The special section posts. Irate Aggie supporters took after the ambitious game closed with a highly dignified ceremony, the first was a big success and the die was cast. Patterson’s idea, Ole Miss group with cane bottom chairs, and fights broke presentation of the Golden Egg. As previously agreed in for the most part, has been continued by the paper since out. The mayhem continued until most of the chairs were the inception of the egg, the schools first sang their alma 1978. Although it’s officially the “Battle of the Golden splintered. maters, Ole Miss, as winner, sang first. The captains of Egg,” most members of the media now refer to the As explained by the Reveille, A&M yearbook, “A few the two teams, presidents of the two student bodies and annual bloodletting simply as the “Egg Bowl.” chairs had to be sacrificed over the heads of these to the heads of the two schools met in the center of the persuade them that was entirely the wrong attitude.” field. B.M. Walker, president of A&M, presented the tro- As described in a story for the Commercial Appeal 1983 phy to Alfred Hume, chancellor of the University, who In one of the series’ most memorable battles, Ole by Ben Hilbun, who one day would become president of turned it over to Ole Miss captain Applewhite. Miss claimed a pulsating 24-23 victory over Mississippi the Starkville school, “The phantom of victory, that for The Egg is one of the most treasured possessions State in Jackson, but it took some heroics on the part of thirteen years eluded Ole Miss, returned to the bearded of either school. It is engraved with the score of each the Rebels and a 40 miles-per-hour crosswind to decide Berserkers ... and they won over A&M, their traditional year’s game and stands in a place of honor. When a tie the outcome. Down 17-0, Ole Miss got on the board when rivals, 7 to 6.” Ole Miss students fought for the goal occurred, the previous year’s winner kept it for the first Timmy Moffett returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown posts, he continued, “but were restrained.” half of the year, then it went to the other school. with 1:21 remaining in the first half. However, the Ole Miss fans couldn’t believe their victory. Through all their 13 defeats since 1910 (they did not play in 1912, 1913 and 1914) they had only scored in three games, counted just 33 points to A&M’s 327, an average of 25-3. Injuries to players were expected. But not to spec- tators. Ole Miss and A&M students, shocked by the battle that erupted after the game, vowed that it must not hap- pen again. The result was the Golden Egg, a trophy to cool the heat of battle, instituted the following season by joint agreement of the two student bodies. 1927 The Golden Egg was first proposed by members of Iota Sigma, an Ole Miss honorary activities fraternity. As thoughts of last year’s game, Iota Sigma proposed that a trophy be awarded in a dignified ceremony designed to calm excited fans. One proposal that was rejected was to send the goal posts to the winning side each year. A&M approved the suggestion of an award, and Ole Miss, two weeks before the game, officially added its approval. The trophy, to be called “The Golden Egg”, would be a regulation-size gold-plated football mounted The Spoils of Victory: Jubilant Ole Miss fans and players ran onto the field in 2012 to raise “The Golden Egg” above their heads after defeating Mississippi State 41-24 in Oxford in Hugh Freeze’s first season as head coach of the Rebels. 150 history & records Bulldogs added to their lead after the break, and the propelled the Rebels to their first bowl game since the 2012 Rebels found themselves trailing 23-7 to start the fourth 1992 Liberty Bowl when they were rewarded with an invite Paced by a three-touchdown performance from quarter. With the wind now at its back, Ole Miss utilized to the inaugural Ford Motor City Bowl in Pontiac, Mich. wide receiver Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss defeated No. 24 two fumble recoveries and an interception to take a late Mississippi State, 41-24. Moncrief had seven catches for 24-23 advantage. But State made one last try and moved 2000 a career-high 173 yards, the fourth-most in a single the ball to the Rebel 10 yardline with 24 seconds left. On Running back Deuce McAllister rushed for three game in Ole Miss history. Quarterback Bo Wallace threw fourth down, MSU kicker Artie Cosby attempted a 27-yard touchdowns and passed for another to lead Ole Miss to a five touchdowns on the night. The Egg Bowl win propelled field goal, but as true as it was between the uprights, the 45-30 victory on Thanksgiving Night. With it being Senior Ole Miss to its first bowl berth in three years and pro- ball never got there as the wind just slapped it down to Night in Oxford, McAllister hooked up with fellow fourth- vided momentum that later saw the Rebels earn a BBVA give Ole Miss its first on-the-field winning season in eight year Rebel Romaro Miller on a 20-yard halfback option Compass Bowl victory over Pitt in January and land the years at 6-5 and a berth in the Independence Bowl. TD toss. McAllister finished with 121 yards rushing on 24 best signing class in school history the next month. carries, while Miller threw for 127 yards and ran for 1991 another 60. The win returned the Golden Egg to Oxford “The Battle of the Golden Egg” returned to campus after a two-year absence. This year’s “Battle for the Golden Egg” will take place on in 1991 as Mississippi State hosted Ole Miss in Starkville. Saturday, Nov. 29, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in It marked the first on-campus meeting between the two 2003 Oxford. The match-up will be the 111th meeting between teams since 1972.