Mississippi wide receiver Collins Moore (16) blocks a punt by Mississippi State' Baker Swedenburg (41) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss., Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013. Mississippi recovered the ball for a touchdown. (AP Photo/The Daily Mississippian, Thomas Graning)
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Dak Prescott rushed for a 3-yard touchdown in overtime to lead Mississippi State past Mississippi 17-10 in the Egg Bowl on Thursday night.
Prescott didn’t enter the game until the fourth quarter because of an injury to his non-throwing shoulder that caused him to miss the past two games. But the sophomore led the Bulldogs (6-6, 3-5 Southeastern Conference) to their tying drive in the fourth quarter and the game-winner in overtime.
Ole Miss’ overtime drive ended when Bo Wallace fumbled and Mississippi State’s Jamerson Love recovered in the end zone.
Mississippi State freshman Damian Williams, the third-string quarterback, made his first career start because of injuries to Prescott and Tyler Russell.
The Bulldogs are now bowl eligible for a fourth straight season, the longest streak in school history.
Ole Miss (7-5, 3-5) didn’t have an offensive touchdown, scoring only on a field goal and blocked punt in the end zone.
Prescott completed 11 of 20 passes for 115 yards. His game-winning touchdown came on a gutsy call by Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, who opted to go for it on 4th-and-1 at the 3 instead of kicking a short field goal.
The Bulldogs have won four of the last five Egg Bowls and five in a row at Davis Wade Stadium.
Mississippi State’s Evan Sobiesk missed a 38-yard field goal wide right at the end of regulation that would have won the game.
Both teams struggled to move the ball in the chilly conditions — especially through the air.
The Rebels had one good early drive but it ended with nothing after Andrew Ritter’s 27-yard field goal attempt bounced off the left upright.
Wallace threw three interceptions before halftime and the final one was costly. Mississippi State’s Justin Cox grabbed it at the Ole Miss 30 and the Bulldogs’ subsequent drive ended with Josh Robinson’s 1-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead with 1:32 remaining in the second quarter.
Ole Miss did nothing on its next possession and quickly punted back to Mississippi State, which looked as though it would ease into halftime with the lead.
But a mistake on special teams hurt the Bulldogs when Collins Moore burst through the line and blocked Baker Swedenburg’s punt after the snap was bobbled. It was recovered by little-used senior Terrell Grant in the end zone to tie the game at 7.
Ole Miss grabbed the lead for the first time early in the third quarter after Ritter’s 22-yard field goal gave the Rebels a 10-7 advantage. The points were certainly welcome for the Ole Miss offense, but it was the team’s fifth straight trip to the red zone without a touchdown, dating back to last weekend’s loss to Missouri.
That lack of efficiency came back to haunt the Rebels.
Williams played decently for the Bulldogs and avoided any major mistakes, but with the offense struggling early in the fourth quarter, Mullen turned to Prescott, who had missed the past two games with a nerve injury in his non-throwing arm.
Mullen said earlier in the week that Prescott wouldn’t play in the Egg Bowl, but he looked plenty healthy as he led the Bulldogs down the field on his second drive, completing several impressive passes. The drive ended with Sobiesk’s 36-yard field goal to tie it at 10.
It was a tough night for Wallace, who completed 26 of 40 passes for 182 yards but threw three interceptions and coughed up the fumble in overtime.
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