- Miss @ Miss St Noon Friday
The “Egg Bowl” 11/23/2007–Coach Ed O’s last game as a Rebel.
There was a fresh-faced fan in the nose bleeds that was certain the beloved Starkville Bulldogs were doomed to be embarrassed at home by the Northern rivals who were having an embarrassing season themselves.
The Rebels were in control 14-0 with 8 minutes left, when Coach O graciously went for it on 4th and 1 from the 49 and did not convert. The momentum shift was physically felt and the pockets of Oxford faithful inside Davis Wade Stadium that had been relatively loud the entire game went silent. I’m guessing they felt it as well. I know the one next to me let out a groan and an expletive towards the coach’s decision. The Ole Miss defense had played inspired up to that point, and the Bulldogs offense had shown zero life.
“If your opponent is losing, you should avoid the battle all together.” – Sun Tzu.
Coach Orgeron chose to unnecessarily battle over a 4th and 1 and lost.
Starkville State scored a TD on the ensuing possession, forced a punt on the possession following, decided to run it back for a TD, and then won the game with a field goal late 17-14 dropping “Hotty Toddy” to 0-8 in conference play, and putting an end to the Ole Miss Coach O era.
There may have been some in Cardinal red and Navy blue that may have vowed to never spend another cent on the team. Included amongst the candidates would have to be the heavy breathing, husky, middle aged man to my left who kept getting quietly shushed by his embarrassed wife. She was to his left and hid inside her coat as he shouted his ideas and philosophies to the Rebel Head Coach who, if you’ll forgive my long windedness, had a better chance of hearing Scott Field’s grass grow than his shouts from nearly the stratosphere of the upper deck.
There were more than a few Rebel fans who shared his point of view but none so demonstrative and certainly none so confident.
As the final seconds ticked, he sat silently heavy breathing and sulking to himself, while the fresh-faced fan shouted in unison with the other Bulldog faithful. Davis-Wade Stadium knows how to celebrate a win. Maroon and White walked a bit taller out of the stadium.
I specifically remember seeing a pair of Rebel fans that looked like a walking campus bookstore. They clicked and clacked as they lugged all of their gear down the ramps that led down from the nose bleeds. Chairs, cups, backpacks, blankets, maybe a pillow, a sleeping bag, tent, cooler and a bundle of Firestarter. They may as well have been going on a two-day camping trip at JFK Park with as much stuff as they were toting.
Toting with annoyance I’ll add. Was it because they were lugging 80lbs of Navy and Red tailgate material down a mile long ramp after getting spanked by the Bulldogs because the coach decided to give the game a chance with 8 minutes to go in the 4th? Probably. Without so many words–probably. Both huffed and puffed as they passed others who were just walking at a normal pace.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the travelling bookstore couple were walking with some giddy-up. Passing people and annoyed that others weren’t also in their little race to the car.
–This game on Friday matters. Fans will always make it so. I’ve been on the winning side and losing side in this one. Sweet and Bitter. One if you win, one if you lose. There has never been a middle ground in this one. This is one the home team shows up and wins for the fans.
–I’d be lying if I said a part of me didn’t want Mississippi State to absolutely curb stomp Ole Miss at Noon on Friday. 35-3. Whip em. A good lashing would suit the Rebels just fine in a game like this–see I may not lay claim to MSU as did the former fandom of my youth, but I still feel the emotions. Once you’ve taken a side in this game–a true side–and fought for that side, a cried for that side, and cheered for that side and felt pain for that side and love for that side…Once you’ve picked a true side in a game like this, the fandom may fade but the emotions are there for life.
Emotions and memories. Too many of both are tied to this game for me.
–The Egg Bowl is Friday at Noon on ABC. Live from Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Starkville will be alive. The team up North is the better team, but Starkville will be alive. This is anyone’s game. The Egg Bowl always matters.
Hail State!
Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’
Whit W.