John Lewis on winning the Egg Bowl: 'It's like winning the lottery'

Rivalries are a true separator for college football. They’re a big part of what make college football so very great. The intensity, the passion, and the energy are simply unmatched in big-time rivalries across college football. In an interview this week, Mississippi State linebacker John Lewis stoked the fires of the Egg Bowl rivalry with the Ole Miss Rebels.

He explained the importance of the Egg Bowl and how much it means to the school, the community, and the state of Mississippi.

“It means a lot, it’s like winning the lottery. Like that goes for both sides, though. That’s for Ole Miss, if they win, it’s like winning the lottery, but same goes for us, if we win, it’s like winning the lottery. So, it means a lot, but we’re definitely bringing it back to Starkville this year,” Lewis explained.

Ole Miss had the last laugh in last year’s version of the Egg Bowl, prevailing victorious with a 17-7 win over Mississippi State. Rebels running back Quinshon Judkins carried his team, finishing with 28 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown. He departed in the offseason for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

In the transfer portal era, it’s inevitable that this year’s version of the Egg Bowl will look drastically different. Blake Shapen will be under center for Mississippi State, after he left Baylor this offseason to lead Jeff Lebby’s offensive attack in Starkville. And the Bulldogs will have a new head man on the sidelines, as the former offensive coordinator will begin his project of restoring the glory in the program.

Kelly Akharaiyi is the top leading returning receiver for the Bulldogs. He hauled in 48 catches for 1,033 yards and seven touchdowns. The senior will have to adjust to life without Will Rogers, a signal-caller that set all kinds of records during his time with the Bulldogs. He moved on this offseason to work with Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies.

While they won’t have Judkins, Ole Miss returns plenty of familiar faces, including Jaxson Dart, who once again figures to be one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. His top targets should be receiver Tre Harris and tight end Caden Prieskorn. Both players landed preseason first team All-SEC honors. The Rebels are a popular pick to make the College Football Playoffs and possibly contend for the national title this fall.

This year’s version of the Egg Bowl is slated for November 29th. Game time is set for 3:30 PM EST on ABC.