Deantre Prince opens up on personal challenges of Egg Bowl

One of the things that makes the SEC great for fans is the rivalries. Perhaps the most intense of all those rivalries is the Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. For star Ole Miss defensive back Deantre Prince, the game has offered him plenty of personal challenges.

At SEC Media Days, Prince explained that being a Mississippi native means that the outcome and his play in that game are going to be dissected once he gets home.

“It’s very important,” Deantre Prince said. “Either way, win, lose or draw, I get the back end of the stick. My parents, they want me to win. Even if I do something bad or lose or something like that, they still going to be on me. Win, lose or draw, my family is deeply indebted into that game.”

Since Deantre Prince got to Ole Miss in 2019, the series is tied 2-2, making this year’s Egg Bowl even more important to a player like Prince who is going to want to end with a winning record against Mississippi State. That game will be played in Starkville after the Bulldogs won the Egg Bowl in Mike Leach’s final game in Oxford last season.

After that game, Leach gave his thoughts on winning the Egg Bowl.

“Keep doing it,” said Leach. “Just do the best you can. That’s what you do all the time. There’s no real holdback. If there is any holdback, then you’re kind of wasting your time. You’re not chasing your potential.”

In May, the SEC announced details for the Egg Bowl. It will take place at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thanksgiving with a broadcast on ESPN. Ole Miss leads the all-time series 64-47-6.

Deantre Prince on the Ole Miss corners

One of the keys for Ole Miss in 2023 is going to be the team’s defense improving. In particular, the secondary is looking to improve and grow from what it has been.

Deantre Prince broke down the team’s corners and praised the unit’s growth at SEC Media Days.

“They’re coming along pretty good. They are very smart and big corners. Experienced, too. They’re very good in their conferences and their old teams,” Prince said.

“I mean, it’s all about just us when they come in, just making a bond with them, letting them know it’s a brotherhood. You just have to get them in and make a brotherhood. Gotta do fun activities on the weekend and stay close-knit no matter where they’re from. Everybody comes from different backgrounds.”