Lane Kiffin discusses 'toxicity' of Egg Bowl, relationship with Mike Leach

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin believes his relationship with Mississippi State coach Mike Leach might put an end to the toxicity around the annual Egg Bowl. The in-state rivalry game goes down on Thanksgiving but you won’t hear Kiffin taking shots at the opponent this week.

“I don’t think I knew the toxicity,” Kiffin said on Monday. “I had heard about it here or there, recruiting issues and all that. Someone said it the other day, it doesn’t make sense because Leach and I get along. Maybe we were brought here to bring the state together or something, get you guys to get along. It is football, you know, so, you really shouldn’t hate people because they went to a certain school.”

On top of his appreciation for a good (and healthy) rivalry, Lane Kiffin respects Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense.

“I like him, I’ve always liked him,” Kiffin continued. “He’s funny. He does a great job wherever he’s been. Somehow he came up with something a long time ago that just keeps working.”

The 2021 edition of the Egg Bowl could very well be one of the highest-scoring outcomes in recent history. Lane Kiffin’s squad won the 2020 edition 31-24.

It’s been a good year for football in the state of Mississippi, at least compared to the last several years. Both programs have been a mainstay in the AP Top 25 Poll and will soon go bowling. Ole Miss is currently ranked No. 8 with a 9-2 record, while Mississippi State just recently fell out of the top 25 with a 7-4 record.

Mississippi State, the home team, opened as a narrow, 2.5-point favorite in the matchup. A win for the Rebels would effectively secure them a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game.

Matt Corral issues warning to Rebels teammates

The Rebels were far from perfect on Saturday night, despite being heavily favored as a top-15 team hosting a bottom-dwelling SEC program. And now, Ole Miss prepares to travel to Starkville for an Egg Bowl matchup against a dangerous, 7-4 Mississippi State team.

QB Matt Corral issued a warning to his teammates on Saturday.

“All I’m thinking about is tomorrow and getting ready for [Mississippi] State,” Corral said, when asked of the emotional toll from senior night. “Just because it was a sloppy win today. You don’t really have to know football to see that. You can just see it in our play. We’ve just got to get better.

“This was nothing to celebrate,” Corral told his teammates postgame. “If we’re being honest, last week, we didn’t have the best practice Monday and Tuesday. … When we play teams of our caliber, they’re going to win. So, if we play like that against Mississippi State, we’re going to get blown out. That’s just the reality of it.”