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Know Your Enemy: Previewing Ole Miss vs Mississippi State

We caught up with John Macon Gillespie of The Grove Report for insight on Mississippi State's latest opponent.

Mississippi State (7-4) has seen its fair share of ups and downs this season, but the Bulldogs seem to have hit their stride as they've played their most consistent football and have seen great improvement over the second half of the season.

Now, on Thanksgiving Day, the Bulldogs aim to extend their two-game winning streak to three games as they take on the Ole Miss Rebels (9-2) in the regular-season finale -- The Battle For The Golden Egg in Davis Wade Stadium.

So, what exactly is Mississippi State going up against? We caught up with John Macon Gillespie of The Grove Report to get some more insight on the Bulldogs' most staunch rival:

1. What, if anything, does Ole Miss playing Vanderbilt closely say about this Rebels team?

JMG: In my opinion, not a lot. It was the first game with all of the “big three” receivers back in the starting lineup, and the game felt very much like a “survive and move on” type of game. I could be wrong there, but let’s be honest: Vanderbilt is very, very bad. It feasibly could be difficult to get up for a game like that. I’ll take the season’s sample size as a whole over what we saw on Saturday.

2. Where do you think Matt Corral currently stands in the 2022 NFL Draft class and what have you seen out of him as of late?

JMG: As of now, I’d be pretty surprised if he wasn’t the first quarterback taken off the board. His arm talent is generational, and he’s shown a lot of maturation and improvement under Kiffin and Lebby. He seems destined to be a high draft pick, barring anything unforeseen.

3. Is there any Ole Miss player maybe flying under the radar or who doesn’t get enough credit that fans should turn their attention to?

JMG: This is a really good question. I’d tend to say Sam Williams on the defensive line, but it’s pretty well-known what he’s produced this season in the pass rush. I’ll probably go with A.J. Finley. He’s been on campus a while, and his development in the defensive backfield has been very steady and very productive.

4. Just what level is this team on heading into the game on either side of the ball and where do they most greatly need to improve?

JMG: I’ll answer the second part of the question first. The red zone offense has to improve. Ole Miss’ offensive scheme is designed to stretch defenses and, for lack of a better term, “score from far.” Once the field is shortened on them, the playbook seems to become limited. Part of that could be due to injuries on the offensive line and having trouble running between the tackles as a result, but still, it has to get better.

To answer the other half of the question, I think, ironically, the defense is in a very good mental space heading into this week. Ole Miss has shown this season that they don’t have to win a shootout each week to stay competitive, and that’s a credit to DC D.J. Durkin and his staff. The offense, I think, has to find its groove again with its receiving corps back healthy, but everyone knows what this offense is capable of already.

5. Final score prediction?

As someone who grew up around this rivalry, I’m always careful about predicting a score or winner, especially on the road. I do, however, think that Matt Corral’s knowledge of the hostility that comes in Starkville for the Egg Bowl is a factor that isn’t talked about much, and I think his experience is the difference. Give me the Rebels in a close one, 35-28.