Rebs win with QB Kelly, despite cowbells

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi quarterback Chad Kelly was a little bewildered earlier in the week by Mississippi State’s trademark noisemaker, saying he was essentially a city kid who had never even been around a cowbell before.

There were thousands of them clanging in his ears on Saturday night.

The junior never seemed to mind. If anything, he thrived.

Kelly threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead No. 18 Mississippi over No. 21 Mississippi State 38-27 at Davis Wade Stadium.

Ole Miss (9-3, 6-2 SEC) jumped out to a 28-3 halftime lead and was never in serious trouble during the second half. Kelly threw two touchdown passes — both to Damore’ea Stringfellow — and ran for another while Tony Bridges returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.

It’s just the second time the road team has won the Egg Bowl in 12 years.

“It was a hard-fought win,” Kelly said. “Anytime you can come to someone else’s home and get a victory it’s huge.”

Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4) struggled in quarterback Dak Prescott’s final home game. Prescott completed 31 of 42 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked seven times and rarely looked comfortable in the pocket.

“We got after him early,” Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze said. “He was uncomfortable in the pocket early and that was our plan.”

It’s the first time the Rebels have won in Starkville since 2003 when Eli Manning was in his senior season. Freeze has won three Egg Bowls in his four seasons.

“I understand the importance of this game,” Freeze said. “I don’t run from it. I realize I’ll be judged upon it. It’s always a huge, huge game and it sure makes Christmas much, much sweeter.”

Ole Miss found out about five minutes before the game start that it would not play for an SEC championship. No. 2 Alabama clinched the Western Division title instead with a 29-13 victory over Auburn.

But there was no early letdown for the Rebels, who stunned the home crowd with three quick touchdowns to take a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Kelly was spectacular as Ole Miss built its lead, running for a 27-yard touchdown and then finding Stringfellow in the corner of the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown. Kelly, a Buffalo, N.Y., native, said he had never heard a cowbell before Saturday, but didn’t seem to mind the early raucous atmosphere, leading the Rebels on productive drives.