Ole Miss vs. Miss. St. Fight on Video As Benches Clear During Egg Bowl Matchup

The Egg Bowl between No. 7 Ole Miss and Mississippi State devolved into chaos Friday when benches cleared during an on-field fracas.

With the Rebels leading the Bulldogs 14-7 late in the second quarter at Mississippi State's Davis Wade stadium in Starkville, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was hit and appeared to fumble, leading to a scramble for the loose ball.

Amid the pileup, Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright and Mississippi State linebacker Tyler Lockhart grabbed onto each other's facemasks and took some swings, which led to both benches clearing and emptying onto the field.

Offsetting personal foul penalties were called, and the play that was initially called a fumble was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass, allowing the Rebels to maintain possession.

The Egg Bowl is one of the oldest and most-storied rivalry games in college football history, as Ole Miss and Mississippi State first met back in 1901.

This year marks the 122nd Egg Bowl, and Ole Miss has the better all-time record in the game at 66-49-6.

While both teams are always at least playing for pride in the Egg Bowl, this year's edition is significant because of what a win would mean for each team's 2025 season.

The Rebels are seventh in the College Football Playoff rankings, and if they beat Mississippi State to move to 11-1 on the season, it will keep them in the SEC title hunt and essentially guarantee them a spot in the CFP.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are 5-6, and a win would earn them bowl eligibility for the first time since 2022.

In addition to all of that, the status of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is looming over the 2025 Egg Bowl which potentially could have added to the already testy nature of the game.

Kiffin has been linked to the head coach openings at Florida and LSU, although ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Pete Thamel reported Friday that Florida has shifted its focus elsewhere, meaning Kiffin's decision will come down to staying at Ole Miss or leaving for LSU.

Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter told reporters last week that Kiffin would make an announcement regarding his decision on Saturday following Friday's Egg Bowl.

If Kiffin chooses to take the LSU job, it is unclear if he will be permitted to finish the remainder of the 2025 season at Ole Miss, meaning the Egg Bowl could potentially be Kiffin's last game as the head coach at Ole Miss.