Bulldogs enjoy big win on Thanksgiving

By By Rocky Higginbotham/Special to The Star
Nov. 23, 2001
STARKVILLE It may have been Thanksgiving Day on their calendars, but Mississippi State fans on Thursday night hadn't been so excited about their Bulldogs since Labor Day.
State fans celebrated long and hard after the Dogs beat arch-rival Ole Miss 36-28 in Thursday's Egg Bowl, which erased some of the bad memories of a once-promising season.
Jones had some of the punishing blocks that led to 199 yards rushing for State, most of it by the heralded running back duo of Dicenzo Miller and Dontae Walker.
While Miller was running for 121 yards and Walker for three touchdowns, sophomore quarterback Kevin Fant was throwing for 263 yards behind an offensive line that had been mostly patch-work because of injuries and inconsistencies.
Woods was even more proud of the fact that his offense overcame State's 11 penalties that cost the Bulldogs 113 yards.
Mistakes have killed MSU all season, and the Bulldogs appeared to be heading that direction again Thursday night. But despite the penalties and a nine-point halftime deficit, State turned in a turnover-free performance and 462 total yards.