Yes, State could win its sixth victory against six losses and qualify for a minor bowlberth. Ole Miss (4-7) will be playing in this game solely for pride. There have been a few Egg Bowls where a New Year’s Bowl was at stake, and years when either team had a chance to win a conference or division title. These years are rare, however. Mississippians have mostly watched in envy as championships were won by the likes Alabama, Auburn and LSU. There was one year, long ago, when the Southeastern Conference championship and New Year’s Day bids to bowl were at stake. That one year was a glorious one. Both teams had Hall of Fame coaches as well as all-star players, including Blondy (Black), Spook (Murphy), Bird Dog (Grove), Wobble (Davidson), and Junie (Hovious). One year was special. If State won, the Bulldogs became SEC champions. Ole Miss won and the Rebels became SEC champs. It was 1941, and the game took place in Oxford. The then-Hemingway Stadium was capable of hosting 28,000 spectators and there was never a empty seat. Harry Mehre was an Ole Miss player who had previously played under Knute rockne at Notre Dame. Allyn McKeen was the State head coach. She had previously played at Tennessee under Gen. Bob Neyland. Both were experts in their respective fields. It was November 29, 1941. William Winter, the future governor of Mississippi, covered the event for The Mississippian, an Ole Miss newspaper. Purser Hewitt reported on it for The Clarion-Ledger. Hewitt wrote about the scene in The Clarion-Ledger the next day. Twenty-eight thousand people called it today as the Rebel-Maroon classic lived up its reputation for breaking Mississippi sports attendance records every November. They were everywhere, having occupied all the seats before kickoff. As we flew up in the sleek, red aircraft of Quarterback Bob Sanders, it was clear that our crowd expectations were not disappointed. From Grenada to the north, the highway was just as crowded as the West Capitol stretch west of Gallatin. At Oxford, the campus was overrun by gas buggies from all the Magnolia States. You read that right. Every play in the contest was detailed. You didn’t even have to wait for the sports section. The newspaper’s front page featured a banner headline that read: “As Japs Blow, FDR Fears war in Year.” Hewitt wrote in his Page 1 leade: With an Orange Bowl invitation still in Jack Baldwin’s pocket, the Ole Miss Rebels were beaten by a Mississippi State team who won a 6-1 victory in front of 28,000 spectators. Hewitt continued to explain how State’s Jennings Moates scored all of the game’s points on a 38-yard quarterback slip. According to Hewitt, the majority of Ole Miss’ defense moved to the right, where Spook Murphy, the Ole Miss tailback, was heading. Moates however took the snap, and then he slipped off his left guard, and raced untouched into the endzone. This will shock you, but it was 78 years ago that there was much controversy. It was because Ray Terrell, of Ole Miss, appeared to score the tie-breaking touchdown in the fourth quarter after he caught a pass from Hovious near midfield and raced into the end zone. Hewitt described it as: In the middle of the final period, Hovious completed a pass from Terrell to the Reb 29 to midfield. Ray then reversed his field and ran for a touchdown. However, the head linesman declared that Ray had stepped on the State 47 sideline and recalled him to that spot. The incident occurred right in front the Ole Miss bench. Rebels protested loudly, and it brought up the question: Is there an Egg Bowl that hasn’t been controversial? Or at least a good fistfight. The Ole Miss dream season ended in Oxford that day. State played San Francisco on Saturday, Dec. 6, 1941. State won 26-13. Then, State waited to see if the Bulldogs would bowl. They didn’t. The next day was a disaster. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. There would not be a bowl. Many of the 1941 Bulldogs and Rebels went off to war. Many would die. Governor. Winter once said to me that while it was sad for the Ole Miss Rebels but a great day in Mississippi football history, it was also a wonderful day. It was …” a great day! But I wanted to know if Ray Terrell actually stepped out of bounds. Gov. Replied Gov.