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Mississippi State dominated the pitch on both sides of the ball while they overtook rival Ole Miss in a 35-3 win in this year's Egg Bowl.
Mackenzie Salmon, Mississippi Clarion Ledger

November 22, 2018; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Joe Moorhead yells at Ole Miss Rebels' sports staff after the match at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports(Photo: Matt Bush / USA TODAY Sports)

OXFORD – Joe Moorhead's inaugural season in white and brown scored points when fans wondered if Pittsburgh's big fat old quarterback knew what he was going to do in the state of Mississippi.

Fans felt uneasy when Moorhead's offense scored seven points against Kentucky and one goal less than the crushing loss to Florida Gators Dan Mullen a week later. They still felt it when the Bulldogs barely had the pulse of a 19-3 loss to LSU.

They were not uncertain that the state of Mississippi had defeated Ole Miss 35-3 at Oxford on Thanksgiving night.

Moorhead was in no doubt either. All he felt was a pure exhilaration and the thrill of gallons of icy Gatorade splashing his back.

Among A fight between the benches with the Rebels, explicit exchanges after the match with the head coach and the administration of the rival and a party with Bulldog supporters who braved the trip to enemy territory, Moorhead has never lost view the situation as a whole.

"I'm trying to get this program out of Haley's comet plan and get something a little more seasonal," said Moorhead. "A championship every 76 years? I understand that four of our games have not been up to par, but I know what it takes to get there. "

The Moorhead, who paced the sideline in a moderate fashion as his team registered 16 penalties for 139 yards in the loss to Kentucky had since recovered his mojo. When the post-match situation intensified in the middle of the field, Moorhead was in the middle.

As both teams tried to follow their respective directions, Moorhead assured them of having the last word. Moorhead said that he was trying to defuse the situation because he never wanted to see a game "devolute" to the debauchery that was on display at the end of the third quarter and beyond.

One of the Mississippi State players was calling "thug" in the middle of the field after the match. This prompted Moorhead to warm up as he headed for his famous players.

He was filmed calling Ross Bjork, sports director of Ole Miss, "a big mouth f —— AD" moments before receiving his ice bath. At the end of his first regular season at State, where he was the first MSU head coach to win eight games in his first season since 1939, Moorhead was fully engaged.

The group of fans who are Bulldog fans would not like it otherwise.

"We encouraged our kids to do the right thing and play quietly, play with confidence, play with dignity, play in class," said Moorhead. "But at the same time, we will not take anyone either."

Jeffery Simmons could have played his last regular season game with the Mississippi State. Although Egg Bowl's victory was his last lap, Simmons said this season has been invaluable in the grand scheme of his career.

He added that he had immediately bought Moorhead and his staff, and that it had finally paid off. When the Bulldogs had a difficult time in the middle of the season, Simmons stayed with Moorhead while others outside the program would not want to.

After every game, the attack did not meet the standard of defense, Simmons said after the game that he had never stopped believing his teammates and coaches on the other side of the ball.

He was able to hear Moorhead's voice during the sequence in which State lost three of the four games that the head coach was determined to break through and save from the season. Finally, he did it.

"From that moment, I knew this team was going to be very successful this year with this coaching staff," said Simmons. "I appreciate these coaches. We trust them to bring us to this point. "

Moorhead has preached patience, but patience is hard to find for football fans – especially when a team with arguably the country's best defense finished with four defeats. The state of Mississippi has cleared 12 ground touchdowns all season, the least often in the FBS.

It will be difficult for the Mississippi State defense to replace the talent it loses on defense. If Simmons goes away, State will see his start among the top four – Gerri Green, Braxton Hoyett, Simmons and Mount Sweat – leaving Starkville. His two guarantees of departure will also be removed.

This leaves a lot to wonder if the Bulldogs have lost the most talented team in the program in years. Moorhead must even start again with Nick Fitzgerald saying goodbye.

Moorhead, however, will not say it soon. He has recruited an arsenal of talented receivers and just needs to find a quarter that fits his system. These staffing issues will be examined in more detail after the Mississippi State game of petanque.

If the Bulldogs win, this is the first time that the MSU's first-year head coach has won nine games in his first season. High and low season or not, the state of Mississippi could be in good hands after all.

"We will do things to keep improving," said Moorhead. "Although we did not reach our standard because we did not win a championship, I thought we had made a lot of positive progress this season. It's a lot to build for our bowl game and next season. "

Contact Tyler by e-mail at [email protected] and follow @tbhorka on Twitter