WATCH: Mississippi State receives ball after controversial Egg Bowl fumble review
The Egg Bowl saw major controversy take over the fourth quarter after a late fumble review gave possession of the ball to Mississippi State. A pass from Jaxson Dart to the outside of the field was dropped as Jonathan Mingo was hit, resulting in the play being blown dead by the officials.
After a moment of discussion, the officials gathered together to determine whether or not Dart’s pass was a lateral or backwards pass — eventually going to video review to examine the play. While they reviewed the play, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin pleaded his case that the officials had blown the play dead and his players did not recover the football off the ground as a result.
Egg Bowl fumble controversy
Once the officials were finished with their review, they returned to announce the play was a backwards pass resulting in a fumble recovered by Mississippi State linebacker Jett Johnson. Immediately, the cameras caught Kiffin protesting the call with an official, as the fans in attendance let their feelings be heard by loud boos and a chant — while throwing trash onto the field in protest.
The play drew major attention from around the college football landscape as fans were questioning how the officials could review what transpired on the field after they had prematurely blown the play dead. The replay seemed to show clearly that multiple players were in range to pick up the football if they had felt it was a live play, but didn’t recover the ball as they believed it was called an incomplete pass by the official’s whistle.
The drama on the field didn’t end there however, as the Rebels defense tightened up on the goal line after the review. Will Rogers kept the ball for an attempted run into the end zone, only to get walled off and fumble the ball back to Ole Miss with time for a game-tying drive of their own.