STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi football closed out its 2023 regular season with an Egg Bowl win and a reminder that these Rebels are a bit different from what has become typical during the first three years of coach Lane Kiffin's tenure.

Ugly games, such as the one that Mississippi State dragged Mississippi into on Thursday at Davis Wade Stadium, no longer spell doom. With the team's offense sputtering for most of the night, Mississippi's defense spearheaded a 17-7 victory and earned Rebels fans the right to scoreboard watch this weekend as they hope for a trip to a New Year's Six bowl game.

Mississippi rides huge defensive performance to win

Mississippi (10-2, 6-2 SEC) is paying defensive coordinator Pete Golding $1.9 million this year for performances like the one his group delivered against the Bulldogs (5-7, 1-7).

With its offense totally out of sorts until late in the third quarter, Mississippi had something to fall back on. Its defense kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard for the game's first 36 minutes.

And, though the Rebels certainly dictated the line of scrimmage, they did so in a different way than usual. Sacking Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers just once despite their top-15 pass rush, the Rebels showcased an impressive ability to rally to the football as the Bulldogs tried time after time to get the ball to their playmakers in the short game. Mississippi effectively defended against the rush, too, limiting Mississippi State to 3.4 yards per carry.

Thursday marked the fifth time this season that the Rebels have limited an SEC foe to fewer than 25 points. They had done so eight times in 25 SEC games before this season.

Jaxson Dart leaves game, returns as Mississippi offense sparks

The first touchdown drive of the night for Mississippi was also its most complicated.

As quarterback Jaxson Dart dove headfirst for the first down marker in the third quarter, Mississippi State's DeShawn Page committed a targeting penalty that left Dart receiving attention from the training staff.

Backup Spencer Sanders briefly entered the game in his stead, but Dart returned to lead the Rebels to their first touchdown of the night, putting them ahead 10-7. That drive was capped off by a 2-yard touchdown scamper from Quinshon Judkins, who rampaged his way to a 119-yard night.

Dart gave the Rebels some insurance early in the fourth quarter, when just about the entire Mississippi State defense bit on his play-action fake, leaving Caden Prieskorn wide-open for a 26-yard TD.

How Mississippi can make a New Year's Six bowl game

The victory saw Mississippi take a step toward playing in its second New Year's Six bowl game under Kiffin. The Rebels will need help.

They entered this week at No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings. With six top-tier bowl games available, Mississippi appears to be in a strong spot at first glance. But one of the bids goes to the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion, currently Tulane at No. 23. Additionally, the Orange Bowl needs an ACC team to fulfill its tie-in. If No. 5 Florida State qualifies for the College Football Playoff, that locks No. 10 Louisville into that game even if the Rebels pass the Cardinals in the rankings.

So, Mississippi fans have a weekend of scoreboard watching ahead of them. No. 9 Missouri travels to Arkansas on Friday. Louisville hosts Kentucky on Saturday, when No. 11 Penn State travels to Michigan State.