SEC Commissioner Weighs in on Egg Bowl Altercation

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

A bench-clearing altercation between the Mississippi State and Ole Miss football teams broke out after the final play of the third quarter during the Thanksgiving Egg Bowl. Photo by Anna Grace Usery.

The SEC league office released a statement Monday, Nov. 26 regarding the bench-clearing altercation between both football teams Thanksgiving night during the Egg Bowl.

At the end of the third quarter on the final play, a scuffle occurred between the Rebels and the Bulldogs and each player from both teams was assessed a flagrant personal penalty.

The play was a 41-yard pass from freshman quarterback Matt Corral to wide receiver A.J. Brown for a touchdown. However, officials waived the touchdown because time had already expired when the ball was snapped.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is asking that both Ole Miss athletic director Ross Bjork and Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen meet with him at the SEC office in the offseason to “review past issues” and come up with a plan for creating a healthier environment for the annual game.

“It remains disappointing to have seen the unnecessary actions during and after the Mississippi State at Ole Miss game on Thursday night. These actions are unacceptable and my concern relates to the bigger issue of the repeated incidents before, during and after games between these football programs,” Sankey said in the statement.

“These incidents have become too common in this series. I will require both athletics directors to meet with me at the SEC Office in the off-season to review past issues and develop a plan for the purpose of creating a healthier environment for this annual game.”

Once the league office reviewed the play of the in-game altercation they determined that four players should have been called for flagrant personal foul penalties: No. 38 Johnathan Abram and No. 2 Jamal Peters of Mississippi State, and No. 1 A.J. Brown and No. 2 Matt Corral of Ole Miss.

Flagrant personal foul penalties do not result in suspensions for subsequent games.

The four student-athletes are publicly reprimanded for their participation in the altercation during the game and subject to suspensions should there be any future similar actions, the statement read. 

According to the release, there will be no further action at this time.

Ole Miss will have its end-of-the-season press conference Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 3:30 p.m.

Follow HottyToddy.com for the latest information on the press conference.