Ole Miss watched their chances at claiming the ‘Egg Bowl’ flush down the drain after receiver Elijah Moore mimed a dog urinating after scoring a last-minute touchdown, prompting officials to issue a game-defining penalty.
Luke Logan missed the resulting extra point wide right which would have tied the game with just seconds remaining on the clock after the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty issued against Moore mandated that the crucial kick would be moved back by 15 yards.
The miss secured a nail-biting 21-20 win for Mississippi State in the 116th Egg Bowl, a series of games between the two prestigious schools dating back to 1901. The dog-peeing celebration turned Moore from hero to villain in a matter of moments, prompting howls of derision from the stands and on social media.
The incident is the latest in a long list of disciplinary incidents between the two rivals which, bizarrely, has featured another player, current Seattle Seahawk D.K. Metcalf, getting in hot water for performing a similar touchdown celebration.
You can’t make this stuff up 😭
Ole Miss just lost to Mississippi State because a player got down on all fours and pretended to pee like a dog while celebrating.
Unsportsmanlike conduct (15 yards) ➡️ Missed extra point
Head coach Matt Luke defended Moore in the aftermath of the incident, saying that he won’t be defined by the controversial celebration.
“That’s not who we are,” Luke said. “We’ve been a disciplined team all year, and so just disappointed that happened. That’s not who he is. Elijah is a good kid, and he just got caught up in the moment.“
Somewhat predictably, social media hasn’t been particularly kind to Moore following his celebratory faux pas.
Well… weird stuff can happen in the chippy, sloppy #EggBowl I’ve called my share. But Tonight might take the trophy: unsportsmanlike penalty for “dog pee” celebration by Ole Miss. PAT no good.. State wins. Already labeled out here for eternity as the “Piss&Miss” game.
For Ole Miss, the defeat drops them to 4-8 for the season while Mississippi State can boast a more respectable 6-6 ledger – the minimum required win/loss record required for bowl eligibility.
And as for Elijah Moore? One suspects he will owe the Ole Miss fans an apology or two over the course of the coming days.
