With 4 seconds left in the Egg Bowl, Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore caught a 2-yard touchdown pass that brought the Rebels to within one point of heated rival Mississippi State. The ensuing extra point would have tied the game. Unfortunately, Moore committed a celebration penalty that will go down in the lore of this rivalry game for a long time.
The sophomore, who leads the Rebels in receiving this season, lifted his leg like a dog and pretended to urinate after his score that made it 21-20. In doing so, he earned an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration. That type of excess celebration normally wouldn’t do much more than anger the coach, but in this case, the penalty proved costly.
Since the penalty was enforced on the extra point and not the kickoff, kicker Luke Logan attempted a kick that more closely resembled a field goal. The attempt sailed wide right, and the Bulldogs prevailed while securing bowl eligibility.
For anyone who’s watched their fair share of Egg Bowls, Moore’s celebration was another take on the D.K. Metcalfurination celebrationagainst Mississippi State in 2017. The Rebels won that game, but Moore’s celebration had dire consequences. Ole Miss had gone 82 yards in 12 plays — including a wild 57-yard pass on fourth-and-24 — on the drive to set up the touchdown. It seemed as though all the momentum was with the Rebels to the point where going for two and the win wouldn’t have been out of the question.
Until Moore pissed it away, that is.
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