When you look back at that 2007 MSU football team, it's sorta hard to figure out just how they won eight ball games. The offense was just abysmal, and State had suffered an embarrassing 45-0 defeat to open the season; a game that many (myself) thought would completely deflate their year in 2007.
Fortunately it didn't, and fortunately State featured a pretty good defense in 2007. That defense, along with some timely plays, powered MSU to eight wins and a Liberty Bowl victory.
It was one of those timely plays that also saved the Egg Bowl for MSU. Down 14 points and completely sputtering on offense heading into the fourth quarter, State managed somehow to score a touchdown through the air. That narrowed things a bit to 14-7, but still, MSU trailed. An interception on the next State drive deflated the crowd a bit, but with two minutes and 38 seconds remaining in the game, Ole Miss would punt the football back to State, with MSU having a chance to tie the game.
And tie the game they did, except this time Derek Pegues, MSU's defensive back and punt returner, would handle things himself, taking the punt 75 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 14. A quickly forced Ole Miss punt and six plays later, Adam Carlson, bloodied big toe on his kicking foot and all, booted a career-best 48 yard field goal to win the game in dramatic fashion. That kick locked up MSU's bowl berth, but it was the Pegues' punt return that put life back into the team and into a crowd beginning to fill with the fear of another Egg Bowl loss.