OXFORD — A big game by Bo Wallace delivered the Golden Egg back to Ole Miss. Now, the Rebels get to try and win a different kind of bowl.

Wallace threw five touchdown passes, three of them to Donte Moncrief, and Ole Miss broke loose in the third quarter to smash Mississippi State 41-24 Saturday night in Oxford.

The victory made the Rebels (6-6, 3-5 Southeastern Conference) bowl-eligible in Hugh Freeze’s first season as coach. They won only two games last season, but now will get to play in a bowl game for the first time since 2009.

As the ninth and final bowl-eligible SEC team, the Rebels will likely play in the Music City Bowl, Liberty Bowl, BBVA Compass Bowl or Independence Bowl. The bowls’ selections will be announced next weekend.

“Couldn’t be more proud,” Freeze said. “We made our players aware of the importance of this game. They represent the University of Mississippi and this is important to us.”