OXFORD — A year ago, Elijah Moore made headlines and changed programs in the process.

Moments after catching a 2-yard touchdown pass from Matt Corral in the final minute of the Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, a reception that pulled the Rebels within 21-20, Moore crawled to the back of the end zone, lifted one leg and imitated a urinating dog.

That action drew a slew of penalty flags and resulted in Luke Logan’s extra point kick becoming a 35-yarder. Logan pushed the kick and Mississippi State drained the remainder of the clock, sending Ole Miss back to Oxford with its eighth loss of the season.

Less than 72 hours later, Ole Miss fired Matt Luke. Mississippi State, meanwhile, changed its mind and made an emotional decision to retain Joe Moorhead.

Ole Miss’ coaching search concluded with the Rebels hiring Lane Kiffin from Florida Atlantic. While Kiffin started assembling a staff in Oxford, Mississippi State’s program descended into chaos. There was a nasty fight in practice, rumors of racial division inside the program and, ultimately, an embarrassing loss to Louisville in the Music City Bowl.

That led to Moorhead’s dismissal and a coaching search that ultimately ended with the Bulldogs hiring Mike Leach away from Washington State.

For Moore, the episode brought heat at first. These days, at least from a large portion of Ole Miss fans, it brings thanks. Moore acknowledged all of that Monday when he spoke to media via Zoom as he and the Rebels’ prepare for Saturday’s meeting with Mississippi State in Oxford.

“I feel like I learned a lot,” Moore said. “I’m human. I make mistakes. You just have to learn from them and not let it happen again. I let my team down and I know it won’t happen again.”

“He got a lot of heat for it, but it is what it is,” Corral said. “Kickers get a lot of heat if they miss the game-winning kick one weekend and then the next game they make the game-winning kick and they’re everybody’s best friend. It’s a learned lesson for him and I know it doesn’t have any effect on him whatsoever.”

Moore, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound junior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has had an incredible season under Kiffin’s direction. Moore has 74 receptions for 1,054 yards and eight touchdowns. In the Rebels’ most recent game, a 59-42 win over South Carolina, Moore had six carries for 45 yards as a running back. A year after the lowest point of his college career, Moore has seen his NFL stock skyrocket.

“I do see little changes here and there but God doesn’t make (any) mistakes,” Moore said when asked if he saw the irony of his success coming as a result of a change in Oxford. “He knew what He was doing whenever I did that and He knows what’s going to happen in the future. I don’t question anything at all.”

“We’ve all pretty much grown in one way or the other in a positive way,” Corral said.

Kiffin said last year’s drama isn’t part of the discussion this week.

"That was a long time ago,” Kiffin said. “I talked to him about it when I first got here and learning and moving forward. I don't think there was any need to. That was a long time ago. A lot of catches ago."

Moore said he never thought about leaving Ole Miss in the wake of last season’s Egg Bowl.

“I don’t just fall out when things get tough,” Moore said. “That never really crossed my mind.”

Instead, Ole Miss (3-4) is focused this week on Mississippi State’s talented defense. The Bulldogs are 2-5, but they’re ranked 35th nationally in total defense, allowing 359.8 yards per game. Mississippi State’s defensive strategy Saturday is likely easy to predict. The Bulldogs will use a talented front-seven to try to limit Ole Miss’ running game, putting the Rebels in third-and-long and using zone coverage to try to curtail Moore’s explosiveness.

“The defense can only do so much,” Corral said. “You’re not going to put 10 guys on No. 8. It’s a numbers game. When we feel like we’re out-numbered there, we’re going to go someplace where we’re not outnumbered.

“His game and his technique and his route-running is prolific.”

For his part, Moore said he’s going to do what he’s done all season — look for opportunities to exploit defenses and do damage once the ball in his hands.

“I’m going to be real,” Moore said. “When it’s man-on-man, I’m pretty sure our team is most confident in us and I’m most confident in myself and my team that they’re going to get the job done. It’s nothing I fear. It’s football at the end of the day. People are going to get open. People are going to get locked down. That’s how football goes. We’re going to try our best. We’re going to come out with great energy and we’re going to get the win.”

What won’t be discussed Saturday, at least on the Ole Miss side, is the fake pee that reverberated through a state.

“It happened for a reason and here we are now with another opportunity,” Corral said.

Moore has scored more than a touchdown per game so far this season, so it’s quite possible he gets into the end zone again Saturday. If he does, he said he’ll do what he’s done all season — hand the ball to an official and celebrate with his teammates.

“I’m just being me,” Moore said. “I give my thanks to God and teammates run up to me and that’s it.”