It’s impossible to move without bumping into someone who has a drink in their hand and a smile permanently etched on their face.

The silver smoke of cigars and grills integrates to create a smell that Mike Ditka would bottle for cologne.

Televisions dot the tents sandwiched together in a sprawl of green grass, while games with other teams and lesser national implications play out on the screen.

This description isn’t of The Grove at Ole Miss or The Junction at Mississippi State.

It’s both.

Because for both schools this year, tailgating has taken on a life of its own, and that life will propel into exuberance one final time Saturday as the Bulldogs and Rebels battle for state supremacy in the Egg Bowl in Oxford.

Mississippi State has experienced unparalleled success this season that has translated to the pregame festivities. Vicksburg native Donna Shelton organizes a tailgate outside Davis Wade Stadium that has blossomed into a tent-covered haven for Warren County Bulldog fans.

“We first started across the street from Dorman Hall,” she said. “It was just maybe five or six couples. Then we moved over here and got together with the other Vicksburg tent, so we’ve got eight tents that are from Vicksburg. It just kind of evolved.”

Shelton and her clan have been attending Mississippi State games for so long she couldn’t put an exact date on the beginning. Their dedication has paid off this season as their Bulldogs currently hold the No. 4 ranking and have a good shot at making the inaugural College Football Playoff in January.

“We’ve been coming to games off and on for years, but we’ve been tailgating with this group for several years,” she said. “It’s a fun group. We’ve got a lot of people from Vicksburg in it.”

Ken Rector and around 35 other families are geared up to take over The Grove on Saturday as Ole Miss looks to knock its archrival out of national title consideration. Rector, a partner with Wheeless, Shappley, Bailess & Rector, looks forward to reuniting with old friends brought together by the common bond of pigskin and parties.

“We have a great time,” he said. “Really, there’s a lot of people in our group that live in Vicksburg together but I don’t get to really spend a lot of time with them except really at The Grove. I have to go to The Grove to see them.”

Rector said he enjoys being in the company of Vicksburg Rebels and can’t wait to make the trek back to a place that he called home so many years ago.

“I just enjoy being on the campus. I spent seven years of my life at Ole Miss and I have a lot of emotional attachment to it,” Rector said. “It’s a beautiful place. It’s home to me in many respects. I just look forward to being on the campus.”

Despite Ole Miss’ recent losses, which have dropped it from national championship contention, Rector said he still believes this will be one of the most important Egg Bowl matchups in history.

“It is one of the biggest for sure,” he said. “I think some of the luster is off of it after (the Arkansas loss), but it’s still going to be one of the biggest Egg Bowls that I can remember.”

On the other side of the rivalry, Shelton is enjoying Mississippi State’s success she hopes will continue Saturday in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

“It is special. Never in my lifetime has Mississippi State been (this highly ranked). Never,” she said. “So it’s really, really great. It may not last, so we’re going to enjoy it while it lasts.”

Egg Bowl on the air

Mississippi State at Ole Miss

Time: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

TV: CBS

Radio: 1490 AM (Ole Miss) and 105.5 FM (MSU)