Conan O'Brien hopes Paul Rudd does this classic prank to him on his deathbed: 'It's going to brin...

And Rudd is even on board with the idea: &34;I'm just happy that I could bring that to you in your final moments.&34; Conan O'Brien hopes Paul Rudd does this classic prank to him on his deathbed: 'It's going to bring me a lot of joy' And Rudd is even on board with the idea: &34;I'm just happy that I could bring that to you in your final moments.&34; By Lauren Huff :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/PXL202501060627063092a245c0a56a194868af7b6a47af56223c.

And Rudd is even on board with the idea: "I'm just happy that I could bring that to you in your final moments."

Conan O'Brien hopes Paul Rudd does this classic prank to him on his deathbed: 'It's going to bring me a lot of joy'

And Rudd is even on board with the idea: "I'm just happy that I could bring that to you in your final moments."

By Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at ** with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

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December 31, 2025 4:33 p.m. ET

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Conan O'Brien and Paul Rudd on 'Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend'. Credit:

Team Coco/YouTube (2)

Conan O'Brien knows what he wants his final moments of life to be — and he wants Paul Rudd to be there.

Yes, when the comedian takes his final breath, he's hoping the *Ant-Man* star will be there to pull his *Mac and Me* prank one last time.

As longtime fans of the two may recall, the prank first started in 2004, when Rudd appeared on *Late Night With Conan O'Brien* to promote the then-upcoming series finale of *Friends*. Rudd was there to debut an exclusive clip from the episode, but instead, he played a clip from the 1988 film *Mac and Me*, in which Eric (Jade Calegory) goes careening off a cliff in a wheelchair.

Rudd has kept up the bit many times over the years, and even resurrected it again this week on O'Brien's podcast, *Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend*. This time around, Rudd was supposed to share a snippet of his new film, *Anaconda*, but per usual, shared the clip of Eric instead.

Paul Rudd on 'Late Night With Conan O'Brien'.

Meghan Sinclair/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Despite teasing Rudd mercilessly for his lack of effort this time around, O'Brien suggested on the podcast a scenario in which he'd still welcome the gag even on his deathbed. "I'll be in the hospital, and you'll be visiting me, and I won't have long, and they'll say, '[He's] in a lot of pain, but he's pretty good right now,'" O'Brien explained.

He continued, "And you'll come in to say, 'Hi,' and I know you're going to do a thing where I'm kind of in and out, but I'm there, and I'm so happy to see you, and then you're going to say, 'I just got good news from your doctor … they did a scan, and they actually can't find any of the disease in the area … take a look at the scan.' And it's going to be that [clip], and it's going to make me really happy."

Why Conan O'Brien blamed a celebrity friend for his parents' deaths: 'This is how I grieve'

Jack Black runs from killer 'Anaconda' with a boar on his back in behind-the-scenes sneak peek (exclusive)

At this point, Rudd said he was "so touched" to be included, and praised O'Brien for the ingenuity. On a roll, the former late-night host then suggested a variation of the scenario, in which Rudd gets the fictional doctor in on it, and Rudd, the doctor, and O'Brien all look at his medical scans together.

"And then he'll be showing me, and then at some point — because I hope this is not for a long time, I'm just going to say that — but it's going to be some sophisticated scan where they show you in real time," O'Brien explained. "'This is where we did the scan and you can see here and this is where the disease was.' And then it's going to start to flicker a little bit, and it's going to turn into [the *Mac and Me* clip]."

He concluded: "It's going to bring me a lot of joy, and then I'll pass away." Rudd replied: "I'm just happy that I could bring that to you in your final moments."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

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Conan O'Brien hopes Paul Rudd does this classic prank to him on his deathbed: 'It's going to brin...

And Rudd is even on board with the idea: &34;I'm just happy that I could bring that to you in your final moments....

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A Disney spokesperson said &34;that element of the show will be modified&34; following the incident. Disney World cast member recovering after stopping 400lb prop boulder A Disney spokesperson said &34;that element of the show will be modified&34; following the incident. By Daysia Tolentino :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/DaysiaTolentinoauthorphotob1c9bf2343cf4cf7b77759eeb9f69e8d.jpg) Daysia Tolentino Daysia Tolentino is a writer at . She has written for since 2025. Her work has appeared in NBC News, Vulture, GQ, and InStyle. EW's editorial guidelines December 31, 2025 4:03 p.m.

A Disney spokesperson said "that element of the show will be modified" following the incident.

Disney World cast member recovering after stopping 400-lb prop boulder

A Disney spokesperson said "that element of the show will be modified" following the incident.

By Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino is a writer at *. *She has written for * *since 2025. Her work has appeared in NBC News, Vulture, GQ, and InStyle.

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A cast member was injured after a prop boulder rolled off its track during the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! show. Credit:

Scott Miller/Disney

A Disney World cast member was injured after a massive prop dislodged from its track during the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! show.

The moment was captured and uploaded to TikTok on Dec. 30. During the stunt show, which takes place at Disney's Hollywood Studios, a worker stepped in front of a 400-lb prop boulder that came rolling toward the audience.

The video shows the cast member pushing the rubber boulder to stop it from reaching the seated visitors. He is seen falling backward after stopping the ball and has a bloody gash on his head when he stands back up.

Harrison Ford in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.

A Disney World representative confirmed that the cast member was injured after a prop moved off its track.

"We're focused on supporting our cast member, who is recovering," a spokesperson said in an email. "Safety is at the heart of what we do, and that element of the show will be modified as our safety team completes a review of what happened."

The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! features Indy, played by a stunt actor, cracking his whip, dodging spikes, and escaping that iconic boulder. Actors prepare for "dozens of contingencies" because every performance may play out differently, according to the Disney Parks blog.

"The performers form a backup plan for just about every possible scenario — and even learn how to improvise while staying in character," the blog continued.

A Disney World spokesperson said the cast member is 'recovering'.

Matt Stroshane/Disney

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While this likely wasn't a scenario anyone was expecting, spectators at the event could be heard expressing their gratitude toward the cast member in videos uploaded to social media.

"That guy literally saved our lives," the man behind the camera of one viral TikTok said.

- Entertainment Lifestyle

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Disney World cast member recovering after stopping 400-lb prop boulder

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&34;I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not&34; addresses a tense incident in which Chase allegedly said the Nword. Community alum Yvette Nicole Brown speaks out amid Chevy Chase doc: 'Keep my name out of your mouth' &34;I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not&34; addresses a tense incident in which Chase allegedly said the Nword. By Shania Russell :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/ShaniaRussellauthorphoto5934b684845d480caa4485648c39ef2b.jpg) Shania Russell Shania Russell is a news writer at , with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

"I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" addresses a tense incident in which Chase allegedly said the N-word.

Community alum Yvette Nicole Brown speaks out amid Chevy Chase doc: 'Keep my name out of your mouth'

"I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" addresses a tense incident in which Chase allegedly said the N-word.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

EW's editorial guidelines

on December 31, 2025 5:20 p.m. ET

Yvette Nicole Brown; Chevy Chase. Credit:

Unique Nicole/Getty; John Nacion/Variety via Getty

Yvette Nicole Brown is speaking out ahead of the release of CNN's Chevy Chase doc, which will address a tense incident between the *Community* co-stars that allegedly involved Chase saying the N-word.

Brown, who starred alongside Chase for several seasons of the popular sitcom, posted a statement to Instagram on Tuesday, addressing recent chatter surrounding the film without ever directly naming her former costar.

"These are things I've never spoken of publicly and perhaps never will," Brown began the post. "Anyone currently speaking FOR or ABOUT me with perceived authority is speaking without EVER speaking to me about the things they claim to know about. They actually don't really know me — at all."

She continued, "They also have no knowledge of my relationship with anyone I've worked with & cannot credibly speak on any current or previous issues. I hate that this all had to be said. In East Cleveland speak: Keep my name out of your mouth."

Yvette Nicole Brown attends the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations Presents "Zootopia 2" event on Dec. 15, 2025 in Los Angeles.

Amanda Edwards/Getty

The incident in question is described in the upcoming documentary, *I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not*, by director Jay Chandrasekhar, who claims he was "there, directing, the night that Chevy Chase got fired from *Community*."

He goes on to describe the alleged incident in detail, explaining that it began with a "blackface hand puppet" storyline that was written for Chase's "tone-deaf character," Pierce Hawthorne. Chandrasekhar recalled that filming began to derail after Chase allegedly "said something" to Brown that he did not hear.

"I know that there was a history between [Chevy and Yvette] around race, and she got up and stormed out of there," claimed Chandrasekhar, who alleged that when Chase returned to set a little while later, he told the director he "didn't say anything" to Brown and had not apologized. The situation escalated when someone leaked to *The Hollywood Reporter* that a "racial incident" happened on set.

Chevy Chase thought 'Community' 'wasn't funny enough' for him

Joel McHale responds to Chevy Chase's 'Community' comments

According to the director, this led to Chase having a "full meltdown," shouting, "Who f---ed me over?! … My career is ruined! I'm ruined! F--- all of you!" Chandrasekhar added that Chase "never ended up coming back after that."

Chase left the series after season 4, returning for a brief appearance in season 5.

The cast of 'Community'.

Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

Alongside Brown and Chase, *Community* starred breakouts Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, and Jim Rash. None of the show's cast members agreed to participate in the documentary about Chase, which tracks the comedian's rise to fame as one of the original stars of *Saturday Night Live*, his blockbuster movie years with the *National Lampoon's Vacation* franchise, and his later reputation as a difficult collaborator, including his 2012 exit from *Community*.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Brown captioned her statement by explaining her decision to stay out of the conversation. "Do your own work so you don't become labor for others. That is my motto," she wrote. "Beyond that truth, if I have something to say, I have NO problem saying it. I've never had a problem speaking up and out with my whole chest when it is warranted or when I think it will change a wayward mind or some truly disgusting behavior."

She continued, "When I choose NOT to speak on something it's usually because it won't change a thing and more importantly because it's most likely tawdry, low-vibrational or dumb and therefore BENEATH me. I don't sully myself for anyone. We don't defile over here. And when someone chooses to sully or defile themselves, I let them -- BIG age or not."

She concluded, "Read between whatever lines you need to, but before you run anywhere with anything I've said here, make sure YOU know what YOU'RE talking about, too. Mmkay? I will not be saying another word about any of this mess... again, because it is beneath me. No one else should be chiming in on MY behalf, either."**

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January 03, 2026

Community alum Yvette Nicole Brown speaks out amid Chevy Chase doc: 'Keep my name out of your mouth'

&34;I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not&34; addresses a tense incident in which Chase allegedly said the Nword. ...

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No. 3 Iowa State handles WVU, equals school's best start

No. 3 Iowa State handles WVU, equals school's best start Field Level MediaJanuary 3, 2026 at 7:58 AM 0 Jan 2, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) and Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) celebrate during the game with the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese StricklandImagn Images (Reese StricklandImagn Images) Joshua Jefferson notched a tripledouble and Milan Momcilovic scored a gamehigh 26 points as No.

- - No. 3 Iowa State handles WVU, equals school's best start

Field Level MediaJanuary 3, 2026 at 7:58 AM

0

Jan 2, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) and Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) celebrate during the game with the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images (Reese Strickland-Imagn Images)

Joshua Jefferson notched a triple-double and Milan Momcilovic scored a game-high 26 points as No. 3 Iowa State rolled to an 80-59 win over West Virginia in the teams' Big 12 Conference opener Friday in Ames, Iowa.

Jefferson finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while Momcilovic made 8 of 10 3-point attempts as the Cyclones (14-0, 1-0) matched the best start in school history.

Blake Buchanan added 14 points and Tamin Lipsey chipped in 12 as Iowa State shot 52.7% (29 of 55) from the field and 52% from 3-point range (13 of 25).

Chance Moore led West Virginia (9-5, 0-1) with 17 points. DJ Thomas added 10 off the bench for the Mountaineers, who have lost two of their last three games. The Mountaineers shot just 29% (7 of 24) from beyond the arc.

Iowa State used a 16-4 second-half run to open up a 59-38 lead with 11:40 to play. The Cyclones pulled away as a Momcilovic three and one-handed runner in the lane punctuated the rally.

The Cyclones took their first lead at 10-9 on a Momcilovic three. Moments later, Treysen Eaglestaff's contested three put West Virginia up 14-10.

Harlan Obioha slipped a pass to a cutting Moore for a dunk to cap a 5-0 run as West Virginia took a 19-15 lead with 9:22 left in the half.

Jefferon's behind-the-back pass hit Buchanan in stride for a two-hand slam that kicked off a 8-0 rally as the Cyclones led 28-21 with 5:12 remaining. The Cyclones finished the game with 26 assists on 29 field goals.

After a Moore layup, the Cyclones ripped off five straight points on a Lipsey jumper and Jefferson's putback that turned into a three-point play for a 33-23 lead. Iowa State outrebounded West Virginia 35-23.

The Cyclones took a 41-28 halftime lead when Lipsey's alley-oop pass connected with Buchanan for a powerful two-hand dunk.

West Virginia cut its deficit to 43-34 when Moore made a pair of free throws with 16:52 remaining. That was the closest the Mountaineers got the rest of the way.

--Field Level Media

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January 03, 2026

No. 3 Iowa State handles WVU, equals school's best start

No. 3 Iowa State handles WVU, equals school's best start Field Level MediaJanuary 3, 2026 at 7:58 AM 0 Jan 2, 2026;...

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Matty Beniers scores in shootout to give Kraken 4-3 win over Canucks

Matty Beniers scores in shootout to give Kraken 43 win over Canucks January 3, 2026 at 7:53 AM 0 1 / 5Kraken Canucks HockeySeattle Kraken's Matty Beniers (10) celebrates his winning goal against the Vancouver Canucks with his teammates in shootout NHL hockey action in Vancouver, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Matty Beniers scored the only goal int he shootout to give the Seattle Kraken a 43 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night.

- - Matty Beniers scores in shootout to give Kraken 4-3 win over Canucks

January 3, 2026 at 7:53 AM

0

1 / 5Kraken Canucks HockeySeattle Kraken's Matty Beniers (10) celebrates his winning goal against the Vancouver Canucks with his teammates in shootout NHL hockey action in Vancouver, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Matty Beniers scored the only goal int he shootout to give the Seattle Kraken a 4-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night.

Cale Fleury, Chandler Stephenson and Ben Meyers all scored in regulation for the Kraken, who are 6-0-1 in their last seven games. Joey Daccord had 20 saves through overtime.

Jake DeBrusk had a goal and two assists for his first multipoint game of the season, and Kiefer Sherwood and Linus Karlsson also scored for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko finished with 25 saves.

After the first five skaters failed to score in the tiebreaker, Beniers skated in on Demko from the left side, deked the goalie to his left and cut back and put it into the open side of the net for the win.

Karlsson's goal tied the score 3-3 at 6:15 of the third period and came hours after he signed a two-year, $4.5-million extension with the Canucks.

Fleury gave Seattle a 1-0 lead with 2:26 remaining in the first period for his first goal in nine games this season. Stephenson doubled the lead with a one-timer past Demko on the power play at 8:53 of the second.

Sherwood got the Canucks on the board with a power-play goal with 6:54 to go in the middle period.

Meyers restored the Kraken's two-goal lead with 1:47 remaining in the period, but DeBrusk's power-play goal 1:09 later pulled the Canucks to 3-2.

Up next

Kraken: At Calgary on Sunday.

Canucks: Host Boston on Saturday.

___

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Matty Beniers scores in shootout to give Kraken 4-3 win over Canucks

Matty Beniers scores in shootout to give Kraken 43 win over Canucks January 3, 2026 at 7:53 AM 0 1 / 5Kraken Canucks ...

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Ebuka Okorie nets 28 as Stanford upsets No. 16 Louisville

Ebuka Okorie nets 28 as Stanford upsets No. 16 Louisville Field Level MediaJanuary 3, 2026 at 7:54 AM 0 Jan 2, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Sananda Fru (13) dribbles against Stanford Cardinal forward Oskar Giltay (15) during the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Justine WillardImagn Images (Justine WillardImagn Images) Ebuka Okorie scored 28 points for host Stanford, which scored its first win over a ranked opponent in more than two years with an 8076 upset of No. 16 Louisville on Friday in an Atlantic Coast Conference showdown.

- - Ebuka Okorie nets 28 as Stanford upsets No. 16 Louisville

Field Level MediaJanuary 3, 2026 at 7:54 AM

0

Jan 2, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Sananda Fru (13) dribbles against Stanford Cardinal forward Oskar Giltay (15) during the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images (Justine Willard-Imagn Images)

Ebuka Okorie scored 28 points for host Stanford, which scored its first win over a ranked opponent in more than two years with an 80-76 upset of No. 16 Louisville on Friday in an Atlantic Coast Conference showdown.

Held to seven points in a disappointing 47-40 loss to Notre Dame on Tuesday, the freshman guard showed why he's one of the top scorers in the country. The performance by Okorie, who is averaging 21.5 points per game, was critical for the Cardinal (12-3, 1-1 ACC), who scored their second Quad 1 victory of the season.

Okorie shot 9 of 18 from the floor and made 2 of his 5 3-point shots while going 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. Chisom Okpara added 17 points and eight rebounds, and Ryan Agarwal finished with 12 points, going 4-for-4 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Three days after the Cardinals (11-3, 1-1) rolled over Cal in their ACC opener, they struggled too often. Louisville missed 10 straight shots during a 5:17 stretch of the first half, and Stanford reaped the benefits, building a 29-20 lead after an Okorie layup with 7:37 to go before halftime.

Okorie notched 14 points in the first half.

Then it was Stanford's turn to go cold as Louisville trimmed its deficit to 35-34 on Sananda Fru's putback at the first-half buzzer.

While Louisville struggled again offensively, an Okorie dunk led to a three-point play that gave Stanford a 54-52 lead with 11:07 remaining that it did not relinquish.

Louisville played its fourth straight game without Mikel Brown Jr. (back), the team's second-leading scorer at 16.6 ppg. Leading scorer Ryan Conwell put up a team-high 18 but hit just 6 of 21 shots from the field, including 2 of 14 from 3-point range. He fouled out with 1:51 remaining and Stanford holding a 74-71 lead.

Stanford, among the ACC's leaders in free-throw attempts, went 21 of 31, including 16 of 22 in the second half.

Isaac McKneely scored 17 for the Cardinals and went 3 of 8 from the perimeter. Louisville made a season-low six of its 27 3-point shots (22.2%).

Stanford's last win over a ranked team came on Dec. 31, 2023, when the Cardinal beat then-No. 4 Arizona 100-82.

--Field Level Media

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Ebuka Okorie nets 28 as Stanford upsets No. 16 Louisville

Ebuka Okorie nets 28 as Stanford upsets No. 16 Louisville Field Level MediaJanuary 3, 2026 at 7:54 AM 0 Jan 2, 2025; Sta...

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Mississippi State coach optimistic about QB Taylor after injury in Duke's Mayo Bowl

Mississippi State coach optimistic about QB Taylor after injury in Duke's Mayo Bowl STEVE REED January 3, 2026 at 8:09 AM 0 1 / 2Dukes Mayo Bowl FootballMississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) dives for a touchdown against Wake Forest in the second half of the Duke's Mayo Bowl NCAA college football game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser) CHARLOTTE, N.C.

- - Mississippi State coach optimistic about QB Taylor after injury in Duke's Mayo Bowl

STEVE REED January 3, 2026 at 8:09 AM

0

1 / 2Dukes Mayo Bowl FootballMississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) dives for a touchdown against Wake Forest in the second half of the Duke's Mayo Bowl NCAA college football game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby expressed optimism that Kamario Taylor escaped serious injury after the freshman quarterback was carted off the field in the final moments of Mississippi State's 43-29 loss to Wake Forest on Friday night in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.

With the Bulldogs trailing by 14 with under three minutes to play, Taylor was scrambling for extra yardage and his leg was hit awkwardly as he was tackled.

It appeared gruesome at the time and he writhed in obvious pain as play stopped and teammates gathered around him on one knee. A few moments later a cart came on the field to take Taylor, who is viewed as the team's promising young future quarterback, to the locker room.

"Initial reports have been good, so we'll continue to evaluate and get more information," Lebby said.

Lebby wouldn't say immediately after the game what part of the body Taylor injured, or if he broke any bones or tore any ligaments.

"I feel good about getting in the locker room, being able to talk, talk to our medical staff, and being able to see Kamario again," Lebby added. "We'll continue to evaluate."

However, his Taylor's mother, LaQuandra Conner, took to Facebook after the game posting a picture of her and her son, saying "thanks everyone for the prayers it was his ankle but NOTHING is torn or broken GOD had MY BABY covered and for that I say THANK YOU LORD."

Taylor was making his second career start for the Bulldogs (5-8) after a promising initial appearance in a loss to No. 6 Ole Miss.

He finished 13 of 22 for 241 yards and a touchdown against Wake Forest. He also ran for 63 yards and another score in when he took a shotgun snap, ran forward and dove over a pile of players and extended the ball over the goal line.

"A ton of toughness and there's a ton of things to be excited about," Lebby said about Taylor. "... For what he was able to get out of this bowl experience with 15 extra practices, the ability to go play in another game against a really good opponent, to me that is huge for us as we're continuing to build this thing."

___

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Mississippi State coach optimistic about QB Taylor after injury in Duke's Mayo Bowl

Mississippi State coach optimistic about QB Taylor after injury in Duke's Mayo Bowl STEVE REED January 3, 2026 ...

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