53
Despite playing what he called “A subpar game,” Mississippi State junior quarterback Dak Prescott made history Saturday. Entering the game two touchdowns shy of Don Smith’s school record for touchdowns, Prescott needed a little more than a quarter to set a new record. His 15-yard touchdown gave the Bulldogs a 28-13 halftime lead and left him standing alone as the school’s all-time touchdown leader.
“Oh really?” Prescott asked when told of his accomplishment in the team’s postgame press conference. “That’s cool. It doesn’t mean as much as the win, but it feels good to have that.”
62,945
The announced attendance Saturday, the largest crowd in the 100-year history of Davis Wade Stadium. The attendance breaks a six-week-old record, one that was set when 61,330 watched MSU beat Southern Mississippi 49-0 to open the season.
The crowd didn’t go unnoticed by Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen.
“It was unbelievable, out of control,” Mullen said of the atmosphere at Davis Wade Stadium. “Our alumni, our fans, they did their part, and they deserve as much credit for the win as the guys on the team that were out there on the field.”
3
Consecutive wins MSU has against top-10 teams. Less than a month ago, Mullen, in his sixth year at MSU, was maligned for having never beaten a top-10 team and having a 2-21 record against ranked teams.
No more.
On Sept. 20, the Bulldogs earned a 34-29 win at then-No. 8 LSU. They followed up that with a 48-31 victory against then-No. 6 Texas A&M before defeating No. 2 Auburn. In all three games, MSU enjoyed a lead of more than 20 points.
With the streak, MSU becomes the fifth team in the history of The Associated Press poll to win three-consecutive games against top-10 teams.
“In the SEC, you have tough stretches of games all the time,” Mullen said. “Everyone looked at our scheduled and said these three would be our toughest games. They were, but that just sets us up for tougher games down the road.
“To beat three top-10 teams in a row, that’s pretty special. I don’t know how many times that has happened, or even how many opportunities for that have happened.”
6
Mississippi State’s defense continues to wreak havoc in opponents’ backfields. Entering the game leading the Southeastern Conference in tackles for loss with 39, the Bulldogs added six against Auburn. That total of 45 ranks No. 4 in the country. The Bulldogs also sacked quarterback Nick Marshall three times to take the SEC lead in that category.
“When you’re playing a guy as athletic as Marshall, you have to take advantages of your opportunities when they come up,” said MSU defensive end Preston Smith, who had a sack. “He can take off and run pretty quick, so when I got my chance, I had to bring him down.”
2
MSU intercepted Marshall twice, and both came at critical junctures. On Auburn’s first play, Marshall’s pass was deflected at the line by MSU defensive end Ryan Brown, and safety Jay Hughes plucked it out of the air for the interception. Three plays later, Prescott found sophomore wide receiver De’Runnya Wilson for a 34-yard touchdown.
“It was exciting,” Hughes said of his interception. “But that pick was all because of the guys up front. We have the best front seven in the country, and they made that play.”
Marshall was intercepted again on Auburn’s final play, a diving interception by former West Point High School and East Mississippi Community College standout Justin Cox.
1
That could be MSU’s ranking in The AP Top 25 when it is announced today. It would be the first such ranking in school history.
When asked Saturday night about that possibility, Mullen’s response was nearly perfect.
“I don’t have a vote,” Mullen said. “But I love our guys, I love this team. If you would have given me a vote, I would have voted us No. 1 six weeks ago because that’s how much I love this team and how much I love these players.”
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