STARKVILLE — Dak Prescott has given the Mississippi State football team some performances it never will forget, but he might have had his best performance Saturday night.
The Southeastern Conference agreed Monday, when they named the senior quarterback its Offensive Player of the Week. It is the fourth time Prescott has won the award in his career, a new school record.
“I just played real relaxed,” Prescott said after he was responsible for six touchdowns in a 42-16 victory against Kentucky 42-16 at Davis Wade Stadium. “I knew it was a good game for me. We needed some momentum, needed to get going, and to have a big game like this, I think it was timed right.”
The Haughton, Louisiana, native was 25 of 35 for 348 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for a season-high 117 yards and three touchdowns. By tying Jackie Parker’s school record of six touchdowns responsible for set in November 1952, Prescott became the first SEC player since Auburn’s Cam Newton in the 2010 SEC Championship Game to account for six or more scores in a league game.
Prescott had thrown 288 passes without an interception, a streak that dated back to last season’s Orange Bowl, but Chris Westry intercepted him in the second quarter. Prescott said seeing the streak end is more annoying than anything, and that he would have liked to have gone the whole season without throwing an interception.
“How anybody is not talking about (Dak) in the Heisman (Trophy) race needs to have their head examined,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said Monday.
Prescott leads the SEC with a 66.5-percent completion percentage. He has thrown for 2,048 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has rushed for a team-high 371 yards and seven touchdowns.
His effort against Kentucky was the first time this season he has eclipsed the 100-yard mark. He ran for 96 yards against Texas A&M.
“It was the coverages they were giving me, respecting my arm,” Prescott said. “They were dropping guys deep and leaving the running lanes. It’s something I wanted to take advantage of, and it’s something I have to do moving forward.”
Prescott owns 36 school records (seven single-game, 15 single-season, and 14 career).
Prescott tied the game at 7 with a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter. His second rushing score, a 20-yard run, stretched MSU’s lead to 28-10. When Prescott looked over the defense, he saw something unusual and made a switch that called for a designed quarterback run. Nobody touched him as he rushed into the end zone.
“It was honestly a weird look,” said Prescott, who also had an 18-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.. “I don’t think anybody’s left the box open like that ever against me. It was a quick change to that play, and it was an easy touchdown.”
Prescott hit De’Runnya Wilson for a 13-yard touchdown, Brandon Holloway for an 8-yard touchdown, and Darrion Hutcherson for a 13-yard touchdown.
“Dak’s going to take what they give him,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said. “Sometimes he’s the first read, sometimes he’s the third. But we’ve got is a quarterback that’s comfortable making good decisions on the field.”
n In related news, Alabama punter JK Scott was named Special Teams Player of the Week. He punted four times and averaged 49.8 yards in the victory against Tennessee. He pinned two kicks inside the 20-yard line and had two punts of 56 yards. … WCBI will televise the Alabama-LSU game at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. … Alabama junior safety Eddie Jackson was named to the list of 16 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame announced Monday. The Jim Thorpe Award is annually presented to the nation’s best defensive back by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. … The Alabama coaching staff recognized Ryan Kelly, Calvin Ridley, and ArDarius Stewart for their performance on offense, while Ryan Anderson, Reggie Ragland, and Jarran Reed were honored for their efforts on defense in the team’s 19-14 victory against Tennessee on Saturday. Scott and Adam Griffith were recognized for their contribution on special teams.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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