COLUMBIA — The greatest player in Mississippi State history is preparing for a game this weekend, but not within the cowbell-clanging confines of Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville. Dak Prescott will make his first NFL start as a rookie quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys, while the team he left behind struggles to find itself in his absence.
Prescott was the face of the Bulldogs’ program, passing for over 9,000 yards and 70 touchdowns, overseeing nine- and 10-win seasons, and leading a heady ascent that included a stop at the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll. Those days suddenly seemed long ago last weekend, when Mississippi State opened the post-Dak era with a home loss to 28-point underdog South Alabama.