SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 22, 2014
No. 4 Mississippi State 51, Vanderbilt 0: Dak
Prescott threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, and the defense pitched
the programกฏs first SEC shutout in 15 years as the Bulldogs bounced back
decisively from their first loss of the season.
Prescott finished 16-of-21 for 193 yards and
added 30 yards rushing on six carries before being replaced by Damian Williams
late in the third quarter for Mississippi State (10-1, 6-1 SEC), which posted
the first 10-win regular season in the programกฏs history. The Bulldogs, who also
are fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings, forced three turnovers and
limited Vanderbilt to 228 total yards, including 49 on 27 rushing attempts.
Freshman quarterback Johnny McCrary was 15-of-31
for 161 yards and an interception before leaving with a fourth-quarter injury for
the Commodores (3-8, 0-7), who remain the only winless team in SEC play. Reserve
quarterbacks Patton Robinette (2-of-3, 18 yards, interception) and Stephen
Rivers (0-of-2) also played for Vanderbilt, which was led by McCraryกฏs 21 rushing yards on eight carries and Davis Dudchockกฏs 41 receiving yards on three
catches.
Mississippi State punted on each of their first
two possessions of the third quarter, but after a missed 41-yard field goal by
the Commodoresกฏ Tommy Openshaw, the Bulldogs put together back-to-back
touchdown drives. The second TD march was guided by backup quarterback Williams, who replaced Prescott with 2:51 remaining in the third quarter, and
Mississippi State preserved the shutout by knocking down Riversกฏ fourth-down pass
in the end zone with 7:04 to play.
Mississippi State scored on five of its six first-half
possessions and added a defensive TD on Christian Holmesกฏ 51-yard return of
Latevius Rayford fumble 59 seconds into the second quarter. Prescott threw for
three touchdowns and ran for another in the half, while Evan Sobiesk kicked a
34-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter to give the Bulldogs
a 37-0 halftime lead จC their largest ever against an SEC opponent.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Mississippi State, which visits
Mississippi next Saturday in the regular-season finale, posted a perfect home
record (7-0) for the first time since 1999. กญ Vanderbilt capped a 0-4 road
season and failed to win a game away from home for the first time since going
0-5 in 2004. กญ Prescott upped his season school total-TD record to 35 (23 passing,
12 rushing).