Dak Prescott isn’t walking through that tunnel.
For the first time in four years, it’ll be sophomore quarterback Nick Fitzgerald leading Mississippi State’s charge against No. 20 LSU instead of Prescott. For that reason, the Tigers (1-1) can breathe a sigh of relief.
Forever imprinted in Tiger minds is Prescott’s 268 passing and 105 rushing yard performance that secured a 34-29 Bulldog victory at Tiger Stadium two years ago.
“We definitely won’t miss him,” said junior safety Jamal Adams. “He’s a smart quarterback that breaks a lot of things down. His running attack is very different as a quarterback. He’s a big body. But like I said, we’re definitely not going to miss him.”
The Prescott hangover affected Mississippi State (1-1) in its season-opening loss against South Alabama, 21-20. The Bulldogs played two quarterbacks, junior Damian Williams and Fitzgerald, neither of whom could preserve a 17-0 halftime lead against the Sun Belt Conference’s Jaguars.
The Bulldogs take Tiger Stadium at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Despite the absence of the former face of its program and a .500 record, Mississippi State is to not be underestimated after redeeming itself against a Southeastern Conference foe last Saturday.
“Mississippi State is a very, very talented team,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “They’ve got a dynamic offense. They’ve got Nick Fitzgerald, a running quarterback and throwing quarterback, both. He set school records against South Carolina.”
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen settled on Fitzgerald to start week two, a decision that proved fruitful as the Bulldogs avenged their early loss with a 27-14 victory against South Carolina.
Fitzgerald, a former three-star recruit, redshirted his first year in Starkville and developed behind Prescott into a formidable dual-threat weapon in Mullen’s offense. He threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, and his first starting victory was accompanied with a school record for single game rushing yards by a quarterback with 195 yards.
“He’s smart, sits in the pocket, very poised,” Adams said. “I saw him on film. He hit a corner and took off and scored. You don’t see that too much from any quarterback in the country, there are very few.
“I wouldn’t say he’s bigger than Dak, but we definitely just have to rally and make tackles on him.”
Senior wide receiver Fred Ross, who caught 88 passes last season for 1,007 yards and five touchdowns, will be Fitzgerald’s top target. He and Prescott connected nine times for 66 yards against LSU last season.
LSU is familiar with Mississippi State’s backfield, with senior running back Brandon Holloway earning the bulk of the carries behind Fitzgerald. At 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, Holloway is no power back, but he can gain yards through the rushing attack, passing and return teams.
The offensive line features three seniors who are returning starters along the right side, while the left side is comprised of sophomores who played sparingly during their respective freshman seasons.
“Fred Ross, very good wide receiver, made big plays for them,” Miles said. “Offensive line is big, strong and physical.”
Senior cornerback Tre’Davious White said he saw Mississippi State’s highlights on ESPN before watching the game film and noticed Fitzgerald’s speed and similarity to Prescott.
Even still, Adams expects LSU to play its normal brand of football.
“We definitely don’t want to play timid,” Adams said. “We’re going to always play our speed of football. We just have to take the proper angles.”