Dak Prescott vs. Auburn: Stat Line, Heisman Impact and Reaction

Dak Prescott made some mistakes, but the Mississippi State quarterback continued to boost his profile by leading a 38-23 upset over No. 2 Auburn. 

The junior was impressive with both his arm and his legs to help knock off the previously unbeaten Tigers and put his team in the driver's seat in the SEC West. Here is a look at his numbers from the win:

C/ATT	Pass Yds	TD	INT	CAR	Rush Yds	TD
18/34	246	1	2	21	121	2

Prescott was already coming off big performances in upset wins over LSU and Texas A&M, becoming a legitimate contender for the coveted Heisman Trophy. Mike Hill of Fox Sports 1 broke down how history is in the quarterback's favor:

The calls for a Heisman were as loud as ever with an incredible start to the game for Mississippi State. The home team got on the board first with a Prescott touchdown pass to De'Runnya Wilson, which was impressive based on the quarterback's ability to stay in the pocket:

By the end of the first quarter, the Bulldogs were up 21-0 over the No. 2 team in the nation. Prescott scored the third touchdown of the game on the ground; stopping him at the goal line has become almost impossible, as ESPN's College GameDay noted:

However, Mississippi State could not pull away thanks to a few mistakes by the star passer:

ESPN's Travis Haney put the pressure on Prescott to respond after a 13-0 run by Auburn:

Fortunately, he did just that by leading a eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended in another rushing touchdown to secure a 28-13 lead by halftime. 

While two interceptions in the first half were disappointing, Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports believes he made up for those with the rest of his performance:

Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee was enjoying the show as well:

ESPN Stats and Info explained that he was at his best when it was most important:

After halftime, the Mississippi State defense picked up the slack and made big plays to limit Auburn to just 10 points. At the same time, the squad forced turnovers to help secure the win.

Prescott did not have too many memorable moments in the second half, but he held onto the ball and moved the chains with his legs to earn the important victory.

Looking forward, Mississippi State will pretty much go as far as Prescott takes it, although his Heisman hopes are dependent on the team. If he can keep winning games in the tough SEC West, he will put up big enough numbers to be a true contender for the prestigious award.

Off-field problems for Jameis Winston and Todd Gurley mixed with losses by Oregon's Marcus Mariota and other top players make this race wide open.

If the Bulldogs can keep up the strong play and reach the College Football Playoff, it will be hard to deny Prescott at least a trip to New York City. 

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