Auburn vs. Mississippi State: Score and Twitter Reaction

In a battle of unbeaten SEC juggernauts, Mississippi State and Auburn provided a rather turbulent, turnover-plagued contest that the Bulldogs won 38-23.

It was all Mississippi State early in the game. Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall had a pass deflected at the line of scrimmage that floated into the waiting arms of Jay Hughes for an interception. Three plays later, quarterback Dak Prescott made the Tigers pay, connecting with De'Runnya Wilson for a 34-yard touchdown.

SEC on CBS tweeted an image of Wilson's big frame dragging a tackler across the goal line for the game's first score:

Soon after, the Bulldogs took advantage of another Auburn error. This time Taveze Calhoun forced a D'haquille Williams fumble that was recovered by Benardrick McKinney deep in Tigers territory. Running back Josh Robinson notched the points off the turnover, plunging forward for a one-yard touchdown run.

MSU Football enthusiastically tweeted about the play:

Following an Auburn punt, Prescott took control of the game again. Utilizing his ability to beat the defense with both his arms and legs, the quarterback moved the offense from its own 29-yard line all the way down to the Auburn 2-yard line. Prescott took it upon himself to run it in for a score.

College GameDay tweeted its thoughts on any defense attempting to stop Mississippi State's signal-caller near the goal line:

After a missed Auburn field goal, the first quarter came to a close with the Bulldogs leading 21-0. The nation's No. 2 team was in quite a bind.

It only took one play into the second quarter for the Tigers to finally get on the board, as Daniel Carlson redeemed himself by connecting on a 21-yard field goal.

Continuing the turnover trend, Prescott returned to the field and quickly had his pass tipped and fall into the arms of Auburn's Jonathan Jones. The ensuing Tigers drive stalled in the red zone again, and they were forced to settle for another Carlson field goal.

It appeared as though Prescott was ready to make amends for the miscue on the following drive. A combination of passes to Wilson and quarterback scampers quickly marched the offense all the way down to the Auburn 5-yard line. Then, disaster struck once more, as an ill-advised throw was intercepted by Jones in the end zone.

SI College Football tweeted the occurrence:

That pick didn't result in any points for the Tigers, but Auburn was given another big chance thanks to a muffed punt by Jamoral Graham that was recovered by Brandon King at the Bulldogs' 22-yard line. Marshall took matters into his own hands, tightening up the game even more with a nine-yard touchdown strike to Williams.

Dan Wolken of USA Today summed up the series of plays perfectly:

Prescott wasn't being considered as a potential Heisman candidate for nothing, and he proved that on the following drive. Completing passes to Malcolm Johnson and Gabe Myles, and carrying up the gut for 26 yards, brought the Bulldogs down to the Auburn 15-yard line. From there, the quarterback burst into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the day.

At that point in the game, ESPN Stats & Info noted how efficient Prescott was on third downs, as he converted two more on that drive:

Soon after, the stadium was pelted by torrential rain. Based on the way the game began, both teams were lucky to enter the half without another turnover.

ESPN College Football tweeted the halftime graphic:

The teams started the third quarter by exchanging punts, and Marshall began the half's third drive from his own 1-yard line.

A defensive pass interference penalty got Auburn out of the shadow of its own goalpost, and Marshall started picking his way down the field with short passes to Sammie Coates. After a 32-yard gain on a pass to Williams, the Tigers were set up nicely deep in Mississippi State territory. After four short runs, Marshall completed a 15-yard touchdown strike to Williams on third down, pulling the Tigers within eight points.

Matt Hinton of Grantland tweeted his thoughts on the drive and score:

We entered the fourth quarter following some fine defensive play from both teams in the waning minutes of the third.

Mississippi State began the final quarter with a splash, as Prescott followed up a 37-yard run from Robinson by methodically moving his offense down the field to the Tigers' 2-yard line. Although, facing a 3rd-and-1, Prescott was stuffed, and the Bulldogs were held to a field goal.

Auburn didn't exactly answer in the way it had hoped, as Ricardo Louis fumbled the ensuring kickoff and Tolando Cleveland jumped on the loose ball. Two plays later, Robinson plunged into the end zone for his second score of the game.

The score was worthy of a celebration, and SEC on CBS captured Robinson's dance moves:

Following the touchdown, Auburn drove again, but the Bulldogs remained stout deep in their own end, forcing a Tigers field goal with just under eight minutes remaining in the game.

Auburn's defense responded soon after, forcing a punt and giving Marshall another chance. A big 28-yard run by Cameron Artis-Payne kicked off the drive, and Marshall led the offense down to the Mississippi State 11-yard line soon after.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the game continued its turnover trend. Marshall's pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage, and a diving Justin Cox came down with the interception, dashing the hopes of an Auburn comeback.

SportsCenter tweeted the incident:

From there, the Bulldogs ran out the clock. 

Did Mississippi State just prove it is the best team in the country? Bleacher Report's Michael Felder and Barrett Sallee discuss:

It was an unfortunate loss for Auburn. The team surged to No. 2 in the nation after a Week 6 plagued by upsets. Head coach Gus Malzahn commented on his team's performance and praised the Bulldogs after the game, via Brandon Marcello of the Alabama Media Group:

Things will only continue to get tougher for Auburn, as games against Mississippi, Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama loom on the horizon. However, Malzahn still thinks very highly of his squad, according to a tweet from Auburn Gold Mine:

If the Tigers can emerge from their remaining schedule unscathed, they could climb back into playoff contention; although, the team will need to show dramatic improvement from what we saw today if that is to happen.

The sky is the limit for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were one of the most surprising teams earlier in the season, but they have proved time and time again they are for real and can compete with the best in the nation.

In fact, the Bulldogs earned a place in the history books with their win against the Tigers, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

Prescott remains in the Heisman race due to a big win. His interceptions against Auburn hurt slightly, but earning a victory against the nation's No. 2 team will surely hold plenty of clout with voters. Fox College Football tweeted his final stat line:

Head coach Dan Mullen was asked about the team's recent prowess in the SEC. He responded with this short comment, via Eye on College Football:

The Bulldogs aren't a lock for the College Football Playoff just yet with games against Alabama and Mississippi still on the slate; however, Mississippi State showed on Saturday that it's playing at a high enough level to overcome mistakes and emerge victorious against very good teams.