MSU Offense Shines In Spring Game

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – Evan Sobiesk booted a 28-field goal as time expired as Maroon edged White, 41-38, in the Mississippi State football spring game before a crowd of 21,710 on Saturday afternoon in Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.

The contest, part of the 29th annual Super Bulldog Weekend on the MSU campus, was the final workout of the spring for the Bulldogs. Fans in attendance got a glimpse of an experienced team and a look at the new renovations and expansion taking place in the north end zone of Davis Wade Stadium.

“I appreciate our fans,” said head coach Dan Mullen. “We had a great crowd today. We got to see a lot of young players put into situations they probably haven’t been in before in this stadium. It was a pretty exciting day.”

Starting quarterback Dak Prescott was an efficient 7-of-9 for 131 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing score. Prescott picked up where he left off from the fall, plunging in from six yards out to put Maroon on the board with 12:51 in the first quarter.

“It’s good to see a guy who, even as we are keeping things simple, came out and executed really clean,” said Mullen of Prescott’s performance. “He was consistent and we scored touchdowns on most of the drives he was in there, which is what you want to see. He wasn’t forcing and he was doing what he needed to do to get the job done. We’ll turn him loose a little bit more in the fall.”

Sophomore Damian Williams led the White squad, throwing for 347 yards on 21-of-32 passing with four touchdown passes. Williams connected with Fred Brown twice for touchdowns. Brown racked up 219 yards receiving on 10 catches.

Williams’ highlight pass of the day came in the second quarter. With White trailing 21-7, Williams found former MSU Bulldog and current Buffalo Bills’ standout Anthony Dixon for a 60-yard touchdown with 11:03 remaining in the half. Dixon, in town for the weekend and dressed in casual clothes, surprised everyone when he walked onto the field from the sideline in a drawn-up play. Watch the play.

White trailed 35-23 at halftime and 38-30 following a Sobiesk 42-yard field goal with 9:05 left in the game. Despite a running second-half clock. White still managed to tie the game. Gabe Myles hauled in a 20-yard pass from Josiah Phillips with 5:54 to go. Phillips then kept it for the two-point conversion to knot the contest at 38 all.

White forced Maroon to a three-and-out, but Phillips was intercepted by Kivon Coman, who returned it eight yards to the White 11 with just over a minute to play. Sobiesk then set up for a 28-yard field goal that was true to give the Maroon victory as the clock expired.

Beniquez Brown led the White in tackles with 10. A.J. Jefferson finished with six tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss in the winning Maroon effort.

A veteran MSU team now turns its attention to a rigorous offseason program in preparation for an August 30 season-opener against Southern Miss in Davis Wade Stadium.

“Our guys enjoy playing,” said Mullen. “They are close-knit team. They have a lot of fun together, and they had fun out on the field today.”