STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — The losses are piling up for Mississippi State, which now needs two wins in its final three games to become bowl eligible for a fourth straight season.
Getting one of those wins this weekend won't be easy. The Bulldogs (4-5, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) host No. 1 Alabama (9-0, 6-0) on Saturday.
Mississippi State has lost two straight, including Saturday's 51-41 loss to Texas A&M. But coach Dan Mullen was encouraged by the Bulldogs' performance against the Aggies, especially on offense.
Sophomore quarterback Dak Prescott continued his breakout season against Texas A&M with 149 yards passing and 154 yards rushing. But Mullen said Prescott suffered a "stinger" after taking a hit to his non-throwing shoulder late in the game and isn't sure of his availability against the Tide.
If Prescott can't play, the Bulldogs do have options. Backup quarterback Tyler Russell has thrown for 468 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
But there's little doubt the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Prescott is Mississippi State's most effective offensive player. He's fifth in the SEC with 2,264 yards of total offense (1,542 passing, 722 rushing) and has rushed for at least 100 yards four times this season.
No matter who is under center, Alabama will be a formidable opponent. The Crimson Tide have won five straight against the Bulldogs, including last year's 38-7 win in Tuscaloosa.
"Obviously a great challenge, a team that leads the nation in just about everything," Mullen said. "I don't know that they have many weak spots."
Alabama is coming off an emotional and convincing 38-17 win over LSU on Saturday. The Mississippi State game would seem like a logical place for a letdown by the Tide, especially considering coach Nick Saban has an 11-1 career record against the Bulldogs during his tenures at Alabama and LSU.
Mississippi State also has a 14-game losing streak against nationally-ranked opponents.
But Saban insists he's impressed with Bulldogs.
"They have five losses to teams that are all rated in the top 20, playing very competitively in every one of those games," Saban said. "You've got to look past the record, because this is a very good team offensively."
Mississippi State's most pressing issues are on defense. The Bulldogs gave up 51 points and 537 yards against the Aggies, though that could be excused because quarterback Johnny Manziel has put up those types of numbers against just about everyone this season.
The problem is it's become a trend for the Bulldogs, who have given up 38 points per game in five conference games.
Alabama has a much different offense than the wide-open passing attack of Texas A&M, relying on a more conventional approach. But it's no less effective — the Tide are averaging 40.9 points per game.
"You're going to see a very different style," Mullen said. "So a lot of it is much more in correcting some overall issues that we have. And just change the mindset for this style of offense you're going to play, and take our schemes and see how it applies to their team."
Even if the Bulldogs lose to Alabama, there is still a legitimate path to bowl eligibility. The team's final two games are against Arkansas — which is winless in the SEC this season — and a home game against rival Mississippi in the Egg Bowl.
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