Mississippi State Offensive Line Owes Dak Prescott an Apology

Nov 14, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott (15) reacts after a play in the third quarter of the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Davis Wade Stadium. Alabama won 31-6. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Nine sacks.

How can you possibly expect to do anything offensively when you give up 9 sacks in one game? The answer is pretty simple.

You can’t.

Mississippi State lost to Alabama in one of the most frustrating ways possible. The Bulldogs gave up 379 yards to Alabama, but a huge chunk of the plays came on three long scoring plays for the Crimson Tide. Mississippi State actually outgained the Crimson Tide by 10 yards, but lost by 25 points.

And the reason they couldn’t score was because Dak Prescott was running for his life most of the night. Every time the Bulldogs started to put a drive together, the offensive line would allow one of Alabama’s front four to penetrate into the backfield and hit Prescott.

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By the time the night was over, Alabama had totaled 9 sacks in the game. The Bulldogs had only given up 13 sacks all season, but the Crimson Tide got to Prescott on 9 different occasions. And when they weren’t getting to him in time to sack him, they were forcing him to throw the ball before he wanted and hitting him all night long.

It would be one thing if Alabama tried disguising blitzes and bringing pressure from places Dak Prescott couldn’t recognize it. But that wasn’t happening. Their front four lined up against our five offensive linemen and made them look like middle school players.

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Some Mississippi State fans were blaming the defense for giving up the big plays. But the defense held up most of the game. The offensive line never gave Dak Prescott a chance in this game. And with as little as the Bulldogs have to work with, if Prescott didn’t have a chance, neither did Mississippi State.