DALLAS (FWAA) The Mississippi State Bulldogs ended 14 years of frustration against Southeastern Conference rival LSU, upsetting the Tigers, 34-29, in front of the largest crowd in Tiger Stadium history. The Bulldogs' first win over LSU since 1999 and first in Baton Rouge since 1991 earned them the Big Game National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Sept. 20.
The announcement came exclusively on SiriusXM Radio's "College Sports Today," hosted by Mark Packer and Phil Savage.
The Bulldogs (4-0) jumped out to a 34-10 lead against an LSU defense that had not allowed a point in its last 10 quarters entering the game. Quarterback Dak Prescott, a Louisiana native, accounted for 373 yards of total offense, completing 15-of-24 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran for 105 yards and a score. It was Prescotts third straight game with at least 200 yards passing and 100 rushing.
The Bulldogs, winners of seven straight, rolled up 570 total yards, the most allowed by LSU since 2004.
"We really expected to win," Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen said after the game. "I don't know, to the guys in the locker room, that this is an upset for us."
In handling 8th-ranked LSU, the Bulldogs beat a top-10 team for the first time since 2000, and beat a top-10 on the road for the first time since winning at No. 8 Tennessee in 1986.
Other Big Game National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Sept. 20 included:
East Carolina (3-1): The Pirates gained a school-record 789 total yards, breaking the old mark by almost 100 yards, and rolled to a 70-41 win over in-state rival North Carolina. ECU's second straight win over UNC was the Pirates' fourth straight over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent and came in front of a Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium record crowd of 51,082.
Indiana (2-1): The Hoosiers scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds left to hand No. 18 Missouri its first loss, 31-27. It was Indiana·s first win over a top-25 team since 2006, and IU·s first road win over a top-20 team since toppling No. 9 Ohio State, 31-10, in 1987.
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the first season The Big Game Football Factory has presented the award. Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor. Each remaining Monday during the 2014 college football regular season, the FWAA will name a National Team of the Week.
Big Game USA is the largest American-owned football factory. Nearly half of all Football Bowl Subdivision programs play with a ball made by Big Game USA. This season, Big Game has introduced gametag, the latest development in football technology. It allows fans an opportunity to own a piece of football memorabilia, but more than that, gametag· offers complete authentication. Currently, four Division I schools (Mississippi State, Navy, Nebraska and Texas A&M) use balls equipped with gametag·. For more information about Big Game USA, visit biggameusa.com or contact Josh Eells at 972-292-0700 or jeells@biggameusa.com.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization
founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,400 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For
more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516.