Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall (14) waits for the team to pray after their victory against LSU at their game on Oct. 4, 2014, in Auburn, Ala.
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott (15) waves to the fans after defeating Southern Mississippi 49-0 in their game in Starkville, Miss., in this Aug. 30, 2014, file photoToday's showdown between No. 2 Auburn and No. 3 Mississippi State is being hailed as the biggest football game ever at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville.
It's the first matchup of top-three teams to take place in the Magnolia State, and it also contains the nation's new top two Heisman Trophy hopefuls. With Georgia tailback Todd Gurley suspended indefinitely and having not traveled to Missouri, the Heisman favorites of the moment are Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott and Auburn counterpart Nick Marshall.
Prescott is averaging 246.4 passing yards and 91 rushing yards a game for the 5-0 Bulldogs, drawing comparisons to 2010 Heisman winner and former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.
"Both of them are big and physical, and both of them can run," said Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, who was Auburn's offensive coordinator in 2010 when Newton led the Tigers to the national championship. "There is no doubt about that. He's like another running back for them, and he throws the ball extremely well. He's definitely one of the better quarterbacks in the country."
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Prescott has 304 more passing yards, one more passing touchdown and one more rushing touchdown than Newton had through five games in 2010, with Newton owning a 19-yard advantage in rushing yards.
Marshall is the only Southeastern Conference quarterback averaging more rushing yards per game (93.2) than Prescott, and each has been incredibly efficient throwing. Prescott has 13 aerial touchdowns compared to just two interceptions, while Marshall has thrown for eight scores and been intercepted once.
"He looked pretty dangerous in every game last year as well," Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen said of Marshall. "What I've seen is a guy who's just very, very confident in what he's doing out there on the field. He understands their offense, and he has grown in terms of how the offense applies to teams you're playing within a specific game plan.
"It's like a chess player who can see a couple of moves in advance because he has that confidence."
Mississippi State has won seven consecutive regular-season games dating back to last season, while Auburn has won 13. Both teams already have overwhelmed LSU with their imposing ground games, and both are 2-0 in the loaded SEC West.
So what are the the keys for each coach?
For Malzahn, it's about being productive from the very first snap.
"We've got to get out to a fast start," he said. "We were able to get off to a fast start last week [against LSU], and it really helped us momentum-wise. A couple of weeks before that [at Kansas State], we were really slow out of the gate, so I think the start will be a really critical part in the game."
For Mullen, it's about handling the pressure that comes with Starkville being the center of the college football world for the first time. The Bulldogs were ranked 12th last week when they hosted No. 6 Texas A&M and whipped the Aggies 48-31.
"We've needed to keep the focus and attention, and I think our guys have done a great job of that," Mullen said. "They understand all the work we still have ahead of us and what a huge challenge it is playing Auburn. They are No. 2, but I think a lot of people view them as the No. 1 team in the country. They're the defending conference champions, and it's a huge challenge for our program.
"Our guys are really excited and fired up, and we know we really haven't accomplished much. We're only 2-0 in the SEC. We want to win a lot more than those two games."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.