Bulldogs’ QB situation up in air

Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott (15) fights off a tackle attempt by Kentucky safety Eric Dixon (28) as he runs for long yards in the first half of their NCAA college football game at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott (15) fights off a tackle attempt by Kentucky safety Eric Dixon (28) as he runs for long yards in the first half of their NCAA college football game at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Mississippi State Coach Dan Mullen said Wednesday he probably wouldn’t decide until pregame warmups who will start at quarterback for the Bulldogs today against Arkansas.

Is it possible Mullen really doesn’t know the availability of fifth-year senior Tyler Russell and redshirt sophomore Dak Prescott?

Is it also possible he just wants to keep the Razorbacks’ guessing until the Bulldogs take their first snap?

Russell made his fourth start of the season last week against Alabama, but left in the second half with a shoulder injury. Prescott, who has started six games, didn’t dress out due to a nerve irritation in his elbow.

True freshman Damian Williams finished up after Russell was injured.

Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said he understands why Mullen hasn’t announced his starter, even if he has already decided.

“I’ve been in that shoe, too,” Bielema said, conceding that Mullen has nothing to gain by revealing a starter. “If I was a coach at Mississippi State, I don’t think I’d be telling as well. … But we’re not changing our defense based on who’s back there. You just make certain calls, but we’re still a 4-3 defense and have some fun on third down and stuff like that.”

Russell, who threw four touchdown passes in the Bulldogs’ 45-14 victory over Arkansas last season, is a drop-back passer with career totals of 5,178 passing yards and 40 touchdowns.

Prescott is a dual threat, leading the Bulldogs in passing yards (1,542) and rushing yards (722) while accounting for 17 touchdowns.

Williams, who has played in three games, has completed 11 of 23 passes for 152 yards and has 14 carries for 32 yards.

“The challenges it brings is essentially you have three game plans, one game plan per guy, because each quarterback does have different attributes,” Arkansas defensive line coach Charlie Partridge said. “From that standpoint, we’ve got to be smart to make sure our kids can handle the things we’re asking them to carry out.”

The injuries to Russell and Prescott have given Williams more practice reps than he might normally have received as a third-string quarterback. Russell also missed games with a concussion and an ankle injury.

“Damian’s comfortable in the whole entire offense,” Mullen said. “What we’ll try to do is protect him a little bit in how much he has to check or how many different adjustments he’s got to make and just try to take some of that pressure off of him.”

That’s assuming Williams plays.

“I don’t think they have three playbooks that they hand out to the offense in case whoever is in there, but we know who’s got what strengths,” Bielema said. “Maybe not as well as they do, but we know obviously what certain quarterbacks bring to the table.”

Last week’s open date gave the Arkansas staff extra time to study tendencies.

“We just go out there and go by what we see on film, whether it’s the first-string quarterback or the fifth-string quarterback,” Arkansas linebacker Braylon Mitchell said. “We prepare for all different types of players and formations.”

Bielema said the Razorbacks need to have a heightened awareness of which plays each quarterback has executed the best, though they don’t have much game tape of Williams.

“With the freshman, you could get anything, obviously,” Bielema said. “It’s not so much different calls, it’s an awareness of what might particularly happen.”

Sports, Pages 27 on 11/23/2013

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