Hog Calls

Allen, Prescott get some spotlight

Arkansas' Brandon Allen chats with Mississippi State's Dak Prescott after their game Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Currently the SEC sports both the leading Heisman Trophy candidate and the candidate leading the Heisman consideration until the last three weeks.

The Arkansas Razorbacks would vote for neither. If they couldn't vote for the best of their own, senior quarterback Brandon Allen, they would vote for Mississippi State senior quarterback Dak Prescott.

Considering others would seem folly to these Razorbacks.

And they have gone head-to-head with Derrick Henry, the Alabama running back and present Heisman favorite, and LSU running back Leonard Fournette, running away with the Heisman until running into trouble losing to Alabama and Arkansas. In Arkansas eyes, they pale to Allen and Prescott during Mississippi State's 51-50 victory Saturday night, which was decided by a blocked field goal at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Even with Saturday night's temperatures plunging into the 20s, who couldn't be warmed watching the quarterbacks incredibly registering seven touchdowns each?

Prescott posted five touchdowns passing and two running.

Allen's seven touchdown passes set a Razorbacks record and tied a SEC record.

Between them, they passed for 914 yards. Prescott, though intercepted once and fumbling once, completed 38 of 50 for 508.

Allen played turnover-free while completing 30 of 43 for 406.

Henry and Fournette are extraordinary backs, but Arkansas held them to ordinary numbers. Henry netted 95 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries in Alabama's 27-14 victory over Arkansas in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Fournette netted 91 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries in Arkansas' 31-14 victory in Baton Rouge.

Prescott's 46 yards on 15 carries don't appear that impressive until noting 12 yards were subtracted by 2 sacks and that his rushes achieved 2 touchdowns and 6 first downs.

Allen vs. Mississippi State displayed subtly extraordinary mobility. He never got sacked and even caught a two-point conversion throwback pass from receiver Jared Cornelius.

Protagonists in down-to-the-wire 24-17 and 17-10 games that Mississippi State won in 2013 and 2014, Allen and Prescott met Saturday as collegians for the last time.

They could meet again in the NFL.

Who would have thought that back in 2012 when Prescott, 6-2, 230, was the Mississippi State freshman version of Tim Tebow as a 2005 Florida freshman, both brutish runners but primitive passers.

Tebow eventually won a Heisman that Prescott won't. But Prescott enters the 2016 NFL draft a vastly more polished passer than Tebow ever was.

Allen, once the quarterback it seemed some Arkansas fans loved to hate, has become a NFL prospect that "the scouts love," Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said. Bielema said that long before Allen's five consecutively outstanding performances commencing with the Oct. 24 four overtimes 54-48 victory over Auburn.

Allen, Prescott and Fournette prove something else.

Given that Alabama's Crimson Tide checkmated all three while beating Arkansas, 27-14, LSU, 30-16 and Mississippi State, 31-6, they prove Alabama's defense is simply the best.

Derrick Henry likely will win the Heisman because he runs with and never against the Tide.

Sports on 11/23/2015