Auburn coach Gus Malzahn is coming off a demoralizing loss to LSU on Saturday, losing 45-21 in Death Valley, their eighth straight loss there. It doesn’t get any easier for Auburn, which hosts Mississippi State in Week 4.

Here are the highlights of what Malzahn said during his weekly presser on Tuesday:

On Dak Prescott:

“Offensively, their quarterback’s one of the better players in all of college football. He’s their leader, throws the ball extremely well. He’s like another running back, really makes their offense go.”

On Mississippi State’s defense:

“They got a lot of guys back from last year, which was a very good defensive unit. Their defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is a guy that we’re familiar with. He was at Mississippi State in 2010. Last year, he was at Louisiana Tech, which we actually played those guys. He’s very unique with the things he does.”

On going with redshirt freshman QB Sean White as the starter:

“We’re going to make a change at quarterback this week, and Sean White is going to be our starter. Sean is in a good spot. He’s practiced well. We have a lot of confidence in him.”

On Carl Lawson’s injury:

“His injury is a little more serious than we first thought. He’s going to be out for an extended period of time. I’m not ready to say exactly when that is. We’re hopeful we’ll get him back before the season is out. Obviously, he’s an impact player. It’s been really tough on him, especially going through last season and then having another (injury). He’s a great competitor, and he’s going to do everything in his power to get back on the field.”

On what went into the decision to start White:

“Anytime you change quarterbacks, it’s not an easy decision. Really, probably today is when I really went ahead, and me and (offensive coordinator Rhett) Lashlee made the decision. We feel like that’s best for the offense right now. Sean White is a guy who’s gotten a lot of reps. He’s responded very well in practice, very well in scrimmages. I just feel like he needs his shot right now, and we have a lot of confidence in him.”

On how Jeremy Johnson handled the decision:

“Jeremy’s a competitor, but he’s a team guy, too. He’ll support Sean, and he’ll get reps still in practice, and he’ll be ready if he’s called upon.”

More on Sean White:

“I’m looking forward to seeing Sean. He’s a guy that can flat out throw it. He can run it, too. He’s got that little air of confidence that quarterbacks have.”

On similarities with Auburn’s 2013 season:

“There’s some similarities. We didn’t play great early in 2013. We went to LSU, got beat pretty good. Then, we kind of knew what we had going forward, and we got better. Our team rolled their sleeves up, and our leaders stepped up, and that’s what needs to happen right now.”