Saturday Down South is chronicling Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott’s junior season as he pursues his chance to win this year’s Heisman Trophy. Prescott has led the Bulldogs to a 2-0 start to the season with wins over Southern Miss and UAB.

Dak Prescott starred in Mississippi State’s first three games of the 2014 season, but he hardly received any attention from media outside the state of Mississippi thanks to a trio of low-profile games against mediocre opponents.

That’s no longer the case following Prescott’s tremendous performance in a 34-29 win over then-No. 8 LSU in Death Valley last weekend. Prescott threw for 268 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions, and added 105 rushing yards, including a 56-yard touchdown run in the second half of the victory over LSU.

It was the third straight game in which he threw for 200 yards and ran for 100 yards, but the first time he had done so against a reputable defense.

Following the victory in Baton Rouge — Mississippi State’s first road victory against a ranked team since 1986 — Prescott began to receive plenty of attention from the national media, which introduced the little-known superstar to the rest of America outside of the southeast. Athlon Sports named Prescott its Player of the Week for Week 4, and the SEC awarded him its co-Offensive Player of the Week honor, although he shared it with Alabama wideout Amari Cooper (who is also a Heisman contender).

Prescott put up more than just impressive numbers against LSU; he made multiple Heisman-worthy plays during the game that should stand out in voters’ minds when it comes time to decide on this year’s Heisman winner.

His 56-yard touchdown run came one drive after he fumbled in the backfield, allowing LSU to return the loose ball for a defensive touchdown. His response alone to what should have been a devastating turnover showed he has resiliency and leadership abilities most college athletes do not possess. The run itself, however, will be replayed on Prescott’s highlight reels for years to come.

He initially followed a hole on the interior of the offensive line and burst ahead for a first down on third and 3, but upon reaching the open field he transformed from quarterback into explosive athlete, out-running most of the LSU defense and dancing around the rest of the Tigers who were somehow fast enough to get a hand on him.

The combination of speed and agility he displayed would leave even most Division I tailbacks in awe, but Prescott can also throw the ball as well as anyone in the SEC.

One drive removed from his heroic touchdown run, Prescott made another Heisman-caliber play, this time with his arm. The LSU defense got great pressure on Prescott in the pocket, forcing him to make moves in three different directions before eventually rolling out to the open field to his left. It appeared at that point as though Prescott would tuck the ball and run, relying on his athleticism to make the most of a broken play.

Instead, he kept his eyes down the field and found his teammate, Jameon Lewis, wide open behind the LSU defense. Rather than running for a 10-20 yard gain, he threw a perfect ball to Lewis, who ran in a 74-yard touchdown reception to extend Mississippi State’s lead. Prescott’s presence of mind to keep his eyes up the field was impressive, and his arm strength and accuracy in throwing on the run were simply incredible.

Most quarterbacks in America could not have made either play, but Prescott made both with relative ease. He’d made similar plays in Mississippi State’s first three games as well, but, again, those games were not against top-flight opponents like LSU.

Mississippi State is now all the way up to No. 14 in the most recent Associated Press Poll, and Prescott is the face of a team that will now play in almost exclusively high-profile games the remainder of the regular season. If he can keep up this level of play in the Bulldogs’ final eight games, he will remain on the national radar and on the short list of contenders for the Heisman Trophy.

Prescott has yet to have a bad game in 2014, and now he’s had a great game against a ranked SEC West foe. If he wasn’t considered a Heisman contender before the LSU game, he certainly is now.