Former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott made a terrific NFL preseason debut with the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, August 13.

     The Cowboys began their 2016 season facing the Los Angeles Rams. The game, which was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, marks the Rams return to the city after relocating in 1995.

     Prescott, who was a fourth-round draft pick by Dallas, was the starter for Saturday’s game. At the end of the first half, he had thrown for an impressive 139 yards and two touchdowns while completing 10 out of 12 passes.

    Dallas went into halftime leading by 17 points but they could not keep up their momentum from early in the game and eventually fell to the Rams by a score of 28–24.

     Despite the team’s loss, wide receiver Dez Bryant felt the rookie quarterback played like someone with more experience.

     “He looked amazing and was extremely calm back there like he had been there before,” Bryant said. “The first time I saw him I said he was a ball player and that’s exactly what he showed tonight.”

The backup quarterback position has been a priority for the Cowboys coming into this season. Injuries to starter Tony Romo last year hurt Dallas’ playoff chances as their backups had a combined 1–11 record.

   Head coach Jason Garrett spoke on Prescott’s performance in a post game press conference.

   “I thought he played with poise and composure in every aspect of it,” Garret said. “In no way did the game seem too big for him. I just think he handled himself very well.”

Speaking at the same press conference, Prescott explained how he felt in his debut.

“It felt good, it just felt like another day with the ball in my hand,” Prescott said. “The last couple of days I was waiting on the nervous feeling, but I never really got it. I think that’s because I was prepared.”

While playing for Mississippi State, Prescott had a stellar career. In 2014, his first year as full-time starter, he led the Bulldogs to a 10–2 record and also to the program’s first No. 1 ranking. He set many school records and finished third in SEC history for total yards.

      In this opening weekend of the NFL preseason Prescott’s performance was the best of all rookie quarterbacks.

     His next action on the field should come in the Cowboys next preseason game. Dallas will face the Miami Dolphins on Friday, August 19 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.