Mississippi State Bulldogs: 74 yards for the SEC’s most dynamic QB
By Matt Green
There are 74 days till college football season, and on today’s countdown we focus on the SEC’s most dynamic quarterback.
Most people would probably think of Jalen Hurts, the 2016 SEC offensive player of the year, when discussing the most dynamic quarterback in the Southeastern Conference, but this guy actually plays for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
And that leads us to no. 74 in the Southbound and Down College Football Countdown.
Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald completed a 74-yard pass and had two 74-yard runs in 2016.
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Nick Fitzgerald didn’t start the season opener for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and they lost to South Alabama 21-20. But after that, Fitzgerald was given the keys in Starkville, and he did not disappoint.
In his first start against South Carolina, the Bulldogs scored on their opening drive. Then on their second drive, Fitzgerald kept the ball on a zone read and busted one down the right sideline all the way down inside the 5-yard line. Mississippi State was actually stopped on 4th and goal on that drive, but Fitzgerald showed what he was capable of.
In the game, Fitzgerald went 19-for-29 for 178 yards with two touchdowns and an interception through the air. He also rushed for 195 yards on 17 carries.
In the eighth game of the season, Samford actually cut Mississippi State’s lead to 21-20 midway through the second quarter, but the Bulldogs responded quickly. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Fitzgerald hit Donald Gray down the right sideline for a 74-yard touchdown pass, putting them up 28-20.
Fitzgerald threw for 419 yards and ran for 117 yards and tallied seven total touchdowns in the game.
The following week against Texas A&M, Fitzgerald took a zone read 74 yards on the Bulldogs’ very first play from scrimmage to give them an early 7-0 lead over the Aggies. Fitzgerald tallied 391 yards and four total touchdowns in the Mississippi State Bulldogs’ 35-28 upset win over no. 4 Texas A&M.
Only LSU’s Derrius Guice (1,387) had more rushing yards than Fitzgerald’s 1,375 yards in 2016, and no one in the SEC had more rushing touchdowns than Fitzgerald (16) last season.
Fitzgerald bursted on the scene as a virtual unknown last season, so it will be interesting to see what he’s capable of when everyone is game planning for him in 2017.