Three games, three easy wins for Mississippi State, as the Bulldogs cruise to a 56-10 win over the University of Louisiana. It was an impressive night for the Bulldog offense, and especially quarterback Nick Fitzgerald as he followed up a tough debut last week at Kansas State with one of his best games as a Bulldog.
THE PLAY
. @nickfitz07 hits @Deddrick_901 in stride for a 44 yard gain , sets up the second TD by Fitz #HailState pic.twitter.com/EpkTs51Pcy
— Elite Dawgs (@EliteDawgs) September 16, 2018
It was early in the first quarter when Fitzgerald found his first of many on target deep passes, hitting Deddrick Thomas here for a 44 yard gain that set up the first of his four rushing touchdowns. This is the type of throw Bulldog fans are wanting to see more of, just perfectly dropped into an open receiver’s hands. Fitzgerald would have one of his best nights as a passer Saturday, going 14-21 for 243 yards and two touchdowns. If this is the type of passing you can expect from Fitzgerald going forward, combined with the lethal Bulldog running game, it is going to be incredibly difficult to beat this team.
THE PLAYER
Mississippi State QB Nick Fitzgerald has his 2nd career game with 4 rushing TD.
He joins Peyton Barber and Tre Mason as the only SEC players in the last 20 seasons with multiple games of 4 rushing TD.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 16, 2018
Nick Fitzgerald continues to carve out his legacy as the greatest running quarterback in SEC history. His 107 yards tonight leave him just 195 short of the SEC career record for a quarterback, held by Florida legend Tim Tebow. A huge game against Kentucky could get him there, but it appears likely Fitzgerald will break that record with his old coach on the opposing sideline, as Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators make their much anticipated arrival in Starkville on September 29.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE TALK ABOUT?
Moorhead on Aeris Williams: “I was very excited for him. He came back and had a great week of practice, did all the things he needed to do from an accountability standpoint.”
— Brett Hudson (@Brett_Hudson) September 16, 2018
A week after the huge performance of Kylin Hill, it was Aeris Williams’ turn to shine on the ground. He goes over 100 yards and a score, and looked more explosive that I can recall seeing him previously. If Williams and Hill can become that dynamic duo to go with what Fitzgerald provides on the ground, the other defensive coordinators around the SEC will up for some sleepless nights. It will be interesting to see how the carries divvy up next weekend at Kentucky.
WHAT’S NEXT?
.@UKFootball is 3⃣-0⃣ pic.twitter.com/9WWL3p9sQe
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 15, 2018
You might not have expected to be Kentucky to be undefeated when Mississippi State rolled into Lexington, but here the Wildcats are. When you look at the SEC East, obviously Georgia is the team to beat, but there is a real race for second place, and the win over Florida gives the Wildcats an early edge. MSU has won 8 of the last 9 against Kentucky, and the Bulldogs will be looking to keep the momentum these three wins have brought them. It all makes for what should be an interesting game next week in Bluegrass country.
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