Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Mississippi State Football: Nick Fitzgerald suffers gruesome injury in Egg Bowl

By Matthew Bartlett

OXFORD, MS - NOVEMBER 26: Nick Fitzgerald #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs runs the ball and tries to avoid the tackle of Zedrick Woods #36 of the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 26, 2016 in Oxford, Mississippi. The Bulldogs defeated the Rebels 55-20. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
OXFORD, MS - NOVEMBER 26: Nick Fitzgerald #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs runs the ball and tries to avoid the tackle of Zedrick Woods #36 of the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 26, 2016 in Oxford, Mississippi. The Bulldogs defeated the Rebels 55-20. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Mississippi State football‘s starting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald suffered a gruesome leg injury against Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving night.

More: 3 Bold predictions for Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl

Mississippi State football entered the Egg Bowl as a commanding favorite, but they’ll have their work cut out for them after starting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald left the game in the first quarter after suffering a gruesome ankle injury. Starkville went quiet as the fans groaned watching the pain of the heartbeat of their offense.

Fitzgerald took a quarterback keeper around the edge and got rolled up from behind. The tackle looked normal enough, but Fitzgerald’s foot got twisted significantly in the process. It was the kind of injury that makes your stomach turnover. Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Theismann’s short tweet was telling of how devastating the injury might be.

If you’ve ever seen the movie The Blindside you’re familiar with the type of injury that Theismann suffered. A quarterback can protect for things that he can see, but sometimes tacklers sneak up and deliver a hit that nobody can prepare for.

It’s extremely unlikely that we see Fitzgerald again in the Egg Bowl. He is reportedly undergoing x-rays. The extent of the injury and the implications for Mississippi State’s potential bowl game will presumably be announced at a later date.

Next: Latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft entering Week 13

Taking over for Fitzgerald is freshman Keytaon Thompson. He’s appeared in more than half of the Bulldogs’ games this season but never more than in a reserve role. Like Fitzgerald, Thompson’s legs might be more of a threat than his arm. He’s completed 8-of-19 passes for 66 yards but run for 213 yards of 24 carries. He’ll have his work cut out for him as he enters already trailing 7-0.

Home/Mississippi State Bulldogs