Mississippi State Football: Bulldogs blindsided by Kentucky

1. Nick Fitzgerald has some work to do

There were some that thought Nick Fitzgerald might have a chance to win the Heisman Trophy this season. The Bulldogs’ quarterback had the prerequisite ability to take home the coveted award; he’s mobile and plays in an offense that is going to put up a lot of points. What he lacked, though, was accuracy. That came back to bite him against Kentucky.

Fitzgerald completed 50 percent (16-of-32) of his passes in defeat, throwing for 145 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

One of the biggest changes from Dan Mullen to Joe Moorhead was the emphasis on big plays. After finishing 11th in the SEC with 20 plays of 30+ yards last season, the Bulldogs had already picked up 12 such plays entering their game against Kentucky. They had zero against the Wildcats.

The lack of explosion falls on the quarterback. Fitzgerald had his moments, but he wasn’t able to operate this offense to the furthest extent of its capabilities. There’s some growth for Fitzgerald to be done, making the chances of a Heisman Trophy run all but dead in the water at this point.