Mississippi State Football: 5 reasons Bulldogs will win 2018 Egg Bowl vs. Ole Miss

5. Nick Fitzgerald is back at quarterback for Mississippi State

A year after his gruesome leg injury prematurely ended his Egg Bowl, Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald is back in 2018 for another chance to take down the rival Rebels on Thanksgiving. His return has galvanized a team that dealt with a coaching change and could have easily backslid in their first year in Joe Moorhead’s system.

Fitzgerald has seen his individual numbers drop off a bit in his first year working with Moorhead and offensive coordinator Luke Gatsy. But he has played a more mature game, helping shepherd the Bulldogs offense down the gridiron and providing an effective pivot for the transition to life under a new head coach.

The quarterback has always been more of a runner than a passer. This year he leads the team in rushing, with his 901 yards putting Fitzgerald in the top 50 among all rushers nationally. Fitzgerald has punched in 14 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns so far in 2018, accounting for more than 14 points per game this year to rank in the top 30 nationally in points generated.

Fitzgerald is poised to break the 1000-yard barrier in rushing for the second time in his college career, and he will get the 99 yards he needs on the ground before the fourth quarter rolls around. The quarterback will also beat Ole Miss with his arm, throwing for somewhere around 240 yards and two or three touchdowns.