Mississippi State Football: Bulldogs win Egg Bowl, snatch back Golden Egg

1. Nick Fitzgerald doesn’t have to be a pocket passer to succeed

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. That simple axiom speaks volumes and coach Moorhead has learned the perils of tweaking things which didn’t need to be tweaked. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald had moments this season when he looked utterly lost. The situation became so dire that calls for backup quarterback Keytaon Thompson nearly cost the multi-year starter his job.

Then Moorhead led Fitzgerald be Fitzgerald, and the offense took off. Fitzgerald leaves Mississippi State as the SEC’s all-time leader in rushing yards for a quarterback. He set the record in the Bulldogs’ win over Auburn earlier this year and has continued to add to it for the remainder of the season.

Fitzgerald completed 11 passes for 111 yards and one passing touchdown against Ole Miss. On the ground, he tallied 117 yards and two scores, including a long of 27 yards. His efficiency on the ground is vastly superior to this abilities through the air. Once Moorhead let him do what he’s comfortable doing the entire offense was better off — something they demonstrated emphatically on Thanksgiving night.

There might not be a lengthy NFL future for Fitzgerald and his passing flaws might be the culprit of those doubts. Nevertheless, he’s a heck of a college quarterback. Just ask Ole Miss.