Mississippi State Football: How Tommy Stevens won the starting job

Mississippi State football’s biggest question mark into fall camp was who would be the starting quarterback. The question has been answered.

The battle to replace departed quarterback Nick Fitzgerald has come to a conclusion. Coach Joe Moorhead named graduate transfer Tommy Stevens the starter over junior Keytaon Thompson.

The battle was a close one but obviously Stevens separated himself enough to earn the starting nod. The Bulldogs open up the season against Louisiana in the New Orleans Superdome.

Over the course of his three years as Trace McSorley’s backup at Penn State, Stevens was mainly used as a receiver and as a runner. He had 76 carries for 506 yards and eight touchdowns. He also posted 14 receptions for 62 yards and two touchdowns.

As far as his actual throwing arm, he only attempted 41 throws, completing 24 of them. He threw for 304 yards and four scores.

How did Stevens win the job?

A huge factor in Stevens winning the starting job over Thompson was his familiarity with Moorhead’s offensive system from his time as offensive coordinator at Penn State. After Moorhead left for the head coaching gig at Mississippi State, the offensive system remained basically the same for the Nittany Lions. This gave Stevens a leg up and he hit the ground running when he landed in Starkville back in May.

In camp, Stevens showed off his skills and is knowledge of the system to pull away in the competition. He has the size and speed plus has plenty of athleticism. The Bulldog offense could be very explosive with Stevens leading the way.

It certainly appears Stevens made the right decision to leave Happy Valley. We have seen a small sample size of what he brings to the table. Now in his last season of eligibility, he looks to put up his best numbers yet.

Last season Stevens was marred by injuries, which ailed him into the spring of this year before he left Penn State. The big question now is can he stay healthy as a starting quarterback. Bulldog fans certainly hope he can.