The Numbers Game: Backup QB Playing Time vs. FCS Teams Under Mullen
Dak Prescott won’t be the quarterback at Mississippi State forever. We all know this, so we all wonder: who is the heir apparent to Dak? With FCS Northwestern State coming to play MSU this week, fans would like a chance to see what’s in store for the future.
Mullen says getting Fitzgerald and Staley reps is important as they are one play away from having to go in at any time.
— Joel Coleman (@JoelTColeman) September 16, 2015
The plan is still to redshirt Damian Williams. His injuries from the spring break incident were the worst, but mostly because he’d like a shot to be a two-year starter. When you think about it, he’s only been in college four months longer than Nick Fitzgerald yet has two less years of eligibility. He was thrust into duty during the 2013 season, and it came in handy as he helped beat Arkansas and Ole Miss, as a true freshman. If he’s able to redshirt the 2015 season he can enter a triangular spring QB battle with two years left to play. If he feels like his chances are slim he might transfer, or perhaps compete in the fall and continue his career with the Bulldogs.
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So for now it’s redshirt freshmen Elijah Staley and Nick Fitzerald who’ll duel it out for QB2. The upper hand has been Fitzgerald from day one. Despite being in the same recruiting class (2014), Fitz made the 2013 bowl practice with MSU and 2014 spring practice while Staley was still in high school. Then Staley’s injury on the basketball court after the 2014 football season forced him to miss 2015 spring practice. So if you’re keeping score at home, that’s Fitz with two spring practices (plus a bowl practice) and Staley with zero.
Fitzgerald entered the game against Southern Miss during the final drive. He didn’t throw any passes but did run twice for 36 yards. Staley has yet to see the field. Hopefully the Bulldogs will be able to get a big enough lead for both of them to get decent playing time against Northwestern State. Here’s how much playing time backup quarterbacks have received against FCS teams during Dan Mullen’s tenure:
| Year | Backup QB(s) | Passing Attempts | Rushing Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Chris Relf | 10 | 12 |
| 2010 | Tyler Russell | 14 | 4 |
| 2011 | Tyler Russell & Dylan Favre | 22 | 2 |
| 2012 | Dak Prescott | 4 | 2 |
| 2013 | Damian Williams | 13 | 5 |
| 2014 | Damian Williams | 3 | 2 |
Ideally, Prescott will play the first half then give way to Fitzgerald in the 3rd quarter and Staley in the 4th quarter. But, college football is pretty unpredictable and so is Dan Mullen so we’ll see what happens.