Maroon and White Nation
Fansided

15 Reasons To Be Excited For The 2018 Mississippi State Football Season

By Ethan Lee

STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 21: Garrett Johnson #9 of the Kentucky Wildcats catches a pass as Maurice Smitherman #31 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs tackles him during the first half of a NCAA football game at Davis Wade Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 21: Garrett Johnson #9 of the Kentucky Wildcats catches a pass as Maurice Smitherman #31 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs tackles him during the first half of a NCAA football game at Davis Wade Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
15 of 16
Next
STARKVILLE, MS – OCTOBER 8: Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs scrambles for yardage against the Auburn Tigers during the second half of an NCAA college football game on Oct. 8, 2016 in Starkville, Mississippi. Auburn won 38-14. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS – OCTOBER 8: Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs scrambles for yardage against the Auburn Tigers during the second half of an NCAA college football game on Oct. 8, 2016 in Starkville, Mississippi. Auburn won 38-14. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /

Nick Fitzgerald Should Still Be One Of The Nation’s Best Runners In 2018

Now, a lot of the discussion around Nick Fitzgerald revolves around his passing ability. Rightfully so. The Bulldogs need their fifth year senior starting quarterback to take a step forward with how he throws the ball. That’s not really up for debate. Mississippi State absolutely needs Fitz to improve on that front.

But, something that isn’t really being discussed much is Fitz’s running capabilities. And that’s a little weird to me. Yes, Fitz is coming off of a gruesome injury to his ankle. Yes, that could theoretically impact him running the ball this season. And yes, Fitzgerald’s focus should be on throwing the ball this season.

However, Joe Moorhead has a solid weapon with Fitzgerald’s ability to move the ball downfield quickly by running. Moorhead shouldn’t use Fitzgerald as a battering ram, but he should still make sure that Fitz gets an opportunity to run the ball enough.

For his career, Nick Fitzgerald has run for 2486 yards and 33 touchdowns. So far, he’s averaging 6.5 yards per carry. He’s broken records along the way and is set to break more in 2018. Fitzgerald should still be one of the best runners in the country next year. He may not run the ball as much, but that potential and talent is still there.

Home/Mississippi State Football