STARKVILLE — Nick Fitzgerald’s fourth-quarter victory lap was one with solid statistical basis. He exited the game late in the third quarter with 243 passing yards, 108 rushing, four touchdown tosses and a 35-point lead he watched get expanded to 42.
Yet, this was not Fitzgerald’s day. The numbers suggest this was Fitzgerald’s most impressive passing performance of his senior season, and it probably was. More impressive was the corps of pass catchers he had at his disposal.
Fitzgerald’s improvement as a passer in two week’s time has put the explosive potential of the No. 21 Mississippi State passing attack on the shoulders of wide receivers and running backs, and they delivered their best performance of the season Saturday. Yards after the catch came early and often in MSU’s 45-3 win over Louisiana Tech (6-3).
“One of the base tenets of our offense is attempting to get our speed in space, for lack of a better term, whether it’s running backs or any of the receivers or Nick in the run game,” coach Joe Moorhead said. “You don’t want it to be a phone booth game, you want it to be an open field game. Open-field tackling is a hard thing to do, so the more we can do that and the more we can spread things out, it makes it hard to defend.”
Running back Kylin Hill was the first to make more of what he was given. His first touch of the game, a swing screen on MSU’s second play, he met Louisiana Tech linebacker Collin Scott and threw him off his feet with a violent shoulder.
Junior receiver Stephen Guidry did it with finesse, granted a 1-on-1 less than 10 yards away from the end zone and finishing it with crafty moves. Deddrick Thomas did the same with one cut in the final yards of his 36-yard score.
Senior wide receiver Jesse Jackson did both. He shook off a violent hit on his first catch and turned a quick hitch into a 24-yard gain with his second.
“I think it was our time to step up and take the reins,” Jackson said. “Given the opportunity to make plays, as far as our group, we’ve got a bunch of fighters. Once you put the ball in our hands, we’re going to make the most of it.”
It’s possible this was the discovery of another piece of a previously much-maligned passing attack.
Moorhead said in the face of those struggles MSU needed all three elements of a passing game to come together: protection, accuracy and wide receiver play. Fitzgerald did his part in throwing for 241 yards on Texas A&M.
With pass catchers showing highlight potential, it could give MSU the explosive potential it needs with perfect timing: a trip to No. 1 Alabama due next week.
The time to translate the success of the last two weeks to the sport’s living, breathing dynasty will come in a matter of days. Until then, the numbers show it and the players feel it: this is as effective as MSU’s passing game has been in all facets in several weeks.
“They’re very talented guys,” Fitzgerald said of his pass catchers. “I think we’re all synced together right now.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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