Tua Tagovailoa has been all that and then some at quarterback for the University of Alabama through nine games this season, but the Crimson Tide needed every effort from Jalen Hurts in 2017 to knock off Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss.
Nick Fitzgerald watched the Bulldogs’ seven-point advantage, 24-17, evaporate in the fourth quarter as the native Texan guided Alabama’s offense to a pair of scoring drives – including the 26-yard, game-winning strike to DeVonta Smith with 25 seconds remaining.
Smith’s touchdown did more than quiet the crowd, it negated an exceptional performance from Fitzgerald and Mississippi State’s offense.