STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Nick Fitzgerald threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead Mississippi State to a 49-0 victory over Charleston Southern on Saturday in the season opener for both teams.
Mississippi State racked up 555 yards of offense with 29 first downs and almost a 50-50 split on yards rushing and passing.
Such offensive chutzpah was to be expected from a Dan Mullen team, but the bigger surprise for Mississippi State was their defensive dominance.
Charleston Southern mustered only 33 total yards and two first downs against an MSU defense that allowed an average of 459 yards per game last season.