In year one of the post-Dak era, Mississippi State opened the season with a quarterback battle between Nick Fitzgerald and Damian Williams. Damian Williams saw the majority of the snaps against South Alabama, while Fitz led the Bulldogs to victory against South Carolina the following week.
The battle continued in the third week of the season, as Fitz struggled in Death Valley, but Williams almost led State to a come-from-behind victory against the Tigers. Finally, Mullen settled with the younger and more athletic Fitzgerald for the rest of the season.
There were some ups and downs throughout the season, but Nick Fitzgerald showed the potential to excel in Mullen’s spread offense and become an elite SEC signal caller.