Week 6 Player of the Week: Nick Fitzgerald

Expectations were high coming into this season, both for the Bulldogs and for quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. To this point both him and the team have been a bit of an up and down ride. Just when many were hitting the panic button following two losses, both the team and Fitzgerald answered. On Saturday, the Bulldogs took care of number 8 ranked Auburn and climbed back into the AP top 25 at number 24. Looking at the top performances on Saturday, it was a clear and easy choice for me to have Nick Fitzgerald as your player of the week.

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Fitzgerald still struggled through the air on Saturday, going 9-for-17 for a measly 69 yards and an interception. But what Fitzgerald didn’t do in the passing game, he did do in the run game. He carried the ball 28 times for 195 yards and found the end-zone twice. The two touchdowns were different types of plays that highlighted two important things Fitzgerald brought on Saturday. On the first touchdown, a one yard run, Fitzgerald lowered the boom and bullied his way into the end-zone. This was the fight and heart that was on display all game. On the second touchdown, Fitzgerald broke free on a 21 yard run that both highlighted his athleticism and skill, and sealed the biggest victory of the year. Now it’s time for Fitzgerald to do it again on the road at LSU next weekend after the bye.

Check back each week for Mississippi State’s player of the week.