When Mississippi State University takes the field for the first time for the 2018 season this Saturday against Stephen F Austin University, they will be without their team captain and starting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, a senior from Richmond Hill, Georgia.

“Nick’s violation of team rules occurred in March. Since that time, he has been elected captain, he has had an awesome spring ball, and he has had an awesome summer conditioning workout, and an awesome fall camp,” said Joe Moorhead, the head coach who is opening his career at MSU this Saturday. 

Fitzgerald will only miss this first game. Additionally, Cory Thomas will not play. Moorhead, who declined to say when Fitzgerald first found out about the suspension, said he will start in the game at Kansas State University on Sept. 8.

“He has been an awesome leader and and awesome teammate, but he will serve his suspension this week,” Moorhead said. “Hopefully he can come back and be our starter against Kansas State. Our guys certainly understand, we talk about choices, and consequences, and decision making and accountability. They understand how to deal with the consequence of their choice, and we will see those guys back on the field soon.”

Keytaon Thompson, a sophomore from New Orleans, will start as quarterback. He played in the Egg Bowl after Fitzgerald suffered an ankle injury, as well as when he started in the Taxslayer Bowl against Louisville. Moorhead believes Thompson will be ready to go.

“KT is going to do an awesome job,” Moorhead said. “We have a next man in philosophy, where if one man goes, the person who replaces him is going to do an as good or better of a job; and KT, Jaylen Mayden and Logan (Burnett) are going to do a real good job there.”

Moorhead said the team has a lot of faith in Thompson, who lead them to a Bowl Victory in his first career start and has thrown for 388 yards and two touchdowns, he has also rushed for 446 yards and six touchdowns in his career at MSU.

“I think the guys have a tremendous amount of belief in Keytaon,” Moorhead said. “Obviously because of how talented he is. He has had the ability to go into a game, in particularly a bowl game, under an interim staff against a Heisman trophy-winning quarterback, and ended up taking them to a great win in a bowl game.”

Moorhead said he hopes the culture they have developed at MSU with a focus on accountability has given Thompson and the team a great opportunity to play well and handle adversity.

“I think on top of what KT brings to the table as a player, that our team has a belief that we are going to handle prosperity and handle adversity,” Moorhead said. “You gotta keep your chin off your chest, you got to stand strong, and trust that KT is a very good player, and we are going to put him in a position to be successful.”