Former teammates and colleagues will clash on Saturday night in an early battle of the unbeatens; the No. 17 Mississippi State University (3-0, 1-0) will take on No. 11 University of Georgia (3-0) in a battle of the Bulldogs.
Players and coaches alike downplayed any exciting storylines heading into the SEC West versus SEC East showdown. MSU will face their second straight ranked opponent this weekend, and junior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, a childhood UGA fan, said he is approaching this game just like any other.
“It’s just an opponent we have to beat,” Fitzgerald said. “I mean, I’ll have some extra friends and family there, but it’s still a team we got to face and a team we got to go beat.”
Growing up in Richmond Hill, Georgia, Fitzgerald quickly became indoctrinated in all things red and black. Fitzgerald grew up watching highlights of his second cousin, Charles Pledger, a former UGA cornerback.
However, coming out of high school, Fitzgerald was raw and did not garner attention from the Georgia Bulldogs.
“I know the reasons why people weren’t looking at me,” Fitzgerald said. “I know it’s hard to take a chance on a guy who hasn’t started at quarterback until his senior year, but Mississippi State did. I’m glad I’m here, and it couldn’t have worked out better for me.”
MSU fans would agree taking a chance on the quarterback from Georgia, who only attempted 76 passes in his high school career, was the right move.
This season, Fitzgerald averaged four combined touchdowns a game.
However, the stout UGA front seven aim to wipe the smile from Fitzgerald’s face. The defense is built around their talented veteran linebackers, most notably senior outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter.
Head coach Dan Mullen praised the UGA defense and their coaching staff. Mullen said UGA has five-star athletes at every position, which allows them to switch their defensive front fluidly and wreak havoc against opponents.
The MSU coaching staff are no strangers to the UGA Bulldog program either. Tight end coach D.J. Looney and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham both spent time on the UGA coaching staff.
Grantham coached four seasons at UGA as the defensive coordinator and was the mastermind behind UGA’s 2011 defense, which was ranked third in the nation.
However, after a brief stint at the University of Louisville, Grantham traded in one Bulldog for another. Uninterested in answering probing questions about his past, Grantham said his only goal is to get his players ready for the game.
“You know it’s another SEC game for us,” Grantham said. “It’s a road game, it’s our second conference game and I just want to make sure we prepare for it the right way and go out and play a talented Georgia team.”
UGA’s star senior running backs, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, will test Grantham’s defense.
The duo are complete backs who expose defenses in the running and passing game. UGA coaches use Chubb as their primary back, but utilize Michel too, considering him a true backup. The tandem rushed for 450 yards and six touchdowns in their first three games.
“Both those guys [Chubb, Michel] are dynamic in the way they run,” Grantham said. “They have the ability to get double digit runs and make home run plays. They can run through guys, they’ve got good vision and balance so they are going to test us.”
Safety Jonathan Abram started his college career as a Georgia Bulldog but is ending his career as a Bulldog in Starkville.
After his freshman year, the junior from Columbia, shocked his UGA coaches and teammates by announcing he was leaving the program. After a year at Jones County Community College, Abram, the then top JUCO safety in the country, transferred to MSU.
A player often praised by coaches for his ability to play with incredible emotion and drive, Abram has made his mark on the MSU secondary. Safeties coach Ron English said he expects his safety to channel his emotions into big plays on the field.
“John [Abram] plays with emotion anyways, so, really, to me, I’d much rather them play with great emotion,” English said. “Now, you still have to be able to execute, but I’d much rather them play with that emotion.”
Abram, according to his teammates, has been noticeably more focused and quiet during practice leading up to this game. Fellow safety Mark McLaurin said he knows his teammate is dialed in and motivates everyone around him to follow suit.
“He [Abram] already said this game means more to him than any other game, and he means it, so we are behind him,” McLaurin said.
Abram and the MSU secondary will be asked to help in run support as well as cover UGA’s elite wide receivers. English said communication and following the game plan will be the keys to success in the secondary. Junior safety Brandon Bryant reiterated his coach’s point.
“At the end of the day, you got to execute and you got to do your assignment,” Bryant said. “When you do your assignment and execute it doesn’t matter—you’re going to make the play.”