# 2018 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team

The 2018 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by first-year head coach Joe Moorhead. Mississippi State subsequently vacated all eight victories due to NCAA sanctions due to academic misconduct involving 10 players and a tutor in online coursework.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Lott Trophy | Jeffery Simmons | DT | JR |
| Rimington Trophy | Elgton Jenkins | C | SR |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Montez Sweat | DE | SR |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Jeffery Simmons | DT | JR |
| Maxwell Award | Nick Fitzgerald | QB | SR |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Nick Fitzgerald | QB | SR |
| Doak Walker Award | Aeris Williams | RB | SR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Jeffery Simmons | DT | JR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Montez Sweat | DE | SR |
| Outland Trophy | Jeffery Simmons | DT | JR |
| Lou Groza Award | Jace Christmann | K | SO |
| Paul Hornung Award | Deddrick Thomas | WR/KR | JR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Gerri Green | LB | SR |
| Ted Hendricks Award | Montez Sweat | DE | SR |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | Nick Fitzgerald | QB | SR |
| Manning Award | Nick Fitzgerald | QB | SR |

### SEC media poll

The SEC media poll was released on July 20, 2018 with the Bulldogs predicted to finish in third place in the West Division.
Media poll (West) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Alabama | 1,971 (263) |
| 2 | Auburn | 1,664 (19) |
| 3 | Mississippi State | 1,239 (2) |
| 4 | Texas A&M | 1,091 |
| 5 | LSU | 1,025 |
| 6 | Ole Miss | 578 |
| 7 | Arkansas | 412 |

### Preseason All-SEC teams

The Bulldogs had five players selected to the preseason all-SEC teams.

## Schedule

All eight victories were subsequently vacated as part of NCAA sanctions due to academic misconduct involving a tutor and online coursework.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 6:30 p.m. | Stephen F. Austin* | No. 18 | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | ESPNU | W 63–6 (vacated) | 54,289 |
| September 8 | 11:00 a.m. | at Kansas State* | No. 18 | Bill Snyder Family StadiumManhattan, KS | ESPN | W 31–10 (vacated) | 49,784 |
| September 15 | 6:30 p.m. | Louisiana* | No. 16 | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | ESPN2 | W 56–10 (vacated) | 56,505 |
| September 22 | 6:00 p.m. | at Kentucky | No. 14 | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | ESPN2 | L 7–28 | 60,037 |
| September 29 | 5:00 p.m. | Florida | No. 23 | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS (SEC Nation) | ESPN | L 6–13 | 61,406 |
| October 6 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 8 Auburn | | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | ESPN2 | W 23–9 (vacated) | 60,635 |
| October 20 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 5 LSU | No. 22 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | ESPN | L 3–19 | 101,340 |
| October 27 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 16 Texas A&M | | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | ESPN | W 28–13 (vacated) | 57,085 |
| November 3 | 6:30 p.m. | Louisiana Tech* | No. 18 | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | SECN | W 45–3 (vacated) | 58,709 |
| November 10 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 1 Alabama | No. 16 | Bryant–Denny StadiumTuscaloosa, AL (rivalry) | CBS | L 0–24 | 101,821 |
| November 17 | 11:00 a.m. | Arkansas | No. 21 | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | ESPN | W 52–6 (vacated) | 57,772 |
| November 22 | 6:30 p.m. | at Ole Miss | No. 18 | Vaught–Hemingway StadiumOxford, MS (Egg Bowl) | ESPN | W 35–3 (vacated) | 56,561 |
| January 1 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. Iowa* | No. 18 | Raymond James StadiumTampa, FL (Outback Bowl) | ESPN2 | L 22–27 | 40,518 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after October 30 released prior to gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||
    Schedule Source:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 18 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 23 | RV | 24 | 22 | RV | 21 | 18 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 18 | RV |
| Coaches | 18 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 19 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 15 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 25 |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 18 | 16 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 18 | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Stephen F. Austin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lumberjacks | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| No. 18 Bulldogs | 21 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 63 |

### At Kansas State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Bulldogs | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Wildcats | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald made his first appearance on the football fields since November 2017, when a foot injury sidelined him for the season and a 1-game suspension kept him out of the season opener. Fitzgerald threw for 154 yards with two touchdowns and ran for another 159 yards. Mississippi State compiled a total of 538 yards of total offense where Kansas State only managed 213.
Kansas State continued with its two-quarterback system, switching snaps between Skylar Thompson and Alex Delton. Kansas State running back Alex Barnes managed 75 yards rushing, but the Wildcats fell short to lose the game 31-10.

### Louisiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| • No. 16 Bulldogs | 14 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 56 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| Mississippi State | −34.5 |
| Statistics | Louisiana | Mississippi State |
| First downs | 13 | 29 |
| Total yards | 310 | 607 |
| Rushing yards | 65 | 331 |
| Passing yards | 245 | 276 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 27:01 | 32:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Louisiana | Passing | Andre Nunez | 21–29, 224 yards |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Trey Ragas | 7 carries, 49 yards |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Keenan Barnes | 4 receptions, 76 yards |
| Mississippi State | Passing | Nick Fitzgerald | 14–21, 243 yards, 2 TDs |
| Mississippi State | Rushing | Nick Fitzgerald | 15 carries, 107 yards, 4 TDs |
| Mississippi State | Receiving | Keith Mixon | 4 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD |

### At Kentucky

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Bulldogs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky
* Date: September 22, 2018
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 60,037
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Anthony Becht (analyst), Rocky Boiman (sideline reporter)

### Florida

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Florida | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| No. 23 Mississippi State | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi
* Date: September 29, 2018
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: N at 1 mile per hour (1.6 km/h) • Weather: Partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 61,406
* Referee: Matt Austin
* TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, Tom Luginbill
* Boxscore
Game information :
First Quarter
Mississippi State – Jace Christmann 34-yard field goal, 3:28
Second Quarter
Florida – Evan McPherson 39-yard field goal, 10:24
Mississippi State – Jace Christmann 39-yard field goal, 3:30
Third Quarter
Florida – Moral Stephens 20-yard pass from Kadarius Toney (Evan McPherson kick), 8:26
Fourth Quarter
Florida – Evan McPherson 21-yard field goal 5:22
Passing leaders
FLA – Feleipe Franks – 22/31, 219 yards, 1 interception
MSU – Nick Fitzgerald – 11/26, 98 yards
Rushing leaders
FLA – La'Mical Perine – 10 carries, 55 yards
MSU – Kylin Hill – 9 carries, 41 yards
Receiving leaders
FLA – Josh Hammond – 3 receptions, 47 yards
MSU – Osirus Mitchell – 3 receptions, 35 yards
Tackling leaders
FLA – C. J. Gardner-Johnson and Vosean Joseph – 7 tackles
MSU – Erroll Thompson – 14 tackles :

### Auburn

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Auburn | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Mississippi State | 3 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
at Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi
* Date: October 6, 2018
* Game time: 6:35 p.m.
* Game weather: Temperature: 81° • Wind: SE 3 mph • Weather: Clear skies
* Game attendance: 60,635
* Referee: James Carter
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline reporter)
Game information :
First Quarter
AUB – Anders Carlson 47 yd field goal, 7:30 (AUB 3–0)
MSU – Jace Christmann 25 yd field goal, 2:37 (TIE 3–3)
Second Quarter
MSU – Jace Christmann 47 yd field goal, 10:13 (MSU 6–3)
MSU – Nick Fitzgerald 1 yd run (Jace Christmann kick), 0:00 (MSU 13–3)
Third Quarter
MSU – Jace Christmann 32 yd field goal, 6:55 (MSU 16–3)
AUB – Anders Carlson 38 yd field goal, 5:45 (MSU 16–6)
Fourth Quarter
AUB – Anders Carlson 24 yd field goal, 11:24 (MSU 16–9)
MSU – Nick Fitzgerald 21 yd run (Jace Christmann kick), 2:02 (MSU 23–9)
Top Passers
AUB – Jarrett Stidham 19–38, 214 yds
MSU – Nick Fitzgerald 9–17, 69 yds, 1 INT
Top Rushers
AUB – JaTarvious Whitlow 8 rushes, 88 yds
MSU – Nick Fitzgerald 28 rushes, 195 yds
Top Receivers
AUB – Ryan Davis 8 receptions, 91 yds
MSU – Farrod Green 2 receptions, 23 yds :

### At LSU

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Bulldogs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 5 Tigers | 7 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 19 |
at Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
* Date: October 20
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C); cloudy w/ light rain
* Game attendance: 101,340
* Referee: John McDaid
* TV: ESPN
Game information :
First quarter
LSU – Nick Brossette 1-yard TD run, Cole Tracy kick good, 12:37 (LSU 7–0)
MSST – Jace Christmann 19-yard field goal, 8:43 (LSU 7–3)
Second quarter
LSU – Tracy 25-yard field goal, 0:00 (LSU 10–3)
Third quarter
LSU – Tracy 38-yard field goal, 10:44 (LSU 13–3)
LSU – Tracy 29-yard field goal, 2:54 (LSU 16–3)
Fourth quarter
LSU – Tracy 40-yard field goal, 10:42 (LSU 19–3)
Top passers
LSU – Joe Burrow – 16/28, 129 yards, INT
MSST – Nick Fitzgerald – 8/24, 59 yards, 4 INT
Top rushers
LSU – Nick Brossette – 17 carries, 57 yards, TD
MSST – Nick Fitzgerald – 23 carries, 131 yards
Top receivers
LSU – Dee Anderson – 3 receptions, 29 yards
MSST – Deddrick Thomas – reception, 15 yards :

### Texas A&M

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Aggies | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS
* Date: October 27
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 57,085
* TV: ESPN
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Leading Passers
TAMU – Kellen Mond – 23/46, 232, TD, INT
MSU – Nick Fitzgerald – 14/22, 241 yards, 2 TD
Leading Rushers
TAMU – Jashaun Corbin – 3 carries, 33 yards
MSU – Nick Fitzgerald – 16 carries, 88 yards, 2 TD
Leading Receivers
TAMU – Quartney Davis – 6 receptions, 59 yards, TD
MSU – Stephen Guidry – 3 receptions, 130 yards, TD :

### Louisiana Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| LT Bulldogs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 21 MSU Bulldogs | 21 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 45 |
at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS
* Date: November 3
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C); clear
* Game attendance: 58,709
* TV: SEC Network
Game information :
First quarter
MSST - Stephen Guidry 11-yard TD pass from Nick Fitzgerald, Jace Christmann kick good, 12:38 (MSST 7-0)
MSST - Deddrick Thomas 36-yard TD pass from Fitzgerald, Christmann kick good, 7:02 (MSST 14-0)
LT - Bailey Hale 46-yard field goal, 3:15 (MSST 14-3)
MSST - Kylin Hill 23-yard TD pass from Fitzgerald, Christmann kick good, 0:07 (MSST 21-3)
Second quarter
MSST - Christmann 47-yard field goal, 5:23 (MSST 24-3)
MSST - Jesse Jackson 10-yard TD pass from Fitzgerald, Christmann kick good, 0:30 (MSST 31-3)
Third quarter
MSST - Aeris Williams 29-yard TD run, Christmann kick good, 4:12 (MSST 38-3)
Fourth quarter
MSST - Keytaon Thompson 19-yard TD run, Christmann kick good, 13:20 (MSST 45-3)
Top passers
MSST - Nick Fitzgerald - 17/28, 243 yards, 4 TD
LT - J'Mar Smith - 14/30, 98 yards
Top rushers
MSST - Nick Fitzgerald - 18 carries, 107 yards
LT - Kam McKnight - 13 carries, 59 yards
Top receivers
MSST - Deddrick Thomas - 3 receptions, 70 yards, TD
LT - Kam McKnight - 2 receptions, 32 yards :

### At Alabama

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Mississippi State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • No. 1 Alabama | 14 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
Statistics
| Statistics | Mississippi State | Alabama |
| First downs | 6 | 23 |
| Total yards | 169 | 305 |
| Rushes–yards | 30–44 | 45–142 |
| Passing yards | 125 | 163 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 11–20–0 | 17–27–1 |
| Time of possession | 26:05 | 33:55 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Mississippi State | Passing | Nick Fitzgerald | 11–20, 125 yards |
| Mississippi State | Rushing | Kylin Hill | 7 carries, 47 yards |
| Mississippi State | Receiving | Deddrick Thomas | 2 receptions, 25 yards |
| Alabama | Passing | Tua Tagovailoa | 14–21, 164 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Alabama | Rushing | Josh Jacobs | 20 carries, 97 yards, 1 TD |
| Alabama | Receiving | Jerry Jeudy | 6 receptions, 45 yards |

### Arkansas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Razorbacks | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| No. 25 Bulldogs | 3 | 14 | 21 | 14 | 52 |
at Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi
* Date: Saturday, November 17, 2018
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 59 °F (15 °C) • Wind: SSE 2 mph
* Game attendance: 57,772
* Referee: Matt Loeffler (SEC)
* TV announcers (ESPN): Adam Amin (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (color), Quint Kessenich (sideline)
* Pregame line: Mississippi State –23 • Odds to win: Mississippi State 93.2%
Game information :
First Quarter
(8:27) MSST – Jace Christmann 19 yard FG Mississippi State 3–0; 14 plays, 81 yards, 6:33
Second Quarter
(10:28) MSST – Nick Fitzgerald 2 yard rush, Jace Christmann kick Mississippi State 10–0; 11 plays, 53 yards, 4:53
(5:20) MSST – Nick Gibson 8 yard rush, Jace Christmann kick Mississippi State 17–0; 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:11
(0:32) ARK – Connor Limpert 36 yard FG Mississippi State 17–3; 13 plays, 52 yards, 2:48
Third Quarter
(11:19) ARK – Connor Limpert 32 yard FG Mississippi State 17–6; 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:35
(8:42) MSST – Justin Johnson 34 yard pass from Nick Fitzgerald, Jace Christmann kick Mississippi State 24–6; 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:37
(7:41) MSST – Keith Mixon 4 yard pass from Nick Fitzgerald, Jace Christmann kick Mississippi State 31–6; 1 play, 4 yards, 0:04
(3:02) MSST – Osirus Mitchell 15 yard pass from Nick Fitzgerald, Jordan Lawless kick Mississippi State 38–6; 3 plays, 58 yards, 1:17
Fourth Quarter
(13:04) MSST – Austin Williams 19 yard pass from Nick Fitzgerald, Jordan Lawless kick Mississippi State 45–6; 6 plays, 50 yards, 3:02
(5:20) MSST – Austin Williams 33 yard pass from Keytaon Thompson, Jordan Lawless kick Mississippi State 52–6; 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:01
Top Passers
ARK – Ty Storey: 16/27, 137 yards, 1 INT
MSST – Nick Fitzgerald: 9/14, 127 yards, 4 TD
Top Rushers
ARK – Rakeem Boyd: 14 carries, 84 yards
MSST – Aeris Williams: 15 carries, 104 yards
Top Receivers
ARK – La'Michael Pettway: 4 receptions, 85 yards
MSST – Justin Johnson: 3 receptions, 59 yards, 1 TD :

### At Ole Miss

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Bulldogs | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Rebels | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi
* Date: Thursday, November 22, 2018
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear • 46 °F (8 °C) • Wind —
* Game attendance: 56,561
* Referee: James Carter
* TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Flemming and Greg McElroy
* Pregame line: Mississippi State –12.5
Game information :
First Quarter
(5:02) MSST - Kylin Hill 6 yard rush, Jace Christmann kick Mississippi State 7-0; 7 plays, 30 yards, 3:02
Second Quarter
(14:04) MSST - Nick Fitzgerald 8 yard rush, Jace Christmann kick Mississippi State 14-0; 8 plays, 86 yards, 3:30
(6:46) MISS - Luke Logan 32 yard FG Mississippi State 14-3; 10 plays, 51 yards, 3:54
(0:25) MSST - Deddrick Thomas 9 yard pass from Nick Fitzgerald, Jace Christmann kick Mississippi State 21-3; 8 plays, 92 yards, 3:03
Third Quarter
(10:42) MSST - Nick Fitzgerald 9 yard rush, Jace Christmann kick Mississippi State 28-3; 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:40
Fourth Quarter
(7:21) MSST - Aeris Williams 1 yard rush, Jace Christmann kick Mississippi State 35-3; 11 plays, 89 yards, 5:46
Top Passers
MSST – Nick Fitzgerald: 11/18, 111 yards, 1 TD
MISS – Jordan Ta'amu: 8/17, 87 yards, 1 INT
Top Rushers
MSST – Nick Fitzgerald: 18 carries, 117 yards, 2 TD
MISS – Isaiah Woullard: 11 carries, 63 yards
Top Receivers
MSST – Jesse Jackson: 2 receptions, 31 yards
MISS – A. J. Brown: 4 receptions, 61 yards :

### Vs. Iowa (Outback Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Bulldogs | 6 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 22 |
| • Hawkeyes | 0 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
In a back-and-forth game, Iowa held on to defeat SEC opponent Mississippi State. Senior Jake Gervase made a critical interception in the end zone, and batted down a fourth down pass to end the Bulldogs' hopes. The victory was Ferentz's fifth January bowl win and eighth overall bowl victory.
| Statistics | MS | IOWA |
| First downs | 15 | 11 |
| Total yards | 342 | 199 |
| Rushing yards | 190 | –15 |
| Passing yards | 152 | 214 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 33:34 | 26:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Mississippi State | Passing | Nick Fitzgerald | 14/32, 152 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Mississippi State | Rushing | Nick Fitzgerald | 20 carries, 103 yards, TD |
| Mississippi State | Receiving | Aeris Williams | 3 receptions, 19 yards |
| Iowa | Passing | Nate Stanley | 21/31, 214 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Iowa | Rushing | Toren Young | 3 carries, 7 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Nick Easley | 8 receptions, 104 yards, 2 TD |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 1 | 19 | Jeffery Simmons | DT | Tennessee Titans |
| 1 | 26 | Montez Sweat | DE | Washington Redskins |
| 1 | 27 | Johnathan Abram | S | Oakland Raiders |
| 2 | 44 | Elgton Jenkins | C | Green Bay Packers |
| 6 | 199 | Gerri Green | LB | Indianapolis Colts |