Nick Fitzgerald shattered SEC single-season records for 100-yard rushing games by a QB and average yards per rush by a QB.
Fitzgerald Breaks Multiple SEC Single-Season Records, Bulldogs Among SEC Leaders
January 12, 2017 | Football
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With the final college football game of the season in the record books, the 2016 Southeastern Conference final statistics are complete with multiple Mississippi State players among the league leaders.
Sophomore Nick Fitzgerald shattered SEC single-season records for 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback (8) and average yards per rush by a quarterback (7.1, minimum 175 carries). Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel previously held the quarterback mark averaging 7.01 per carry in 2012. Fitzgerald's average was also a school record at any position, breaking the previous of 6.9 by J.T. "Blondy" Black in 1942.
Fitzgerald, in his first year as a starter, led the league in rushing touchdowns (16) and 100-yard rushing games among all players (8). He also became the second Bulldog quarterback in the past three seasons to take the SEC total offensive yards crown, racking up 3,798 yards. Dak Prescott did so in 2014. Fitzgerald was second in the league in touchdowns responsible with 37, a mark that was third in single-season school history.
Senior wide receiver Fred Ross was tops in the SEC in receiving touchdowns (12), second in catches (72) and first in 10+ yard catches (38). Ross became the first receiver in school history to earn back-to-back seasons of first-team All-SEC honors. He finished his career with 199 catches, representing the ninth-highest total in SEC history.
For the second straight year, linebacker Richie Brown finished in the top five of the league's leading tacklers. Brown recorded a team-best 102 and concluded his career with 299 career tackles. Fellow linebacker Leo Lewis led all SEC freshmen in tackles with 79.
As a team, the Bulldogs averaged 5.6 yards per carry, which shattered the previous school record of 5.2 in 2014.
MSU has now broken 109 individual and team single-game, single-season and career statistical records in the Dan Mullen era.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the MSU football team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB." All-access coverage is also available on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
Sophomore Nick Fitzgerald shattered SEC single-season records for 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback (8) and average yards per rush by a quarterback (7.1, minimum 175 carries). Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel previously held the quarterback mark averaging 7.01 per carry in 2012. Fitzgerald's average was also a school record at any position, breaking the previous of 6.9 by J.T. "Blondy" Black in 1942.
Fitzgerald, in his first year as a starter, led the league in rushing touchdowns (16) and 100-yard rushing games among all players (8). He also became the second Bulldog quarterback in the past three seasons to take the SEC total offensive yards crown, racking up 3,798 yards. Dak Prescott did so in 2014. Fitzgerald was second in the league in touchdowns responsible with 37, a mark that was third in single-season school history.
Senior wide receiver Fred Ross was tops in the SEC in receiving touchdowns (12), second in catches (72) and first in 10+ yard catches (38). Ross became the first receiver in school history to earn back-to-back seasons of first-team All-SEC honors. He finished his career with 199 catches, representing the ninth-highest total in SEC history.
For the second straight year, linebacker Richie Brown finished in the top five of the league's leading tacklers. Brown recorded a team-best 102 and concluded his career with 299 career tackles. Fellow linebacker Leo Lewis led all SEC freshmen in tackles with 79.
As a team, the Bulldogs averaged 5.6 yards per carry, which shattered the previous school record of 5.2 in 2014.
MSU has now broken 109 individual and team single-game, single-season and career statistical records in the Dan Mullen era.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the MSU football team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB." All-access coverage is also available on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
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