Going into Jordan-Hare Stadium to face No. 7 Auburn is already a tough task. Doing it with a backup freshman quarterback, as Mississippi State might have to do on Saturday, makes it even tougher.

During his weekly press conference on Monday, Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead gave an update on the injury status of quarterback Tommy Stevens.

“It’s a fluid situation,” Moorhead said. “I know I mentioned last Monday he was ahead of a week ago. What I didn’t clarify was it was a different mechanism, it was upper body but something different from the week before.”

What that injury details we are not sure as the coach didn’t go into specifics, but with the chance that Stevens will be out once again for the Bulldogs this week, Moorhead will look to freshman Garrett Shrader to lead the offensive attack.

The coach doesn’t seem to be worried.

“I know he’s a freshman. But in my mind he plays a little more mature than most freshmen,” Moorhead said.

Making his first start this past Saturday against Kentucky, Shrader showed that he could hold his own in SEC play, completing 77.3% of his passes for 180 yards with an interception while also rushing for 125 more on the ground. That dual-attack ability will be needed against the Tigers, which boast one of the top defenses in the nation.