How Dan Mullen's use of Nick Fitzgerald is the great equalizer against LSU

The contest with Clemson seemed to clarify whether Auburn adding Jarrett Stidham would be enough to allow the Tigers to contend for the SEC West crown and take down Alabama. Barring major improvements on offense, Auburn won’t be that team.

That leaves LSU and Mississippi State as the next two most likely to challenge Alabama for the division crown and it so happens that they meet up in Starkville this very Saturday.

The Tigers started the year strong by blasting BYU in the opener and preventing the Cougars from even reaching midfield. Meanwhile the Bulldogs have made some predictable leaps on offense aided by the play of returning QB Nick Fitzgerald. He’s the key to the offense, and his rematch with Dave Aranda and LSU’s defense will likely determine this contest.

The Nick Fitzgerald offense

Dan Mullen has shown a high aptitude for developing quarterbacks to run his system. He has an eye for picking the right guys — he was the only other SEC coach to offer Dak Prescott save for a last-minute attempt by LSU’s Les Miles — and only had to beat out Tennessee-Chattanooga for Fitzgerald’s NLI.

In both instances Mullen selected big guys with running ability and toughness and then honed them in the art of the modern passing game.

That combination is pretty deadly due to the extreme geometric stress it can put on a defense. A run game in which the QB is paired in the backfield with another blocker or runner requires seven defenders to outnumber blockers in the fashion that most defenses prefer.

If the QB can run the ball between the tackles like Mullen-taught players such as Tim Tebow, Prescott or Fitzgerald, that’s even more dangerous. But then if they can also execute a passing game from three-, four-, or five-receiver sets, then the defense really gets into trouble.

Want to play with safety help over those receivers? Good luck getting enough numbers up front to stop the running game.

Third-and-short can become automatic. There’s a reason that Texas A&M’s defenders are spread wide over the five receivers: The quick screen or pass outside is just as automatic with Fitzgerald at the helm.

With a mastery of the spread passing game, the offense becomes exceedingly difficult to beat on the chalkboard in a hurry. An additional problem comes from the fact that Fitzgerald is more than a short-yardage bludgeon; has the ability break long runs if he hits a crease.

Round 1 with LSU

LSU didn’t have too much of a problem stopping Fitzgerald and the Bulldogs a year ago, winning 23-20 and holding the Bulldogs to only 270 total yards.

That was Fitzgerald’s third career start, however. He ran for a grand sum of 13 yards and didn’t go the whole way.

The main issues related to LSU’s ability to disrupt things before they could get started with their DL …

… and the superior coverage played by LSU’s DBs.

The rematch

The hope for LSU in matching up to this tricky offense is in being able to win the outside matchups without help and to beat blocks up front to negate the need for superior numbers in the box.

That could be more difficult this season though as the Bulldogs have grown around Fitzgerald and are a more complete unit than they were in 2016. The offensive line is better and already quite proficient in the unique schemes they run, such as their version of outside zone:

The Bulldogs are fond of pulling the backside tackle around to help release him up to the linebackers and they’ll also attach run and pass options for Fitzgerald to help hold defenders. The 2016 OL wasn’t terribly proficient in this scheme though, and the 2017 unit is already improved due perhaps to a more talented generation of OL stepping in at a few spots.

Mississippi State is also looking more dangerous in the passing game in Year 2 with Fitzgerald:

Nobody will mistake the Bulldogs’ passing attack as Fun-N-Gun 2.0; they’re tied last in the SEC with just one pass play going for 30 or more yards.

But if they can make plays like this, beating coverage with ball placement, strong hands, athleticism on the perimeter, then LSU will be in a bind trying to match up to the Bulldogs running game.

LSU tends to have better athletes than Mississippi State, but when Mullen has a big, versatile QB like Fitzgerald at the helm, he can play the role of an equalizer.