Nick Fitzgerald took the shotgun snap, pulled the ball on a zone-read option and glided, untouched, for 74 yards and a Mississippi State touchdown — on the first play.

Fitzgerald and Mississippi State led No. 4-ranked Texas A&M for every single snap en route to arguably the biggest upset in college football this season.

“I think we have great senior leadership,” Fitzgerald said in a winded and excited voice during a postgame interview with the SEC Network.

Fitzgerald could easily be referring to players like running back Ashton Shumpert, whose pancake block sprung Fitzgerald’s house call or Fred Ross, who hauled in 6 catches for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Fitzgerald displayed humility and modesty in the moments following the program’s biggest victory of the season by also crediting the coaching staff.

“We have great coaches that are always doing there best, finding new ways to keep us motivated,” Fitzgerald said.

He looked motivated.

The sophomore from Georgia racked up 7 total touchdowns (5 passing, 2 rushing) against Samford the week before. This didn’t impress many because, well, it was against Samford. However, Fitzgerald accounted for four of his team’s five touchdowns against Texas A&M.

Fitzgerald rushed 20 times against the Aggies for 182 yards, his fifth 100-yard rushing game this season, three of which came against SEC competition (South Carolina, Kentucky and Texas A&M). The Bulldogs are 4-1 this season when Fitzgerald rushes for more than 100 yards.

“Any time there’s a 100-yard rushing game, that will include bigger explosive plays,” Mullen said.

Fitzgerald is no stranger to explosive rushing plays. He has had at least one carry for 20 yards or more in seven of nine games this season.

“The thing that is going to help him is that he has great athletic ability, which allows him to improvise and make plays on the field while he’s developing as a passer.”

The athletic ability Mullen referred to is approaching historic levels in program history as well as SEC history.

Currently, Fitzgerald sits 148 yards away form surpassing Dak Prescott’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback at Mississippi State. He is only 161 yards short of being just the fifth quarterback in SEC history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. The list includes Cam Newton, Johnny Manziel, Nick Marshall and Jimmy Sidle.

Fitzgerald still needs improvement in the passing game, though. Fitzgerald completed 18-of-31 attempts for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Aggies. He also threw two interceptions for the third time in four games.

Mullen said that he’s happy with the way his quarterback is improving.

“You see him not making the same mistakes over and over. You see him progressing in passing situations,” Mullen said during the teleconference.

“One of the hardest things to develop for any quarterback is (being) a drop-back passer,” Mullen said. “(To) go through progressions, make reads, stay on balance and accurately throw the ball. That’s going to take time.”

Within the context of a difficult season, the win and the improvement of Fitzgerald, are massive.

“Obviously it (this season) has had its ups and downs,” Fitzgerald said. “To go against a big-time team like this and get the win is phenomenal, season-changing I hope.”

The win accomplished exactly what Mississippi State needed: hope for the future.

Further, the victory maintains a path to bowl-eligibility, which cannot be understated. Earning a bowl, such as the Birmingham Bowl or the Liberty Bowl, may not be as sexy as say the Sugar Bowl, but those extra weeks of practice and a competition against a random opponent can mean the world for a young team like Mississippi State, regardless of the bowl’s outcome.

The path to the postseason requires two more wins against Alabama, Arkansas and/or Ole Miss.

MSU fans who have been paying attention to the SEC likely feel much better about the Egg Bowl than they did a few weeks ago, and with the season-ending injury to Chad Kelly, Mississippi State’s chances look good.

Despite the renewed optimism for this season, Mississippi State faces the most difficult task in college football this week: Alabama.

The Bulldogs, like most teams, are huge underdogs against the Tide. One thing is clear, though. Dan Mullen-coached and/or recruited quarterbacks have found success against the Tide in the past (i.e. Tim Tebow, Brian Johnson, Cam Newton).

It remains unlikely that the 2016 Bulldogs with a sophomore quarterback will be able to upset perhaps the greatest college football team in a decade. But there was no way they could beat Texas A&M, either, right?