ATLANTA — Mississippi State Joe Moorhead's "welcome to the South" moment wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
"Walking out the door and being smacked in the face by the humidity," Moorhead said at SEC Media Days on Wednesday. "And everything wrapped in bacon."
Everybody knows those two things are true, but for those who aren't familiar with Moorhead, a self-described "Northerner," a few more truths will come to light in 2018. Moorhead is a quarterback guru with a worldly view, and that's going to make senior leader Nick Fitzgerald that much better for the Bulldogs in 2018.
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It takes one to know one (more on that later). Fitzgerald said that registered in Moorhead's first text after accepting the job. He shared the contents of that text"
"Hey, this is Joe Moorhead. I'm going to be your new head coach. For starters, I want you to clear off a spot on your mantel piece for the Heisman Trophy. I want you to learn what your ring size is right now, because you're going to need it."
If that comes to pass, the Bulldogs will be in business right away. For his part, Fitzgerald said he has learned more about Moorhead and come to know more of the unexpected. For example, in the first meeting with Fitzgerald's parents, Moorhead let everyone know he has watched every episode of "Ancient Aliens."
"He's a little quirky, which I really like about him," Fitzgerald said of Moorhead. "Talking about the difference and the North and the South, he kind of talks about it, 'Everybody is kind of on their own time.' He doesn’t think there’s much hustle.'"
Nick Fitzgerald is excited to work with new coach Joe Moorhead in 2018. (Bill Bender/Sporting News)
That drew a laugh, but the relationship between coach and- quarterback is everything for the Bulldogs. They come from very different worlds.
Moorhead played quarterback at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, the same school that produced Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. Moorhead's playing career took him to Fordham University in the Bronx to the Munich Cowboys in the German Football League.
The coaching resume is even more intriguing. He has made several coaching stops on the East Coast and Rust Belt. The rise from FCS coach at Fordham to the top offensive coordinator in the FBS at Penn State happened in just three years. Moorhead has gone from Patriot League Media Day at Green Pond Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa., to SEC Media Days in Atlanta, just like that. The reason is simple.
Fitzgerald is a three-year starter coming off a devastating ankle injury in the regular-season finale against Ole Miss, but he's on track to return for the Bulldogs' opener. Fitzgerald was a prototype, Tim Tebow-like stat stuffer for Dan Mullen, and he's consistently mentioned as a dark-horse Heisman Trophy candidate. That's why Moorhead wasn't way off when he sent that text.
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That's the coach-quarterback relationship that will determine whether Mississippi State really is a sleeper in the SEC West, a team that could challenge Alabama, Auburn and LSU in the West.
There are reasons for optimism that this relationship will be productive.
Look at the work with Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley, who compiled a 21-5 record and led the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten title during Moorhead's tenure. He finished with 3,614 yards with 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2016, and those totals remained consistent the following season — 3,570 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. But McSorley's completions jumped almost nine full percentage points.
Fitzgerald (6-5, 230 pounds) might be much bigger than McSorley (6-1, 203) but Moorhead doesn't see sizes. He sees talent.
"I think there are a lot of similarities from an intangibles standpoint, both guys are intelligent, understand the game very well and are incredibly competitive," Moorhead said. "Both guys can help win games with their legs and beat you with the pass game."
The key will be increasing Fitzgerald's completion percentage. Moorhead said passing game coordinator Andrew Breiner, who coached Fordham the last two seasons, has been working with Fitzgerald's footwork and upper-body mechanics. If he becomes a more efficient passer and shows no ill effects from the ankle injury, that will pair well with the 2,359 career rushing yards and 30 touchdowns he compiled the last two seasons.
It's going to work. At least, that's how Fitzgerald sees it going. Moorhead might still be getting acclimated to the South, but this was a gamble worth taking.
"What's going to help me is his scheme, his play-calling, his concepts, just the way we read things," Fitzgerald said. "It's a little more natural to me. It's a little bit easier for me to make those reads compared to last year."
