STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Penn State graduate switch Tommy Stevens has gained the beginning quarterback job at Mississippi State.
Stevens beat out junior Keytaon Thompson and can begin Aug. 31 in New Orleans when the Bulldogs’ meet Louisiana-Lafayette of their season opener.
Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead may be very conversant in Stevens from their shared historical past at Penn State. Moorhead was Penn State’s offensive coordinator from 2016-17, whereas Stevens was a reserve quarterback for the Nittany Lions from 2016-18.
”It was an amazing, nice competitors,” Moorhead stated Thursday. ”Each guys are related in dimension and supply equal threats within the run sport. We stated the choice making was going to return right down to who may create explosive performs, who may decrease turnovers and who can throw the ball with the most effective accuracy on a constant method. So we knowledgeable the crew that Tommy Stevens has earned the appropriate to be the beginning quarterback for this yr.”
The 6-foot-5 Stevens went 24 of 41 for 304 yards with 4 landing passes and one interception in 23 video games at Penn State. Stevens additionally rushed for 506 yards and eight touchdowns, and he caught 14 passes for 62 yards and two scores.
Stevens is changing departed three-year starter Nick Fitzgerald, whose 3,607 profession yards speeding had been essentially the most ever by a Southeastern Convention quarterback.
”Tommy jumped out sturdy at the start of camp,” Moorhead stated. ”Closing into the primary scrimmage, Ok.T. (Thompson) closed the hole and had an actual good first scrimmage. From that time ahead, Tommy continued to create separation and did that towards the tail finish of camp. We’re actually enthusiastic about what Ok.T. did and the way he carried out. He’s going to be an unimaginable asset for us and he will assist us win video games this yr, too.”