On Saturday, Bo Nix will make his fifth career start, while Mississippi State has not named a starter.
The quarterback matchup will be interesting either way. Tommy Stevens and Bo Nix have similar statistics, and if Garrett Shrader gets the start, it will be a freshman-on-freshman matchup.
The Mississippi State quarterback situation is complicated at this point, with Stevens still recovering from an injury. He is expected to practice this week, but Bulldogs coach Joe Moorhead is unsure as to whether Stevens will start, or if the freshman Shrader will take the reins once again.
Stevens was benched in the Bulldogs' Week 3 loss to Kansas State. Shrader started outright last week, leading Mississippi State to a 28-13 victory over Kentucky. It was the first time a freshman quarterback started for the Bulldogs since Nick Fitzgerald filled in for a sick Dak Prescott in 2015.
Shrader has thrown one interception but has yet to throw a touchdown pass. He has thrown for a total of 302 yards this season, compiling a 76.8 quarterback rating and a 62.2 % completion percentage. Running the ball is where Shrader has been dynamic. Through his first three games, Shrader leads all SEC quarterbacks in rushing yards with 223.
"Their quarterback can run, he’s a run threat and we expect them to have some play-action passes,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said.
The freshman on the other sideline, Nix, has five touchdowns and two interceptions, both of which came against Oregon. In fact, Bo Nix has not thrown an interception in 88 pass attempts. His completion rate is at 53.8 % and has a 64.4 QBR.
If Stevens gets the start for the Bulldogs, it is quite the similar matchup, statistics-wise. Stevens, like Nix, has thrown five touchdowns and two interceptions. His QBR is 61.7 %, only a 2.7-point difference between the two.
Nix is more of a dual-threat guy than Stevens, who has rushed for 42 yards all season compared to Nix’s 117 yards.
Auburn is preparing for either quarterback.
“They’re both very good quarterbacks," Malzahn said. "They’re going to run their quarterback a little bit regardless of which one is there. We’re expecting to possibly see both."
Kickoff for the game is set to be at 6:00 PM on Saturday and will be broadcast on ESPN.
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