Alabama Football: Nick Fitzgerald v. Minkah Fitzpatrick will be epic

Want to see a heavyweight fight for the ages? Alabama football’s Minkah Fitzpatrick will match up against Mississippi State’s QB Nick Fitzgerald on Saturday.

ICYMI: Tide-Bulldogs, Cowbells & Coaches

Cue the spotlight. Bring on the fireworks. Drum roll, if you please. The epic showdown between the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback and Alabama’s star defensive back will be an absolute smash.

With the Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0) holding on to the second seed in the college football playoff picture, their margin for error is small. Since fellow Southeastern Conference member Georgia holds the first seed, Alabama will need to stay undefeated before possibly playing the Bulldogs in the SEC championship game to remain in the CFB playoff hunt.

Before any of that can happen, the Tide have to get past the Bulldogs from Mississippi.

By all accounts, Mississippi State have an absolute stud of a quarterback at the helm. His 13 touchdown passes are matched by his 12 rushing touchdowns, making Fitzgerald a threat in the air and on the ground.

Marq Burnett of SECCountry.com reported Alabama football head coach Nick Saban stating:

"“[The Bulldogs] have a lot of quarterback runs, so basically you’re playing against wildcat at every snap […] But because it’s a quarterback and he has a great ability to throw, that’s something you have to take into consideration and make sure you can defend their passing game as well. Then when they do pass, his ability to scramble and run also creates problems for the defense.”"

The proof is in the pudding, as Fitzgerald’s 116 rush attempts is almost exactly half of the amount of pass attempts he has made. He actually averages more yards per carry than he does per pass completion (6.9 to 6.2).

Saban added, “I think those guys create lots of problems for everybody on defense, not just linebackers.”

Well, fortunately for Alabama, another Fitz is ready to give Mississippi State’s offense fits all night long.

After suffering a hamstring injury early in last Saturday’s game against the LSU Tigers, Minkah Fitzpatrick looked doubtful for the rest of the season. Hamstrings are tricky to treat properly, and many of the Alabama faithful had a collective gasp regarding Fitzpatrick’s ability to lead the Tide defense come playoff time, let alone this weekend.

However, Chandler Rome of The Anniston Star tweeted the following footage on Fitzpatrick’s current condition during practice, yesterday:

It looks like Alabama’s own stud on defense is ready to go a full 10 rounds, let alone four quarters of a football game.

The Crimson Tide will need Fitzpatrick if they are to quell the storm that Fitzgerald will bring to Davis Wade Stadium, in Starkville, Mississippi. While Alabama is the favorite, the spread is only 14 points, suggesting that many experts believe Fitzgerald will make an impact.

The fray will depend greatly on the way that Fitzpatrick reads the Bulldog offense. It’s his job as a safety to come out of pass coverage to mark the quarterback if he decides to run.

The linebackers are meant to read that first; however, they will only be able to contain Fitzgerald, as the decision to run QB draws will catch the linebackers off-guard from their duties in the short flats or when blitzing.

Fitzpatrick will have to play as another linebacker much of the time, meaning that he will not be able to buzz around deep in the secondary to cover the Bulldog receivers and key on possible interceptions. The constant back and forth on every play will put that injured hamstring to the test.

As much as this matchup will resemble a prizefight, with bodies being beaten to a pulp, Fitzgerald v. Fitzpatrick will be more like Ali v. Foreman than Ali v. Frazier. It will be more of a cat-and-mouse chess match on the gridiron. Fitzpatrick needs to outthink his opponent, reading whether the play will be a pass or a run, as efficiently as possible to keep his endurance for the full four quarters.

Next: Collin Sexton: The Known, the Unknown, & a Guess

If he can do that, then Fitzgerald and the Bulldogs will not make enough yardage on the ground to keep pace with Alabama’s offense. They would have to become one-dimensional by throwing the ball much more often, making it easier for the defense, including Fitzpatrick, to read what’s coming. Fitzgerald’s punches will come in much slower, allowing for Fitzpatrick to bring the fight to the Bulldogs, instead.

It’s rope-a-dope. Fitzpatrick should be able to win by knockout by defending long enough for Fitzgerald to get tired of running into a wall. That is, as long as Fitzpatrick’s hamstring holds out.