Fitzgerald leads Miss St to 23-9 win over No. 8 Auburn

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State first-year coach Joe Moorhead once had a goal to turn Nick Fitzgerald into more of a passer than a runner during his senior season. Six games later, there's been a shift in philosophy: Time to let the big man loose. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Fitzgerald ran for 195 yards and two touchdowns and Mississippi State's defense had another dominant performance in a 23-9 victory over No. 8 Auburn on Saturday night. The victory snapped a two-game losing skid and re-established the Bulldogs as a force in the Southeastern Conference Western Division. Moorhead said after spending the past week identifying what the team does well, it was time for Fitzgerald to shoulder the load. He had a career-high 28 carries. "I took my coaching pills this week," Moorhead said with a grin.