Bulldogs' Nick Fitzgerald injured early in Egg Bowl

— -- Mississippi State?quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was carted off the field in the first quarter Thursday night against Ole Miss with a serious right ankle injury.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Fitzgerald was running the ball when he was tackled, and his leg bent awkwardly. Athletic trainers immediately ran onto the field and tended to the QB for several minutes as players on both teams took a knee in Starkville.

Fitzgerald eventually had the leg put in an air cast before being carted away. He urged his team along from the cart even as he left the field and was watching the game from the Bulldogs sideline in the second half.?

Fitzgerald tweeted:?

Mississippi State athletic officials called it an ankle injury but said more tests were set to be done to determine its extent.?

Keytaon Thompson replaced Fitzgerald for the No. 14 Bulldogs, who were trailing 7-0 at the time of the injury. The freshman has thrown for 66 yards and a touchdown this season.?

Fitzgerald came into the game leading the SEC in yards rushing by a quarterback, with 968 yards on the ground in 11 games. He has thrown for 1,770 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Fitzgerald entered the game 230 passing yards and 32 rushing yards away from becoming the first player in SEC history with multiple seasons of 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards, according to ESPN Stats & Information.?

Last year in the Egg Bowl, he ran for a school-record 258 yards and two touchdowns and also threw for three TDs.?

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.