STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) If Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald is going to have a storybook ending to his college career, first-year coach Joe Moorhead has to get off to a fantastic start.

The Bulldogs are a popular pick to contend for the Southeastern Conference championship after finishing with a 9-4 record last season, and a glance at the roster reveals plenty of reasons why.

Fitzgerald is among the SEC's top returning quarterbacks and he should have plenty of help from a deep roster that includes veterans like running back Aeris Williams and defensive linemen Montez Sweat and Jeffery Simmons.