STARKVILLE — Damian Williams knows what it is like to be a part of a quarterback shuffle — at a much smaller level.
As a ninth-grader at Archbishop Rummel High School near New Orleans, Williams was forced to take over as starting quarterback after an injury and led his team to the 2009 state championship game.
“I just tried to do the best I could for however long I was the starter,” Williams said. “Eventually it became clear I wasn’t going to give the position back.”
Maybe that experience explains why Williams doesn’t appear to be fazed by the situation he is in at Mississippi State. With sophomore Dak Prescott out with an injury and senior Tyler Russell banged up after having to leave last week’s game, Williams is ready to play a bigger role for MSU at 6:30 p.m. Thursday (ESPN) against Ole Miss in the annual Battle for the Golden Egg at Davis Wade Stadium.
There is more on the line in this rivalry game compared to ones Williams has experienced. MSU (5-6, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) needs a victory to become bowl eligible for a fourth-straight season. Ole Miss (7-4, 3-4) is focused on winning the Egg Bowl for the second year in a row.
“I’ve played in a lot of rivalry games in high school,” Williams said. “I won’t feel exactly what this game is like until I’m out there under the lights trying to settled down. We’ll see how well I can do that this week.”
Williams, who originally committed to play football at Southern Miss., gained valuable confidence last weekend thanks to a 25-yard touchdown run on a designed quarterback draw in overtime that helped lift MSU to a 24-17 victory against Arkansas in Little Rock, Ark.
“He showed us a lot of poise and was calm in the huddle throughout the week in practice,” MSU senior left guard Gabe Jackson said. “We’re sold on him early as older players at the way he has handled this situation.”
Williams was a highly regarded dual-threat quarterback from the New Orleans area. After taking over at quarterback as a ninth-grader, Williams became a play-making machine with his arm and legs and led Archbishop Rummell to a 14-0 finish and its first state football championship.
“I watched Damian take over a rival program in the New Orleans area, so I knew he was capable of doing all this right away,” said MSU sophomore defensive end Ryan Brown, a three-star prospect at New Orleans Archbishop Shaw, which plays Rummell High School every season.
Williams was named First-Team All-State in Class 5A by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. He also was chosen All-District 9-5A as a senior and was a New Orleans Area player of the week as a junior and as a senior. For his career, he was 195 of 324 for 2,748 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also rushed for 932 yards and 23 touchdowns. As a senior, he was 11 of 13 for 193 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 52 yards in the state championship game against Barbe High and was named Most Valuable Player.
“I’m definitely a pass-first guy, but with the situation with Tyler last week, it was my job to run the football well, so that’s what I tried to do the best I could,” Williams said.
As effective as he is as a runner, Williams doesn’t want to be compared to former MSU quarterback Chris Relf, who also wore No. 14. Relf, who was never confused as a classic drop-back passer in his five-year career in Starkville, led MSU to a 3-1 record against Ole Miss. The final three victories came with Dan Mullen as head coach.
Relf finished with 664 yards (401 passing, 263 rushing) and eight touchdowns against the Rebels. Relf, who was recruited and signed by former MSU coach Sylvester Croom, said his fondest memory was a comeback victory against No. 25 Ole Miss in Starkville.
“I don’t know much about Relf and I’m not Chris Relf,” Williams said. “My job is to be the best Damian Williams for this program I can be. If it’s easier for my teammates to crack jokes and call me, ‘Little Relf’, go ahead and do it.”
With Russell battling a severe shoulder injury and listed as”day-to-day,” Williams’ demeanor and skill set allow Mullen and his coaching staff not to have to install a quirky new wrinkle to the offense — like a permanent Wildcat formation with junior wide receiver Jameon Lewis. This week, Williams is listed as the starting quarterback on the depth chart. He would be the first freshman to start at the position for MSU since Wesley Carroll started against Gardner-Webb in a 31-15 victory in 2007. Carroll led MSU with 1,392 passing yards with nine touchdowns in 2007, which culminated in a 2007 Liberty Bowl victory.
“We trust Damian,” Mullen said Sunday afternoon. “He has gotten reps and played in games previous, and he led his team to a state championship last year. That’s a really tough situation to put a true freshman into, but I’m proud of how he handled that situation. Didn’t bat a eye and did his job when his number is called. Depending on the injury report, he could be the guy. He could be the starter this week.”
Mullen admitted Monday it would be hard to imagine Williams being in a more difficult situation in the past two games. In a 20-7 loss to No. 1 Alabama two weeks ago, Williams was asked to attempt to execute a comeback against the two-time defending champions. Last weekend, because he was promised the second series in the game, Williams played his first possession with the Bulldogs at their 3-yard line.
“Hopefully Tyler is OK to go again. If he’s not, we got Damian,” Mullen said. “It’s been pretty interesting now for the last two weeks, he’s had his number called in interesting times. As far as big situations, I guess we’ve thrown him in that fire the last couple of weeks. We’ll see how it goes.”
Williams committed to MSU in January after receiving offers from Nebraska, Kansas State, and Southern Miss. Thursday’s game could be his moment to earn a spot in Egg Bowl history.
“My teammates have tried all week to explain to me the ins and outs of the rivalry, and I’m already stressed out about trying to move the ball against this defense,” Williams said. “It’s a very stressful situation, but I’m excited at possibly getting a opportunity on this stage.”
Follow Matt Stevens on Twitter @matthewcstevens.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.