KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Walking across the field and over to the MSU sideline during the halftime break, freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader stepped to the left of the Gatorade coolers behind the bench and perched his green signal caller ball cap on an equipment box.
Trading in his MSU hat for a matte-white helmet, Shrader took to the field and began throwing.
As the cool temperatures in Knoxville crept down into the 50s, the routine had persisted throughout the first half — though it was Tommy Stevens’ second interception of the day with 59 seconds half in the second quarter that forced it into a way to prepare for the game rather than an opportunity to stave off the cold.
Trotting out with the No.1 offense as the second half got underway, the surprisingly plentiful bunch of MSU fans in Knoxville rose in applause.
“I had a feeling it was coming,” Shrader said postgame. “And coach (Andrew) Breiner came in at halftime said I had the green light.”
After Stevens was sidelined due to a lower body injury in an absolute demolition at Auburn two weeks ago, Shrader pushed his name into the starting quarterback conversation as he finished his night on The Plains 12-of-23 for 209 yards and two touchdowns.
With some uncertainty around the position and the health of both quarterbacks in question this week, Moorhead said postgame he went with Stevens given he had a better week of practice and was healthier than Shrader at the time of the decision.
Saturday, that experiment lasted just two quarters as Stevens completed six of his 11 passes for 67 yards and two interceptions in the first half. Moorhead mulled a change in the second quarter though time would prevent it, leading Shrader to ditch his hat for a helmet to start the second half.
After MSU mustered a middling 114 yards in the first half, Shrader guided the Bulldogs to 132 yards in the fourth quarter alone — including their lone touchdown of the day.
Faking a handoff to junior running back Kylin Hill, Shrader scampered to his right. With Tennessee linebacker Darrell Taylor bearing down, he lofted a ball to senior receiver Deddrick Thomas on a post route from 17 yards out for a score to cut the Tennessee lead to three with 8:27 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Shrader concluded the afternoon completing five of his 10 passes for 79 yards while running for another 62 yards on 13 carries — something Moorhead was quick to note postgame.
“Tommy had been a guy that had made a lot of plays with his feet throughout his career but I think Garrett has an ability to make plays with his feet, whether by design or improvisation with scrambles and called runs,” Moorhead said.
Leaving the field Saturday afternoon, Shrader headed toward the tunnel just below the Tennessee student section. As the familiar tones of “Rocky Top” rang throughout Neyland Stadium, he maintained a blank glare.
It was only when he was tapped on the back by a teammate that he seemed to snap back into the reality of what had transpired on the field behind him.
Now seven weeks into the season, MSU’s ongoing quarterback conundrum has reached a fever pitch.
With Saturday’s showing, Shrader again proved an innate ability to guide the Bulldog offense as much as Stevens has demonstrated the opposite. And now with a week to prepare for No. 5 Louisiana State — who boast the nation’s No. 16-ranked total defense — the MSU coaching staff has another decision on his hands.
“He is,” Moorhead said of whether Shrader has made a case to be the starter going forward. “And we’re going to look at that tomorrow.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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