STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen has run some variation of the spread offense since he arrived at the school eight years ago.This years version could be described in two words: Nick Fitzgerald.The 6-foot-5, 230-pound sophomore has been a one-man show for much of the season, including last Saturday when he threw for 417 yards and five touchdowns and also ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the Bulldogs 56-41 victory over Samford .The numbers are undeniably impressive. Even Dak Prescott -- the Bulldogs former quarterback who is now an NFL phenom with the Dallas Cowboys -- never had a college game with more than 400 yards passing and 100 yards rushing. There are only two QBs in SEC history who have accomplished that feat: Johnny Manziel and Archie Manning.But it remains to be seen whether Fitzgeralds version of hero ball can lead the Bulldogs to a Southeastern Conference victory during a difficult November that includes games against Texas A&M, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi.Mississippi State (3-5, 1/3 SEC) hosts No. 7 Texas A&M (7-1, 4-1) on Saturday. IIf your quarterback is playing really well, youve got a chance to win, Mullen said. You go watch football on Friday night, Saturday or Sunday and its going to be the exact some deal.Fitzgerald -- a first-year starter -- has been a pleasant surprise for the Bulldogs in an otherwise lackluster season. Hes fourth in the SEC in total offense and leads all of the leagues quarterbacks with 657 yards rushing.Hes been a little inconsistent in the passing game, completing 56 percent of his passes for 1,496 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but his performance against Samford was an encouraging sign.Guys were getting open and I was just able to find a way to get it to them and they did the rest, Fitzgerald said on Saturday.The problem for Mississippi State is if Fitzgerald isnt putting up record-breaking numbers, the offense isnt very successful. Auburn, LSU and Kentucky were all able to hold Fitzgerald to reasonable numbers and the Bulldogs lost all three games.Texas A&Ms defense figures to be a tough challenge for Fitzgerald. The Aggies have some of the leagues most talented defensive linemen, including Daeshon Hall and Myles Garrett, who have combined for 19 tackles for loss this season.That means Fitzgerald will need some help. Where it comes from is uncertain.Receiver Donald Gray had a breakout performance against Samford, catching four passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns. But a crowded backfield that includes Ashton Shumpert, Brandon Holloway, Keith Mixon, Nick Gibson and Aeris Williams hasnt produced a consistent performer.Fitzgeralds 657 yards rushing this season are more than the teams top three running backs -- Shumpert (231), Holloway (208) and Williams (206) -- combined.Mullen knows one thing: Since Texas A&M is second in the SEC with 38.4 points per game, the Bulldogs probably arent going to get locked into a defensive showdown. Fitzgerald -- and hopefully some other offensive players -- will have to produce.Obviously, when youre playing a team as explosive as Texas A&M, in the back of your mind, youre thinking youre going to have to score a lot of points, Mullen said.-----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP .---More AP College Football: www.collegefootball.ap.org . Frank Oliver . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. Nate Hawkins . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. https://www.cheapnfljerseyschina.co/joe-ethridge-jersey-for-sale/ . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Louis Riddick .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem. Tom Forrest . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. To help you set your lineups and avoid starting a player who doesnt take the field, we will post fantasy-relevant updates and analysis here as NFL teams release their Sunday inactive lists before kickoff. Any rankings cited in this column come from our ESPN Fantasy staff ranks.?Teams on bye this week: Bills, Lions, Colts, Raiders.Refresh often for the latest information.Ruled out before SundayWR Jeremy Maclin (groin), LB Justin Houston (knee), DE Derek Wolfe (elbow), RB Tevin Coleman (hamstring), TE Jacob Tamme (shoulder), RB Jacquizz Rodgers (foot), LB Denzel Perryman (hamstring), LB Jatavis Brown (knee), S Tyrann Mathieu (shoulder), S Barry Church (forearm), RB DeAngelo Williams (knee), RB Thomas Rawls?(leg), DE Michael Bennett (knee).Early games, 1 p.m. ET (eight scheduled)WR Will Fuller V (knee, questionable) -- inactive LB Derrick Johnson (hamstring, questionable) -- active WR Allen Hurns (concussion, questionable) -- active RB Todd Gurley (thigh, questionable) -- active QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (knee, questionable) -- active RB Doug Martin (hamstring, questionable) -- active RB James Starks (knee, questionable) -- active WR DeSean Jackson (shoulder, doubtful) -- inactiveLate games, 4:05 and 4:25 p.m. ET (three scheduled)WR Jarvis Landry (shoulder, questionable) -- active WR Kenny Stills (calf, questionable) -- active WR Travis Benjamin (knee, doubtful) -- inactive WR Tyrell Williams (knee, questionable) -- active TE Hunter Henry (knee, questionable) -- active RB Carlos Hyde (shoulder, questionable) -- active WR Dez Bryant (knee, questionable) -- activeSunday night game, 8:30 ETRB Christine Michael (hamstring, questionable) -- active WR Chris Hogan (back, questionable) -- active TE Martellus Bennett (ankle, questionable) -- active RB Dion Lewis (knee) -- inactive WR Julian Edelman (foot, questionable) -- activeUpdates/analysis (most recent first)Late-game running backs (7:07 p.m.): Dion Lewis will not be active for the Patriots tonight, setting up a continued passing-game role for James White. On the other side of the ball, Christine Michael is active after being added to the injury report during the week. Theres still reason for concern about his workload and ability to finish the game, as weve seen with other hamstring injuries this season.Dak Prescott (3:15 p.m.): Theres no need for the Cowboys to have Prescott looking over his shoulder today. Thats why it makes complete sense to see that Tony Romo, although resigned to being a backup QB for now, is inactive this afternoon.Carlos Hyde (3 p.m.): Hyde is active, and given that Mike Davis is inactive for the 49ers, it would appear that the team is not all that concerned about his ability to handle (at a minimum) a significant share of the workload.Travis Benjamin (2:50 p.m): He did not participate in practice all week, so nobody should be surprised to hear that Benjamin will sit this one out for San Diego. There is good news for the Chargers, though, as both Hunter Henry and Tyrell Williams will be active this afternoon.Miami Dolphins (2:45 p.m.): A trio of injured pass-catchers will all be active for Dolphins today. Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and Dion Sims all will be on the field this afternoon. However, CB Chris Culliver (knee) will need at least one more week to recover from before suiting up for Miami.?Denver Broncos (12:02 p.m.): With the Saints sitting LT Terron Armstead, the decision to roll thee dice on the Broncos D/ST becomes a little easier.ddddddddddddMeanwhile, on offense, the Broncos have dressed only two RBs:?Devontae Booker and Kapri Bibbs.Matt Jones (11:55 a.m.): While the fact that WR DeSean Jackson is out with an injured shoulder this week is not a surprise to most fantasy owners, news that Jones would be a healthy scratch today might have snuck up on some people. However, the Washington Post saw this coming as early as Thursday. Robert Kelley has the starting RB job on lockdown.Doug Martin (11:50 a.m.): Tampa Bay finally gets Martin back after the RB injured his hamstring two months ago. The timing is fortuitous, as Jacquizz Rodgers (foot) is inactive today for the Buccaneers.Will Fuller V (11:45 a.m.): Jacksonvilles defense should have an easier time stopping Houston today, with Fuller (knee) out. The duo of Keith Mumphery and Braxton Miller will share second-fiddle duties to DeAndre Hopkins.Ryan Fitzpatrick (11:40 a.m.): Although Fitzpatrick is active?for todays game, he will be the backup quarterback for the Jets. Bryce Petty will start, while Christian Hackenberg is inactive.Derrick Johnson (11:30 a.m.): Warm-ups seem to have gone well this morning for the Kansas City linebacker. He tells the NFL Network that hes good to go for todays game.Ryan Kalil (11:25 a.m.): The Panthers center is close to returning, but despite working out this morning and declaring that his shoulder feels better, he is expected to be inactive again today. Gino Gradkowski (knee) should start for the second straight game, though he is also ailing a bit.Bryce Petty (9:05 a.m.): Either?Ryan Fitzpatricks knee is not up to par, or perhaps the Jets simply want to give their young quarterback a start to see what he can do. In any event, sources tell ESPNs Adam Schefter that Petty will start today for the Jets against the Rams.Carlos Hyde (7:45 a.m.): ESPNs Adam Schefter reports that the 49ers running back does plan to play against the Cardinals this afternoon. That said, he also notes that DuJuan Harris, who has impressed, will still have a part in the teams game plan, keeping him in flex consideration.?James Starks (7:40 a.m.): While optimistic, Green Bay is planning to wait until after warm-ups to see whether Starks can make his return from knee surgery today, according to NFL Networks Ian Rapoport.Todd Gurley (7:35 a.m.): A source tells ESPNs Adam Schefter that the Rams RB is expected to play today against the Jets. Gurley has been dealing with a thigh injury and missed two practices this week, so temper fantasy expectations even if he does suit up.Allen Hurns (7:30 a.m.): Hurns was cleared to practice in a limited capacity on Thursday, even as he spent the week in the leagues concussion protocol. Unless he suffers a last-minute setback, the Jaguars fully expect?him to play today.Christine Michael (7:25 a.m.): Thomas Rawls has been ruled out, and now Michael is questionable because of a hamstring issue. Sources tell ESPNs Adam Schefter that Michael should be good, but C.J. Prosise definitely looks to be the safer fantasy option, given the Sunday night kickoff.Official Sunday inactives should begin coming in at approximately 11:30 a.m. ET for the early games, 2:30 p.m. ET for the late games and 7 p.m. ET for the Sunday night game. ' ' '