Miss. St. QB Shapen harms shoulder, out for several years

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

• Elder WriterSep 21, 2024, 10:31 PM ET Close College football reporter.
• Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
• Graduate of Northwestern University.Mississippi State starting quarterback Blake Shapen will miss the rest of the season after suffering a shoulder injury in Saturday’s 45-28 loss to Florida.Shapen, a senior who moved from Baylor, left the game in the fourth quarter following a play on which he lost lawns near the Florida objective line and fumbled.He had 140 passing yards and a touchdown and will complete the season with 974 passing yards, eight touchdowns and one interception, finishing 68.5%of his attempts.Editor’s Picks “We’re all harming for Blake after this regrettable news,” Mississippi State first-year coach Jeff Lebby said in a declaration. “Blake is the ultimate competitor and teammate and an unquestioned leader in our program. I understand he will work extremely difficult to come back more powerful than ever, and he will continue to serve as a team leader from the sidelines. We will support Blake every action of the way during his healing process and explore all choices to assist him seek a medical difficulty waiver to restore his lost year of eligibility.”

Freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. replaced Shapen against the Gators and completed 7 of 13 passes for 100 yards.Shapen began games in each of the previous 3 seasons for Baylor and had 2,709 passing lawns and 18 touchdowns in 2022. He moved to Mississippi State in December.