STARKVILLE (AP) — Nick Fitzgerald threw for 243 yards and four touchdowns and No. 21 Mississippi State beat Louisiana Tech 45-3 on Saturday night.

Mississippi State (6-3, No. 18 CFP) didn’t have much trouble, scoring 21 points in the first quarter of what quickly turned into a lopsided game. Fitzgerald completed 17 of 28 passes and threw his touchdowns to Stephen Guidry, Deddrick Thomas, Kylin Hill and Jesse Jackson.

“We needed to start fast and knock the belief out of these guys,” Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead said.

Fitzgerald also ran for 107 yards. Mississippi State has a 16-3 record during Fitzgerald’s career when he breaks the 100-yard mark.

Louisiana Tech (6-3) was competitive in a loss to LSU this season, but its second game against a Southeastern Conference opponent didn’t go well. J’Mar Smith completed 14 of 30 passes for 98 yards.

Mississippi State’s offensive revival continued for a second straight game after an encouraging 28-13 win over Texas A&M last week. The Bulldogs finished with 532 total yards.

Fitzgerald had plenty of time to throw most of the night and completed four touchdown passes in the first half for 11, 36, 23 and 10 yards. That helped give the Bulldogs a comfortable 31-3 halftime lead.

“It’s very apparent I’m a lot more comfortable in the pocket, a lot more comfortable in the passing game,” Fitzgerald said. “I really liked our last two games and the plan that we’ve had.”

Mississippi State’s defense was once again excellent, giving up just 238 total yards. The Bulldogs didn’t give up a touchdown on Saturday and they’ve given up just nine offensive touchdowns all season, which leads the nation.

Mississippi State’s offense has done a complete 180 over the past two weeks and Fitzgerald’s arm has turned into an asset instead of a liability. Now the Bulldogs get their shot at No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa next weekend and there’s no doubt Mississippi State will have to play a near-perfect game to have a chance.

“Certainly, when you’re heading on the road to play the No. 1 team in the country, you definitely want to have momentum going in your favor,” Moorhead said.