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For Mississippi State football, the season took a turn for the worse when star quarterback Kamario Taylor was injured.
Now, the Bulldogs will be forced to move forward without Taylor.
The school announced on Tuesday that Taylor, a breakout star over the first month of the college football season, needs surgery on his injured toe. He is expected to make a full recovery, but will miss the rest of this year.
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve worked every day with our medical staff and done everything possible to be out there with my teammates,” said Taylor in a statement released by Mississippi State. “Missing the rest of this season is hard to accept, but I know God has a plan.”
Taylor plans to remain close to the program, working with his replacements to give the Bulldogs their best shot each week. That includes Parker Puckett, who has 368 passing yards and 101 rushing yards since replacing Taylor.
The true sophomore was injured late in September vs. Missouri. He tried to play against both Alabama and Oklahoma, missing the game with LSU.
With Taylor leading the offense, Mississippi State started the season 4-0. That included wins over Minnesota, South Carolina and Missouri. His skills made him an early Heisman Trophy finalist.
The Bulldogs have lost their last three to Alabama, LSU and Oklahoma. They head to Texas this weekend followed by dates with Vanderbilt, Auburn, Tennessee Tech and Ole Miss.
Taylor ends the year with 1,460 passing yards and 17 passing touchdowns, completing over 65 percent of his throws overall. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder is expected to be one of the top players selected when he becomes eligible for the 2028 NFL Draft.
A Mississippi native, Taylor played in 11 games as a true freshman for Mississippi State. He completed 43 of 77 for 629 yards, throwing five touchdowns while rushing for 458 yards and eight more scores.