Its not Mississippi State coach Dan Mullens style to reveal much about his depth chart before the first game, so it came as quite a surprise when he announced a starting quarterback during this weeks press conference.His choice: Nick Williams.Only one problem -- no such player exists on the roster.Cant say the coach doesnt have a sense of humor. The joke was a combination of the names of the two quarterbacks -- junior Damian Williams and sophomore Nick Fitzgerald -- who have worked their way to the top of Mississippi States depth chart.Mullen said both will play when Mississippi State hosts South Alabama on Saturday in the opener for both teams. He said the two-man plan isnt an attempt to deceive the Jaguars.I was wanting complete clarity and having a defined No. 1, said Mullen, who is in his eighth season at Mississippi State. But I dont think there is one yet so I plan on us playing more than one in the first quarter.A two-quarterback system might not be ideal, but its better than the situation at the start of the month. The Bulldogs opened preseason camp with a four-man race before sophomore Elijah Staley transferred after the first few weeks of camp.Redshirt freshman Nick Tiano appears to be the third-string quarterback, though Mullen said hes excited about his long-term future with the program.Williams is the veteran of the bunch, but has only one career start which was back in 2013 as a true freshman. The 6-foot-1, 229-pounder redshirted last season.The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Fitzgerald completed 11 of 14 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns last year in a reserve role. He said he wasnt sure who was going to take the first snap against South Alabama, but that it wasnt particularly important.Were all going to play, were all going to get our snaps and show what we can do, Fitzgerald said.Williams and Fitzgerald have the unenviable task of trying to replace the departed Dak Prescott, who was easily the most productive quarterback in program history and is now the likely starter for the NFLs Dallas Cowboys.But Prescott wasnt a star at Mississippi State immediately. He didnt earn a full-time starting role until his junior season.Mullen believes both Williams and Fitzgerald have the ability to be productive quarterbacks. He notes that the limited experience both players have provided a lesson on dealing with pressure.Williams only career start was against rival Ole Miss in the 2013 Egg Bowl -- a game the Bulldogs won. Fitzgerald was used extensively in a win over Troy last year because Prescott was sick.I think both of those guys have been thrown into tough situations, and both performed well in the situations they got thrown into, Mullen said. I want to give the guys an opportunity and see how they are going to perform on Saturday.-----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP-----AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.orgCheap Custom Lions Jersey . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. Custom T.J. Hockenson Jersey ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. http://www.customlionsjersey.com/ .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Wholesale Custom Lions Shirts . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Authentic Custom Lions Jersey . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth.A fall from a preseason No. 10 ranking to a 2-5 start has left Notre Dame with a sour taste in its mouth, but athletic director Jack Swarbrick made it clear this week that Brian Kelly will not be coaching for his job once the Fighting Irish resume play out of this weekends bye.Brian will lead this team out of the tunnel opening day next year, Swarbrick told ESPN.com.Kelly has drawn criticisms in the media and from select former players for his sideline behavior and postgame news conference demeanor, in addition to his handling of the Irishs quarterback situation and his playcalling during a hurricane in a loss at NC State. Current Irish players took turns defending their coach last week, saying the tough public love masked more intimate personal dealings behind the scenes.Such player-coach relationships are what have Swarbrick encouraged, though he is aware of the public perception surrounding Kelly this season and wants to do a better job of managing that.I guess Id say I wish the perception matched the reality a little better, Swarbrick said. I understand the perception, but weve got to work to alter that perception because it creates noise and gets in the way. But the reality couldnt be further from it. Im not going to reveal the nature of the postgame discussion between Brian and the team after Stanford [a loss on Saturday], but that was a discussion between a coach and a team who really care about each other and have a great relationship, and thats what I get to see every day. What we have to do is try to avoid the situation, which creates a different perception because that perception doesnt reflect the reality. We have to figure out how to be better at it.Kelly has a 57-28 record in his seven years as Notre Dames head coach, and he signed a six-year extension in January that will take him through the 2021 season. He fired his defensive coordinator, Brian VanGorder, after a 1-3 start this season, which has paid dividends on that side of the ball.With former analyst Greg Hudson now in charge of the defense the past three games, the unit has gone from 103rd nationally to 64th in total defense, from 101st to 67th in scoring defense andd from 104th to 56th in yards per play, though the Irish are just 1-2 during that time.ddddddddddddJust as I wouldnt single out any individual player, its unrealistic to say: Oh, the result of this lays solely at the feet of the head coach, Swarbrick said of the overall struggles this season. I bear responsibility. Im ultimately responsible for our performance, so all of us are in this together. But I can tell you I continue to have complete confidence in Brian. I think you really see what youve got in a coach with how they manage times like this, and I think he has done a great job of it.?His focus has been really laser sharp, his relationship with this team is probably as strong as any that Ive seen with him at Notre Dame, and those are all positives. Neither of us are satisfied with 2-5, but Im at most of the practices. Im at training table. I have an office at the Gug [football complex] in addition to my other office. I get to see the program day in and day out and I continue to have great confidence in Brian and confidence in our future as a program.Swarbrick said he has spent more time with Kelly this season than in past seasons, but the nature of those meetings are targeted on narrow issues that they hope can help put the players in better positions to get over the hump in a season that has seen all five Notre Dame losses come by eight points or fewer.As Notre Dame readies to host Miami out of its bye on Oct. 29, Swarbrick says he sees no cracks in the foundation, morale or chemistry of the Irish.Everybody associated with the program is disappointed -- the players, first and foremost, the coaching staff, me -- because we want to do better, we know we can do better, so theres great disappointment, Swarbrick said. Having said that, this is a pretty remarkable team in terms of its togetherness and its resiliency. They still come to every practice energized and focused. And as Brian has said repeatedly, they do everything we ask. They give us everything. So from that perspective, we want a different result. ' ' '