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 transferred from Baylor, left the game in the fourth quarter following a play on which he lost yards near the Florida goal line and fumbled.
He had 140 passing yards and a touchdown and will finish the season with 974 passing yards, eight touchdowns and one interception, completing 68.5% of his attempts.
"We're all hurting for Blake after this unfortunate news," Mississippi State first-year coach Jeff Lebby said in a statement. "Blake is the ultimate competitor and teammate and an unquestioned leader in our program. I know he will work incredibly hard to come back stronger than ever, and he will continue to serve as a team leader from the sidelines. We will support Blake every step of the way during his recovery process and explore all options to help him seek a medical hardship waiver to regain 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 started games in each of the past three seasons for Baylor and had 2,709 passing yards and 18 touchdowns in 2022. He transferred to Mississippi State in December.