Closing the book on the Dan Mullen era

It’s the end of an era for Mississippi State football.

First, I will say that I’m grateful for what Dan Mullen did for Mississippi State. Next, I will say that I will always have great memories of his time as our head coach. Lastly, I will thank him for giving us nine years of his coaching career – many of those years being among the best in program history.

If you had told me when Coach Mullen was hired in December of 2008 that over the course of the next nine years we would go to eight straight bowl games, ascend to #1 in the nation, beat LSU twice and have wins over Florida, UGA, Tennessee, completely turn around the series with Arkansas and raise the Egg Bowl rivalry to national prominence I would have been speechless by how good that sounded.

Mullen came to MSU after we had been 29-65 (.309) the previous eight seasons. He went 69-46 (.600) in nine seasons. That’s almost double the winning percentage.

Just about every offensive record is stuffed by players and teams from the Dan Mullen era. He completely re-wrote the record book. Dak Prescott will remain a legend at Mississippi State forever, and his success is joined at the hip with Coach Mullen.

The fact is, MSU is a completely different – and better – football program in 2017 than when we hired Dan Mullen in 2008. And he’s left the cupboard pretty full for the next coach. So for that, we should all be grateful.

Why did Mullen leave? 

I about got sick to my stomach when I saw a picture of his family smiling as they flew to Gainesville. After he told all the fans and players that he was going to be here to build a championship program and see it through to the end, that’s a tough pill to swallow.

Did he lie or tell half-truths? Well, coaches are a bit like politicians – they say what they need to say to get you on their side, and when they don’t need you they are on to the next thing while you’re left holding the bag.

It is what it is. Dan said that him and his wife had discussed looking for other challenges, and when Florida presented itself he accepted the opportunity.

Here’s how I see it:

1. Dan came to Starkville looking to springboard to a bigger job
2. After going 9-4 in 2010 he tried to get the Miami job but it didn’t work out
3. As the years rolled by, his salary and MSU’s facilities continued to get better and better so that he didn’t really want to leave
4. The Mullens loved Starkville for its people and were comfortable staying at MSU
5. After Dak Prescott left in 2015 and he had been here for 7 years, they decided he should pursue other jobs…so he hired a new agent (Jimmy Sexton)
6. It took two years, but Coach Mullen landed a job that he was searching for – that is, one with an easier path to the College Football Playoffs

Not to toot my own horn, but I had this pegged after we lost to Auburn in 2016. Dan sort of wears his emotions on his sleeve, and you could tell he was unhappy. And his actions did nothing to make you believe otherwise.

But, I’ll give him credit because he picked himself up off the mat from the time I wrote that article until now, and went 12-8….including three wins over ranked teams and a near miss vs. Alabama.

He didn’t just quit – there is a lot of talent and experience he left on Mississippi State’s roster for next season and beyond. John Cohen has a lot to offer prospective coaches.

Jackie Sherrill is still the the Kang

Mullen leaves Mississippi State as the program’s second winningest coach. I’m sure he would’ve liked to have been number 1 (no one doubts he has a big ego). And I’m sure he’d have liked to coach the 2018 team that seems poised to challenge for the SEC West and would’ve given him that title. Ultimately the timing of the Florida job opening is what took him away.

But Jackie Wayne Sherrill still remains at the top spot with 74 wins.

Yeah, it took JWS 13 years to get to 74, and Mullen only nine to get to 69. But when you accurately compare the two, there’s not a ton of difference. Consider that Mullen got to play one FCS cupcake as a 12th game that Sherrill never had. That accounted for 9 wins.

So really, it’s 74 to 60. If you boil it down to what they did in their first nine years – JWS had 58 wins to Mullen’s 60. If you boil it down even further, Mullen wouldn’t have gone to a bowl game in 2011, 2013 or 2016 during Sherrill’s era – all of those bowl games were wins so: JWS 58 – Mullen 57.

(I guess you could say Jackie coached the Peach Bowl win in 1999, whereas Mullen won’t coach the 2017 bowl game, so it’s 57-57).

The School up North

Now that the Dan Mullen era is over, I think I’m ready to catch my breath on the Egg Bowl rivalry. With both schools hiring new head coaches, maybe we can hit the reset button.

Matt Luke seems like a decent enough guy. Whoever MSU hires probably won’t stir Ole Miss fans up into a frenzy like Mullen did.

It was Coach Mullen who elevated the rivalry to a fever pitch. Although, I don’t think he ever thought it would get this crazy. Now that he’s gone it’ll probably settle down a bit.

Who to hire next?

I don’t have any particular candidates in mind. What I do know is that Mississippi State football is probably at it’s highest point since World War II (if not ever). We have a lot of reasons why we’re an attractive job including but not limited to good money.

Jake Wimberly has compared Dan Mullen’s time at MSU to Tommy Bowden at Clemson (.615 winning percentage). They were also close but couldn’t get over the hump. Then Dabo Swinney came in and made them into a national power (.775 winning percentage).

Swinney brought something that Bowden didn’t have: energy and elite recruiting.

Those happen to be the same two things Dan Mullen didn’t have: energy (he is not a skilled motivator) and elite recruiting (he sought to make up for missed talent with player development).

I’d look for candidates with personality traits rather than on-the-field schematics. Someone who will bring the sauce (not just some juice), and can recruit at a higher level. If John Cohen can hit those points and they can win (because there are plenty of really good recruiters with high energy that can’t run a football program), then this could end up a blessing in disguise.

Final thoughts

Dan Mullen was building the program at Mississippi State. It was a long, slow build, filled with many peaks and valleys. But he chose not to see it to fruition.

Butch Davis rebuilt Miami and left it fully stocked so that Larry Coker could win his first 24 games as head coach. It can be done.

We can get there. Let’s push the reset button as a fanbase. Let’s get out of the bad habits we’ve created (like not showing up to 11 AM games), and start getting excited about every single win we are fortunate enough to get.

Whoever the new coach is, welcome and Hail State. Let’s go get that championship we’ve been chasing!

Open Letter to Scott Stricklin

Dear Scott Stricklin,

What kind of a person does this to their alma mater?

You left Mississippi State for Florida and that’s fine. Do you what you want to do with your life.

If someone working in their family’s business feels the need to stretch out their wings at another company, no one is going to fault them.

It’s when that person steals that family business’ best client when there’s a problem.

You took that bigger job knowing you’d stab us in the back if necessary. Not only did you stab us in the back, you took away our best asset; leaving us scrambling to pick up the pieces.

Here we are – Mississippi State – enjoying the best run of success in program history, and about to embark on what could be our best season in program history (2018). And you steal our best coach in program history?

There are 126 FBS schools other than Florida and Mississippi State. None of them had suitable candidates?

You whiffed on Chip Kelly, and couldn’t even close on a meeting with Scott Frost. So when you realize you’re in over your head you circle back to the only football coach you know.

Spineless move. You’re now the Benedict Arnold of college athletics.

Throw away your cowbell. Burn your diploma. Give all your maroon clothes away. You’re no longer welcome at Mississippi State. Go be a Gator for life because we don’t want you.

Deepest regrets for ever supporting you,

JB

MSU Football History: Battle for the Golden Egg

1936: Win over Ole Miss and a trip to the Orange Bowl!

1940: #16 Mississippi State beat #11 Ole Miss, 19-0:

World War II Battle for the Golden Egg: “to hell with Hitler and Ole Miss”

Bully releiving himself on Colonel Reb:

Ole Miss is Dawg meat.

Mid-’70s Egg Bowl – Ray Costict (MSU’s all-time leading tackler):

1980: 19-14 win for the Bulldogs, capping off a nine win season with victories over #1 ranked Alabama, Auburn, LSU and of course Ole Miss.

The series was played in Jackson every year from 1973-1990.

1987: Rockey Felker’s only win over Ole Miss.

1991: Jackie Sherrill got the job at MSU and decided we were not going to play any more games in Jackson, so the Battle for the Golden Egg moved on campus. The Dawgs won the first round, 24-9.

Gotta love a good Egg Bowl win!

1998: Mississippi State clinched the SEC West in Oxford with a thorough 28-6 whipping of the Rebs!

1999: The kick and the pick!

2005: MSU came into the game 0-7 in the SEC but still whipped up on the Rebs, 35-14.

2007: Down 14-0 in the 4th quarter, storming back with a Derek Pegues punt return TD and a get a 17-14 win in the closing seconds.

2009: “There’s one program on the rise in this state!”

2010: winning in Oxford for the first time in 12 years…

2011: Corey Broomfield celebrating three in a row.

2013: Gold helmets, defensive struggle, 4th quarter Dak comeback, Nickoe forcing a fumble in OT.

2016: Runnin’ all over the Rebs: 55-20..

Why Dan Mullen has not reached the ceiling of MSU football

The crux of the speculation that writers and pundits put forth which names Dan Mullen as a candidate for every major job opening is that he has already reached the ceiling at Mississippi State; so he might as well move on.

Has Dan Mullen reached the ceiling for MSU football? Reaching #1 a few years back, eight consecutive bowl games, etc. Is that the best MSU can hope to do?

The argument for Mullen leaving is always centered around the lack of resources at State compared to other schools, and the difficulty reeling in top recruits to Starkville.

Those are fair arguments because State ranked 13th out of 13 SEC schools who report their annual budgets, and none of Mullen’s recruiting classes have finished in the top half of the SEC.

There are definitely plenty of reasons why a regional or national writer would immediately point to the historical success Coach Mullen has had at MSU and offer him as a candidate for the head coaching job at a program with more of a winning tradition and lots of money.

When you take a look at the nuts and bolts, however, there’s also reason to believe that what Dan Mullen has been building in Starkville over the last nine years is only the beginning.

Short Term

The 2018 team looks to be stacked. This year’s team will only be losing seven starters (including the punter), and four of those seven will be replaced by a player who has started multiple games in 2017. All the key positions have players returning, and the schedule swaps a road game vs. Georgia for a home game vs. Florida.

With a strong finish in the regular season and bowl game, MSU should be highly ranked going into 2018. Preseason expectations will be higher than they’ve ever been during the Mullen tenure – even higher than 2014.

Again – 2018 preseason expectations will be higher than they’ve ever been during the Mullen tenure. That alone would rule out the theory that he’s reached MSU’s ceiling.

Long Term

Not that anyone should doubt Mullen’s ability to keep the quarterback pipeline full, but he has them lining up to come to Mississippi State. Keytaon Thompson is already on the team, then he has sought-after QBs committed for the 2018 and 2019 classes.

We are still waiting on the NCAA sanctions to be handed down to Ole Miss, but their probation (current and future) has a big impact on MSU. The Rebs’ 2017 and 2018 recruiting classes have been adversely effected, which will show up on the field before long. If they are dealt a big blow by the NCAA which allows State to clean up the ultra-talented 2019 in-state class, that will do wonders for the Bulldogs’ talent level.

Talk is Just Talk

Dan Mullen has referenced the program building he’s done at MSU every time he’s been asked about other job openings. The fact is, he has done a great job building the program in terms of facilities, recruiting and winning. It’s one that MSU fans can be proud of and we are.

It looks pretty obvious to anyone who follows the Mississippi State program that things look brighter – starting now and continuing for years to come.

Now, whether than means Mullen is going to stay in Starkville and see it to fruition or not no one can truly say.

At this week’s press conference, Coach Mullen said the following:

I think everybody in the world has an opinion of what I should and shouldn’t do. Most people who know me, and have known me for a long time know I like my own opinion and I’m not interested in other people’s opinions…..and my wife, I listen to her opinion too.

What Dan Mullen thinks about Mississippi State and it’s future will ultimately direct the career decisions he makes. But we know that MSU can go higher, and if Dan Mullen sees it through we will reach even more levels of success we’ve only dreamed about.

Great maroon gear at low price: the 121 Village online store. 

Get back to physical games with Alabama

Mississippi State hasn’t beaten Alabama in the last 9 tries. Given the history of the series and the juggernaut that is Nick Saban coached teams, that’s not surprising.

Pretty much everyone, including MSU fans, expect Alabama to win the ball game on Saturday yet again. But there’s one thing the Bulldogs can do – and it may keep them competitive for four quarters – and that’s get back to physical football against the Crimson Tide.

If there’s one thing Mississippi State has always been known for, it’s physicality. Going back years and years, Alabama players have lamented about playing the Dawgs because while they’d almost always win the game, they were bruised and battered afterwards.

We’ve kind of gotten away from that all-out sock you in the mouth approach against the Tide. But maybe we need to get back to it, because why not – nothing else has worked. Make them earn the win. Hit them hard and see how bad they really want this game.

It would be great if Coach Mullen approached the game with a mindset of nothing to lose. Because really, State has very little to lose. Sure, a close final score might help the College Football Playoff committee view State favorably when it comes time to place New Year’s Six bowls (if we can finish 9-3), but we’ve ended up getting blown out by Bama too many times to count with that conservative just-keep-the-score-close approach.

Let’s go in ready to sling it around and be as physical as possible. Hit them early and often and let them know we will not lay down.

Yeah, when you try to bully the biggest kid on the street you may get your block knocked off, but it’s worth a shot. We are the challenger, and this game is on our turf. There’s a mental edge you can gain by being more physical from the first snap, and that may be enough to keep us in the game.

We’ll need that physicality for sure with our young offensive line. MSU’s bread and butter is their rushing attack that ranks 3rd in the SEC at 259 yards per game. Alabama hasn’t even allowed 200 yards but 5 times in the last 10 seasons. So we’ll need some maulers up front.

It doesn’t get any easier on defense either as the Tide are #1 in the SEC in total offense. They run it at you, and they run hard.

It’s all about mental toughness, and the approach that we are going to be as physical as we can because we absolutely believe we can win, and we want to win this game.

We have beaten big bad Bama before. It can happen. But even if we go down, let’s go down swingin’.

Maroon polos at a great price? Check out the 121 Village online store. 

WMD’s Armchair QB: Tough One Edition

Peeps, that was a tough game. I have no idea how that UMass team is 2-7. They’ve got some really good players on that team. I’ll admit, I was guilty of looking at the name on the jersey & the record and thinking it would be a cakewalk, like I’m sure most of you did. But that team could just as easily be 7-2. The WR, Isabella, is a Wes Welker clone. I could see him being drafted in the 6th round by a team and being a star in the slot. And their RB, Young, is going to play in the NFL. He’s 6’3″ & 215 and you saw the speed on his early 66 yard run. He’d start for a lot of SEC teams. That said, it still shouldn’t have been as close as it was. Here’s what I learned:

Defense:

1. This group did everything right to win on Saturday. When it mattered, they got the big stops. They even scored early to give us a quick lead. It certainly wasn’t our best defensive effort, but it was good enough.

2. DL wasn’t nearly as dominant as they have been, but they shut down the UMass run game after the early 66 yard gain. They had several crucial TFLs down the stretch to kill some Minutemen drives that could have seen them tie or take the lead.

3. LBs were just OK. JT Gray is quietly having a huge season. Like the rest of the D, good when we needed them most, just “meh” the rest of the game.

4. DBs brought the pain. They had some key slobberknockers in the game. They struggled covering Isabella, but I’m not overly upset about it. Put it like this, that dude would’ve been our #1 WR on Saturday and mght be our #1 WR this season with everyone healthy.

5. JT Gray’s pick 6 was a thing of beauty. He read the QBs eyes and jumped the route perfectly. Pick up a couple of key blocks and get your TD celebration on. He’s arguably been our best LB this season, right up there with Dez Harris.

6. Jamal Peters absolutely destroyed a UMass WR late to help force UMass into a FG. He’s really coming on the last couple of weeks and developing into a good CB. He gives us some real size to matchup with big WRs on the outside. Need him to play his best game ever next Saturday.

7. Every time I see the replay of Johnathan Abram’s sack, I get angry all over again. Let’s just go ahead and put flags on the QBs if that hit is an ejection. I literally have no idea what else you’re supposed to do as defender. That’s the type of play and hit you live for on D. He comes clean on a blitz, has a full head of steam, wraps up, and drives through the QB. It was an absolute “snot bubbler” hit. If the rules make that an ejection, the rules have to change. It’s football, allegedly.

Special Teams:

1. I said it last week or the week before, but our STs have quietly become a real strength for this team. They got the job done on a day when the offense was struggling.

2. Logan Cooke continues to be great punting the ball. He had just 2 on the day, but they couldn’t have been much better. He had 87 total yards, averaged 43.5 YPP, and had a long punt of 45. Good hang time, no return yards. And he continued to bomb the ball on KO duty, too.

3. Jace Christmann’s emergence has been the biggest and best surprise of the season. It’s nice to feel good about making a FG after the last few years. Christmann was 2/2 on the day with a long attempt of 28 and hit all 4 PATs.

4. Deddrick Thomas was great fielding punts. Personally, I’d leave him as my top PR man after yesterday. He made good decisions and caught the ball cleanly. But more than that, he just looks dangerous back there. He’s got some wiggle with his first step and a way of making the first man or two miss that’s hard to explain. But the best PR guys have it. His PR TD iced the game and DT should be the man on PR moving forward.

Offense:

1. Very sluggish day from this group. We did an ok job running, even against a very stacked box, but weren’t very good passing. Part of that was the game plan, which was run heavy to say the least. Part was personnel and another part was execution. We had the two key drives right after the half to take the lead, then we went back into our shell.

2. Fitz continues to show that he’s a great runner and an average at best passer. 2 INTs, one a pick 6. As I pointed out after the UK game, accuracy for a QB isn’t just getting a catchable ball to the WR. It’s putting the ball where the WR has a chance to maximize yards after the catch. Fitz was a little bit off with his accuracy Saturday.

The good news is that Fitz’s struggles as a passer don’t effect his legs. He helped takeover the game in the 3rd quarter with some nice runs, including the 2 TDs. It’s going to be interesting to see if he can get much on the ground against Bama.

3. Aeris Williams continues to be our workhorse. He does everything well, which is why he plays so much. He finished with 114 yards on 24 carries and averaged 4.8 YPR. He also threw a key block on Fitz’s 2nd TD run. Typical, solid day for the A-Train.

4. OL was very average. They never really asserted their will on UMass outside of the two TD drives in the 3rd. Plays that have been going for 3-5 yards most of the year were going for just 1-3 on Saturday. Overall, I thought it was a disappointing day for this group, even though we ran for 254 and averaged 5.6 YPR.

5. WRs struggled, to say the least. Not having Gray, Myles, and Mixon is a huge deal for this unit. No one else is really ready yet. I liked what I saw from Jesse Jackson early, but then we stopped getting the ball to him. Reggie Todd has the tools, but he’s not there yet. Jamaal Couch is completely MIA. Osirus Mitchell had an early cameo but that was it. As much as I bragged on DT as a PR man, he’s Stone Hands at WR. We need at least 2 of the injured guys ready to go against Bama.

6. I would have liked to see more of Nick Gibson & Kylin Hill. They’ve earned more carries than they got yesterday. Hill didn’t even touch the ball and Gibson only got it twice. That’s unacceptable. As pure runners, both are better than A-Train right now. This season should prove once and for all that you can never trust Dan Mullen to play freshmen RBs, regardless of how highly recruited and ready they may be. Meanwhile, Cam Akers is rushing for nearly 200 yards at FSU. Give the kids the ball.

Coaching/Intangibles:

1. Dan Mullen’s game plan was basic and obvious: Run the rock, let our size & depth wear down UMass. It worked, but it was painful at times. I imagine this was at least partially influenced by our paper thin WR corps.

2. Not the best game Todd Grantham has had, but it was good enough. We got a pick 6 for the 3rd straight week. First time since 2007 that’s happened. We gave up some big plays, but some of that was execution. The 4th & 1 long pass conversion is a good example. Apparently we suspected they’d try to hit us deep, so Grantham called for us to double cover the TE. Someone busts, we don’t double cover, long play for a first down. Gotta execute better.

3. The team as a whole was just completely flat. The last two games took a lot out of them emotionally, especially last week. The good news is they found a way to grind through it, make the key plays, and win the game. Would I have preferred to see a fired up team that was clicking on all cylinders? Absolutely. But you don’t get that every week. That’s why it’s important to have a good crowd behind. Speaking of…

4. Our fans get an F. Mullen and the players literally begged all week for us to have a big crowd for this game. They knew UMass was sneaky good and we likely weren’t going to have the emotional intensity we’ve had most of the season. What happened? A large portion of our fans stayed home. It’s infuriating, sickening, and disappointing. I gotta give our fans credit, if there’s one thing we’re good at, it’s making excuses for not going to a game:

• It’s too hot
• It’s too cold
• It’s too far
• I’m too tired
• [Insert team] is too good
• [Insert team] sucks
• It’s too early
• It’s too late
• I have to wear maroon/white/black
• The team is wearing black
• The team is wearing silver helmets
• I’ll get home in the dark
• I have to drive in the dark
• My sixth cousin thrice removed who I’ve never met and probably hate came into town
• It’s too loud
• I have to stand
• There are better games on TV

B…b…but WMD, it was early and UMass was supposed to suck!! Yeah, I get it. Excuses. If you really can’t go, give your tickets to a State fan who can make that game.

As a fan base we’ve been asking the question for the last couple of years “How do we take the next step as a program and break through this glass ceiling?” I can tell you right now, part of it is showing up to the games. And it’s especially true when the players beg for you to show up. Until we’re willing to look into the mirror and admit our own faults, we will always be what we are.

5. Students: You’re the worst and you suck. Period. It’s an absolute disgrace and embarrassment for you to not show up yesterday. You’re in town and on campus. There is literally no excuse in your sections being completely empty. You should be there to support your fellow students who represent you and the university. Unlike some, I don’t care if you leave early if we have the game in hand. But to not show up at all is completely inexcusable. I was a student not so long ago during the Crxxm Error. I’d have killed to see a team this good play while I was in school. Our teams sucked, but we still showed up. Where the hell were you? I repeat: You’re the worst and you suck.

WMD’s Final Thoughts

A win is a win is a win. In a way, I’m glad it was a close game. We haven’t had one all year and you knew we would eventually. I didn’t really expect it to be UMass, but that’s football. The good news is that despite being flat and having no crowd to feed on emotionally, we found a way to gut it out for a W. Sometimes that’s all it’s about. I have no doubt we’ll be fired up and ready emotionally next week. I expect we’ll have a full house, although half of them will be Bammers that our fans give their tickets to. (And you suck for that, too) Hopefully we’ll get at least two of Gray, Myles, and Mixon back for the game. That said, it’s still going to be really hard to beat the semipro team called Alabama.

Hail State!

WMD