Couple of opinions of Mullen from former SEC players...

[Beretta.sixpack]

As I was watching the game sat and seeing DM bring in relf on a drive wher TR was moving the ball, I scratched my head as WTF, and seeing the result, I'm still pissed about it....

Ironically, my former boss played for UGA under Dooley, sent me a few texts after that series....I'll give you his "does DM not piss you off? I'm pulling for you guys and he is royally screwing up any chance to win this game making decisions like that" (referring to putting in relf during that drive)
"I think it is obvious why he didn't get the Florida job"

Now I don't necessarily agree with him about the UF comment, but putting in relf with Tyler moving th ball was a bonehead move, similar to the one he did against USC...

Now, I read coach34's assessment as to WhY he did it, and I can understand that, but it is still not a high percentage play...


Secondly, this morning I spoke with a co worker in Fayetteville who is a former razrback player, and the brought up the playcalling when we had 1st and goal at the Bama 4... He couldn't understand why we would throw a fade pattern on on 1st down to "a short WR" (bumphis) especially when bama's strength on D is their secondary.....

Following that, I heard Bo bounds say this morning he couldn't understand that call either....And he also said "not a high percentage play" .I totally agree with all of this....but we're those calls Mullen? Or koenning?

BB thinks Mullen is going to have to make some changes on the offensive staff if he ever expects to win in the SEC....

Why do I agree with all of this? I'll hang up and listen to your comments....

 

[tenureplan]

but leaving him out there for third down was boneheaded.

 

[22yardpunt]

everyone says "why didn't mullen put in relf i thought he was our red zone qb??!??!?" .. "you gotta mix it up mullen!!!"</p>

 

[dawgstudent]

[No message]

 

[Buford T. Justice]

I would have left Russell in the game because we were driving. I didn't like the move to Relf and said so when he was jogging onto the field.

When we had the ball after Cam Lawrence's interception inside the 5, I would have used Relf and run the option to the right on 1st down rather than the fade from Russell to Bumphis.

 

[coach66]

head scratching moments. Sometimes I think Mullen over thinks or over coaches if you will when he just needs to play the percentages and stick to the basics and focus on good execution. I thought the Relf move was pretty bad and the play calling after the interference was terrible. I feel like Mullen is working too hard to look like a genius sometimes when simple, common sense would do just fine.

 

[Seinfeld]

At no point in the game had Relf been the least bit effective, and he completely killed the only momentum that we had managed to gain at that time. On top of that, since Relf was knocked out of the game during that series, it ruined what would have been a great opportunity to let him play when we had a first and goal from the 4. Since he was unavailable, Russel comes in and we go backwards. I'm hearing rumors that Relf had a slight concussion on his last series, but it sure seemed to me like he was sitting around and sulking the rest of the game. I sure hope that it was just his head hurting.

As far as the fade pattern, yeah... not sure about that call. It sure looked like face guarding and pass interference on the defender, but I haven't seen a replay yet so maybe it wasn't. Either way, it was a questionable call and we continue to get killed in the red zone by not having a consistent receiver or tight end with any height. That's not the end of the world if you have guys that can get separation, but we struggle with that also.

As far as BB goes, our line sucks, our receivers suck, and our playcalling is highly questionable to say the least. If Mullen doesn't make some changes in our coaching this offseason, I'll be highly disappointed.

 

[randystewart]

If Russell stays in and stalls out, then you come away thinking it was a pretty good drive to get into field goal range. Bringing Relf in when Russell was moving the football is one of the worst coaching moves I have ever seen. It completely ruined that drive.

 

[fishwater99]

I am okay with the idea of using a different QB once inside the 10 yard line for goal-line plays, but otherwise stick to one guy and ride it out. Mullens tries to mix it up and keep the defenses thinking, but he over-thinks it way too much and really hurts TR's confidence and takes away any rhythm he might have.

 

[sleepy dawg]

The best coaches make some of the most questionable calls. See Sean Peyton, Les Miles, Bill Belichick. All of these coaches call plays that go completely against the situation they're in all the time.

The problem is, it only really works when you have exceptional talent, which we don't. When it works you're a genius, and when it doesn't, you're a bad play caller.

 

[kired]

Sometimes I think Mullen over thinks or over coaches if you will when he just needs to play the percentages and stick to the basics and focus on good execution.

I say this every game. Like what were we doing with punts Saturday night? We try to pull this rugby stylecrap-I haven't noticedus doing that but maybe a few times this year. But instead of kicking toward the sideline we kicked line drives right down the middle of the field. Theresult: a net of34 yards /punt (not included the dropped snap orhit out of bounds penalty).I guess we're so concernedwith Mazegetting a big return that we screw up our punting game all night.We got really lucky because he caught a couple on a dead sprint- those could have been big trouble.

 

[freddawg]

with a different QB seems like a good idea at times. But to change QB's when the one in the game is having success doesn't seem like a good move. It was a momentum killer in this case. Hindsight is 20/20 however. If it would have worked, I'm sure we'd think differently about it. I would have had an easier time accepting the decision in this case if we had actually been deeper in the red zone.

 

[chew1095]

I'll quote him, "Its the Jimmys and the Joes and not the Xs and Os..."

Head scratching decisions, yes; but we are a few players away from being able to win these type games. We dont have a WR that is over 6' tall and can "stretch the field." We dont have a true rush end on defense. We have a patch work OL and a converted DT playing LT.

I believe (and you can call me a sheep) that we are not too far off from being able to win some of these close games against the upper tier SEC. Hopefully, Morrow can fit the bill as a field stretcher next year. I think our young DEs are getting better and I think if we can land a JUCO T, we will have a better OL next year.

 

[muddawgs33]

Which makes it frustrating to watch at times. He did the same thing at Florida and that's why a lot of their fans were happy to see him leave. I have no problem putting Relf into the game when we are inside the 10 or 15, but I think Mullen killed any kind of momentum we had when he put Relf in when Russell and the gimmick Farve plays had moved us down the field and we had Bama on their heels. I actually applaud Mullen for the Farve plays because Bama looked lost as hell. <div>
</div><div>My main problem is Mullen doesn't stay consistent unless it's consistently inconsistent. When we got the ball on the 4 yard line, that was the perfect time to bring in Relf, Mullen chose to keep Russell in the game. I also wouldn't have had a problem with the fade if Malcolm Johnson was out there because if the throw was to Johnson then it would have been a TD. I think that's the problem most fans have is that we run some plays where the matchup is not favorable for us. If I'm coaching, I'm throwing the fade to my 6'2 or 6'3 receiver that has shown that he can go up for the ball over my 5'10 wide receiver. </div><div>
</div><div>I also didn't have a problem with Mullen going for it on 4th down at midfield. You don't get many chances against Bama's defense and we had a good play called and Green has to come up with that catch. </div><div>
</div><div>I agree about the offensive staff changes but if Mullen is calling the plays, then I doubt you will see any. </div>

 

[was21]

asdf

 

[FISHDAWG]

team .... face it, we never stood a chance trying to play "their game" ... all along, we were going to have to mix it up some just to have a chance ... so, I'll give Dan a break on this game and try to remember that .... however, I just dont understand (maybe I just haven't yet heard ) why , # 1 - we went for it on 4th & 7 ..... # 2 - why we attempted that conversion with our 3rd team QB ..... because we were still in the game at that point
also, I know our kicker (DePasquale) has missed a few, but how many has he missed from 25 yards this year .... I saw no reason to bring in an inexpierienced kicker infrom that distance ....Sorry Dan, I'm trying to understand

 

[Purebred Dawg]

Lifestyleku</p>

 

[TXDawg.sixpack]

By the time we got the Lawrence INT, Relf was already hurt. He couldn't go in for that drive.

 

[EAVdog]

I'm not sure how it would have made much difference. I think Mullen really just wanted to play it safe andensure a chance ata FG and go in 7-3 at the half. Also I'm sure that when he put Relf in he had expectations that Relf would execute the plays better. I only don't like it because it didn't work.
As for the fade route, that was a perfect throw and Bumphis had the ball. The Bama DB played perfect defense (questionably more than perfect_ to break it up. It was a great call because everyone was thinking run.Folks just don't like that call because it didn't work, but it was damn close and perfectly executed between Russell and Bumphis. We will see that again this year for a TD.
What's interesting is that nobody is talking about that silly A-11 formation set. You know why, it worked. If that would have blown up everyone would be all over Mullen for some High School formation.
I like Mullen's play calling. it's imaginative and aggressive. Sometime his scheming fails but when we have a healthy O-Line the offense looks good. Last year was probably the best Offensive output ever at State, we're stillright around mid-pack in the SEC this year even with all our injuries on the O-Line.

Nobody needs to get too bent out of shape with the results of this last game. That Bama defense will likely go down as one of the statistically best defenses in college football of all time.

 

[Todd4State]

That's why we didn't throw to "one" - and why I am surprised that Joe Morrow is being redshirted. And also why I wanted us to get Desean McNeal from Oxford last year.

Again, just like the o-line, but to a lesser degree because our WR's do make plays and are pretty good for the most part in general- we have to make sure that we recruit some taller more physical WR's rather than a bunch of slot guys/good athletes.


In hindsight on third down when it was third and twelve, I would have gone to the same play that we scored our TD on- a slant to Chris Smith.

 

[tenureplan]

and he can get up