Do we miss Anthony Dixon this year?
- Thread starter bonedaddy401
- Start date
Is Mullen going to wait and hope another AD (senior version) comes along? I have thought it was Mullen's system that made the formerly tapdancing star 1000x better last year. I've been very confident that Mullen's offensive genius and gameplanning would shine through this year -- that he has a good enough system where he can take guys like Ballard, Perkins, Bump, Heavens, Relfssell, et al and make it work. I thought all that, right up until the 2nd down play call after the onside kick against Auburn.
Since then, I've been worried. We look lost out there to me, and it worries me because the coaches have known for a long time that Dixon wasn't going to be here this year. It's not like this was a mid-season injury to someone we were counting on.
I want to see Relf and Ballard run the exact same offense that we ran against UM last year, until someone stops it. And I want to see Russell come in a couple series per half and throw the ball, until he gets 100% comfortable reading blitzes and defenses effectively. I'm oversimplifying, but I think we have the talent to move the ball - we've just been very suspect in playcalling the last two games.
If we come out and do the same **** this week, it may get ugly.
Since then, I've been worried. We look lost out there to me, and it worries me because the coaches have known for a long time that Dixon wasn't going to be here this year. It's not like this was a mid-season injury to someone we were counting on.
I want to see Relf and Ballard run the exact same offense that we ran against UM last year, until someone stops it. And I want to see Russell come in a couple series per half and throw the ball, until he gets 100% comfortable reading blitzes and defenses effectively. I'm oversimplifying, but I think we have the talent to move the ball - we've just been very suspect in playcalling the last two games.
If we come out and do the same **** this week, it may get ugly.
His biggest problem right now, I think, is that he is having to learn (apparently the hard way) that there is a talent drop off from UF to MSU. His system isn't necessarily flawed, but he is going to have to figure out that typical MSU recruits aren't going to be game changers straight out of HS like a lot of UF recruits can be. At UF, he could run the system pretty much any damn way he pleased and it would work due to the level of athletes he had at his disposal. At MSU he is going to have to learn to tailor his game plan more in any given year to the talent on the roster. This year, it would seem that we need to be more run heavy. In a year or two, assuming Russell develops, we may have to be a pass first, run second type spread team (ala TxTech although probably not that pass heavy). I'm as frustrated as anyone about our play calling, but Mullen is still in only his 2nd year as a HC. He is learning how to be one still and he is definitely spoiled by the level of talent he had versus what he has now. I fully believe that he will be successful as he adapts, but it will take a little time.
