In year 4, persistent critiques of Mullen…

[vandaldawg]

What are they, and has he dealt with them, and if so how? Here are mine:

1. Been a consistent critique since the get-go, and it is straight-up Mullen's gig: special teams - kicking, returns, and coverage have hardly ever risen above average, and they routinely kill us in big games.

2. Getting "cute" with play calling at the exact wrong time. Mullen has been in the sec long enough to know that sometimes in the sec, you just have to go Mano e Mano and if your hosses don't beat their hosses, then too damn bad. Case-in-point, last night on the goal line. In general, Mullen's philosophy of creating mismatches and making sec defenses defend the whole field is the right one for MSU. But he has to know when and where to play big boy football.

my question is, will Mullen be self critical and make the necessary changes? One of the big knocks on croom was his stubbornness, and it led to his demise. Mullen needs to. Learn from his mistakes. Will he? What should he do to fix the problems?

 

[RocketDawg]

He's making a lot fewer calls that, in retrospect, look boneheaded. Those same calls, had they worked, would have made him look like a genius though. I don't like trick plays as a rule though. I agree that he should have done something other than the pass that was intercepted last night. But that's in retrospect. I'm sure Alabama was ready for a Dak run had he attempted it at any time. At the end, when he came in and looked really good, it didn't really matter then. Don't take me wrong ... Dak is a really good QB. But had he come in and done his famous run up the middle for a TD, I think Bama would have obliterated him. But we'll never know.

 

[Todd4State]

For now he just needs to get a special teams coach

Let Sallach coach ST and then let Jackie Sherrill be a consultant and teach him the ropes. I bet Brewster would be good at it too- heck, he was a head coach, so he probably could handle that side of the ball.

I think Dan has been much better about being cute this year.

 

[Incognegro]

Some "problems" just won't be fixed. Different coaches have different philosophies and the fan bases are just going to have to deal with them. Between your two points, the only one that I really think needs to be addressed is the 1st one. The 2nd one...not as much. If that pass wasn't intercepted, then would you honestly be complaining right now? It's not even like it was that terrible of a play anyway. Sometimes when your talent isn't as good, you have to get "cute" if you want to pull some wins out.

 

[NCDawg.sixpack]

Think you're probably right. Their DL was too good for our OL, and would have more than likely stuffed Dak.

 

[Jockstrap John]

I just wish he would stop being cute with the kickoffs. The ball is placed on the 35 and Bell has shown he has the leg. Just kick that 17er thru the endzone and you won't have to worry about returns.

 

[Todd4State]

Tyler got a yard and a half on a QB sneak

Think you're probably right. Their DL was too good for our OL, and would have more than likely stuffed Dak.

The play before. Alabama is good, but we could get half a yard straight ahead with a 6'5" QB- especially since we had two shots at it because we probably would have gone for it on fourth down.

 

[Joe Schmedlap]

Without question, Dak should have been brought in on 1st and goal

from just inside the 2 yard line. Recall that on 1st and goal, Tyler ran a sneak and got it close to the one. Next play we handed off to an 180 lb scat back who was stuffed for maybe a foot gain. Then the ill advised interception play. Dak needed to be the guy running that sneak three frickin' times in a row. I don't care if Bama knew it was coming or not, I don't think they stop Dak from getting barely 2 yards on three straight rushes. Besides, even if they stopped him twice, Dak has the wheels to probably dive across the corner of the goal line on that exact same play where Tyler threw the pick. I don't care how we try to rationalize the play calling, that was just idiotic on Dan's part to not go to Prescott and our short yardage team. Frickin' stupid decision. I like Dan Mullen very much as a coach, but he is not beyond critique, and he deserves criticism in this instance. Hopefully he isn't stubborn enough to forget this lesson learned.

Think you're probably right. Their DL was too good for our OL, and would have more than likely stuffed Dak.

 

[InaccuratePredictionsDawg]

I've been impressed with Mullen this year...

...he has keep his team steady & productive against lesser opponents. Neither Sherril or Croom could do that. UT was a huge game for the program, & Mullen delivered. Having said all that, in the biggest game in the history of the MSU football program, both Mullen & his team appeared lost & uninspired. All I can say is look at Florida: They lost to a UGA team that got *****-slapped by an overrated USCe team. In college football, **** happens.

 

[thatsbaseball]

I honestly believe the next four games will define Dan Mullen as a head coach. If he`s worth what we`re paying him and worthy of all the hype he`s received he`ll finish no worse than 2-2 and should finish 3-1.

My critique has been he doesn`t win many games he`s not suppose to win. Here`s his chance.

edited to add: I think we`ll go 3-1

 

[sidexside]

Put both Dak and Tyler in at the same time....

from just inside the 2 yard line. Recall that on 1st and goal, Tyler ran a sneak and got it close to the one. Next play we handed off to an 180 lb scat back who was stuffed for maybe a foot gain. Then the ill advised interception play. Dak needed to be the guy running that sneak three frickin' times in a row. I don't care if Bama knew it was coming or not, I don't think they stop Dak from getting barely 2 yards on three straight rushes. Besides, even if they stopped him twice, Dak has the wheels to probably dive across the corner of the goal line on that exact same play where Tyler threw the pick. I don't care how we try to rationalize the play calling, that was just idiotic on Dan's part to not go to Prescott and our short yardage team. Frickin' stupid decision. I like Dan Mullen very much as a coach, but he is not beyond critique, and he deserves criticism in this instance. Hopefully he isn't stubborn enough to forget this lesson learned.

Would have confused them.

 

[kired]

The thing with special teams - in particular kick coverage / returns. I think this is where our lack of talented depth becomes most apparent. We simply are not recruiting the same type athletes that most sec teams have. Just my opinion that our guys in general are smaller and weaker than most other sec teams, and it really shows on kickoffs where it's all about speed and strength. I think we've got speedy guys out there but they get manhandled.

Mullen seems to be recruiting guys who work hard and will buy into the program, but special teams is where raw talent can be more valuable than hard work. its going to continue being a weakness until we string together some decent recruiting classes (I believe beginning with last years)

 

[DAWG61]

Mullen has been consistently terrible with his use or better put misuse of his timeouts and challenges. He's had several games he didn't use his timeouts at all and he never challenged the Vic Ballard touchdown vs Auburn last year but he wastes a challenge and timeout last night on an obvious catch and then once again doesn't use his timeouts correctly at the end of the half. Had he not wasted that challenge he has 2 timeouts and a minute left to try to score and then he gets the ball back in the 2nd half. Best case scenario he could of been down only 24-14 and MSU still has a chance. He showed me signs once again that he didn't believe his team could beat Bama which has me scratching my head on why he and Stricklin would go full frontal assault with the "We Believe" campaign when no Dan you don't actually believe. That was unnecessary and embarrassing last night. I like Dan and I'm glad he's our coach but he has to be the better coach vs teams with superior talent. Plain and simple. He HAS to perform better in these games for State to win and he has not vs the West teams not named Ole Miss. He got Chizik this year but who hasn't.

 

[Dawgzilla]

Mullen will never win an SEC Championship running this offense.

 

[johnson86-1]

You think it was idiotic to not put our rs fr qb in?

from just inside the 2 yard line. Recall that on 1st and goal, Tyler ran a sneak and got it close to the one. Next play we handed off to an 180 lb scat back who was stuffed for maybe a foot gain. Then the ill advised interception play. Dak needed to be the guy running that sneak three frickin' times in a row. I don't care if Bama knew it was coming or not, I don't think they stop Dak from getting barely 2 yards on three straight rushes. Besides, even if they stopped him twice, Dak has the wheels to probably dive across the corner of the goal line on that exact same play where Tyler threw the pick. I don't care how we try to rationalize the play calling, that was just idiotic on Dan's part to not go to Prescott and our short yardage team. Frickin' stupid decision. I like Dan Mullen very much as a coach, but he is not beyond critique, and he deserves criticism in this instance. Hopefully he isn't stubborn enough to forget this lesson learned.

I wish we would have used griffin instead of perkins, but otherwise, that was petty defensible play calling. Not what I would have done, but I'm pretty sure there was more than one acceptable play call there

 

[The Peeper]

Ive got to believe that if he was paying an assistant to manage the kickoff team that said assistant would be getting the death stare and an *** chewing on a consistent basis. We have sucked bad on kick coverage since Dan got here, its time for him to fire himself and turn over the reigns to somebody that he can hold accountable. To whomever it was that said turn it over to Jackie, two words for you, Derek Abney

 

[TXDawg.sixpack]

I said it last night and I'll say it again. If Green hadn't been held, that play would've worked for a TD.