Thoughts on the game

[EngDawg]

It was a hell of a game. Fans were loud all night long, and the team gave 110% right up until about halfway through the 4th when both sides of the ball just got absolutely gassed. Bama’s depth really started showing there towards the end. Officiating was ok in the 1st half, but when it became apparent that Bama needed help, they were all to eager to give it to them. Really got screwed on some critical no calls in the 4th. It sucks we didn’t win, but it is what it is. Only coaching decisions that left me scratching my head were:

Not going for it on 4 and 3 in the 4th. We got 20 yards out of that.

Saftey blitz on 3rd and long on I think it was their last drive

Calling the shovel pass on our 2nd to last possession.

Not huge issues, hindsight is 20/20. Everyone mad at Mullen is an idiot.

Oh yes, 17 be upon Nick Saban.

 

[LawDawg97]

Absolute killer on 4th down

with about 11:00 left we were up by 7. Jalen dropped back and two of our players run around our right end trying to get to him leaving a lane to his right that he exploits for the first down and eventual tying TD. If just one of our guys goes left at him I swear we get a stop there with great field position.

Oh yeah, Mullen coached great. Alabama’s defense had a lot to do with why we lost.

 

[TrueMaroonGrind]

I was fine with the punt on 4th and 3. Our defense had played well most of the night. Cooke just had a bad punt.

Agreed on the point that people hating on Mullen are idiots.

 

[EngDawg]

with about 11:00 left we were up by 7. Jalen dropped back and two of our players run around our right end trying to get to him leaving a lane to his right that he exploits for the first down and eventual tying TD. If just one of our guys goes left at him I swear we get a stop there with great field position.

Oh yeah, Mullen coached great. Alabama’s defense had a lot to do with why we lost.

Yes forgot about that, I kinda thought that that was a busted blitz assignment, but what the 17 do I know.

 

[BoDawg.sixpack]

I had no expectations this game was going to be in doubt in the 4th quarter

and I feel we got all out of our team that they were capable of giving. Seeing Fitz puking on the sideline was something I had never seen him do.

Losing like this might hurt more than getting blown out but performances like this make me feel better about the general direction of the program.

 

[Bulldogg31]

I was fine with the punt on 4th and 3. Our defense had played well most of the night. Cooke just had a bad punt.

Agreed on the point that people hating on Mullen are idiots.

The people hating on Mullen are Ole Miss trolls.

 

[CoastDawg18]

It's a tough loss to swallow. You have to go back several years to find a tough loss to swallow against Alabama. There were some missed plays and there were some coaching decisions that are easy to question. There always are. Alabama has them tonight as well. I though our overall game plan tonight was very solid and we executed it almost perfectly. Unfortunately "almost perfect" is not good enough for us to beat them. Sucks. On to Arkansas.

 

[MSUDC11]

I thought we stayed true to our identity on offense and played aggressive on defense and it was a phenomenal effort from us. The 4th and 4 and then the 3rd and 15 plays were the difference in the game. Get stops on either one of those and I think we win.

Hate to lose but super proud of this team. Let’s go dominate the next two weeks and get ourselves a really good bowl game.

 

[Bulldogg31]

I thought we stayed true to our identity on offense and played aggressive on defense and it was a phenomenal effort from us. The 4th and 4 and then the 3rd and 15 plays were the difference in the game. Get stops on either one of those and I think we win.

Hate to lose but super proud of this team. Let’s go dominate the next two weeks and get ourselves a really good bowl game.

I think this team grew up tonight. The next 16 games with these guys could be really special.

 

[fang]

“Everyone mad at Mullen is an idiot.” , or an entitled millennial, which may be the same thing. The hate really baffles me, hope it’s venting during a moment of (inebriated maybe) frustration??

Anyone wanting somebody else just hasn’t been thru literal decades of MSU football wandering in the wilderness that some of us have.

 

[EngDawg]

“Everyone mad at Mullen is an idiot.” , or an entitled millennial, which may be the same thing. The hate really baffles me, hope it’s venting during a moment of (inebriated maybe) frustration??

Anyone wanting somebody else just hasn’t been thru literal decades of MSU football wandering in the wilderness that some of us have.

Some people weren’t fans during the Croom years. Some people judge Mullen by 1998 and 1998 only. Some people are actually OM trolls

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

I think this team grew up tonight. The next 16 games with these guys could be really special.

I agree. Too sleepy to expound tonight, maybe tomorrow.

 

[PineGroveBully]

Super proud of the team. Maybe the best game in the trenches I've saw. Those two early deep passes opened things up. Just wish on a couple of those 2nd and 2's we'd have taken a shot or two. Fitz may have been as accurate as I've ever saw. Now we just hafta dominate these next 2 games. And agree if you think Mullen sucks the you're a dubmass. Helluva effort guys, keep your heads up!!

 

[Bulldogg31]

Anyone notice Fitz launch that next-to-last pass 70+ yards in the air? Holy crap.

 

[kired]

Calling the shovel pass on our 2nd to last possession.

If we never try another, it will be too soon. I swear - seems like it worked the first few times we tried it back with Malcolm Johnson years ago. And since then it's been good for about an average of 1.5 yards.

 

[00Dawg]

I can't believe they didn't penalize Ridley...

On his second long catch. The skycam clearly showed he went out of bounds of his own volition, the ref threw down his hat, but not a flag.
For me, that's going to rank right up there with the phantom holding call in '99 and the Auburn first down for greatest blown calls.

 

[Chesusdog]

Not sure why the defense was gassed. Bama didn't run many plays before the 4th quarter when they started peeling us apart.

McLaurin had some good plays in the third quarter but he pretty much handed them their first two TDs with piss poor tackling.

Jordan Thomas dropped an absolutely beautiful pass that would have set us up with another opportunity deep in their territory. Think the drop happened near their 40 but he was going full steam and would have probably gotten at least another 7-10 yards.

I am deathly afraid every time someone throws a deep pass against us. We just don't play good coverage.

The PI call was probably legit, but if Rayford even bothers to turn and locate the ball he's got a gift INT.

 

[Hankp22]

I was at the game and did not see a replay

On his second long catch. The skycam clearly showed he went out of bounds of his own volition, the ref threw down his hat, but not a flag.
For me, that's going to rank right up there with the phantom holding call in '99 and the Auburn first down for greatest blown calls.

But I told the guy sitting behind me and to to my right that I thought that it was illegal touching.

And isn't illegal touching a reviewable call? When JH broke containment and rolled out the pocket, I thought Ridley stepped out. That was from my seat in section 5. I wanted to watch the replay to see confirmation. It sounds like it should have been called reading your post.

You're talking about the play where JH rolled out the pocket to the right and hit Ridley on the sideline right?

 

[00Dawg]

It's reviewable in the NFL for sure, and I think the result of the later catch that was reviewed shows it is in college as well...I just can't easily find an official link.

I am indeed talking about the rollout pass, where Ridley took it to the 1.
There was no replay in the stadium, but I checked the broadcast when I got home....it's clearly visible as illegal touching on the skycam shot.

 

[PineGroveBully]

Yes, on the rant even the bama and other fans were blown away by his cannon.

 

[Shmuley]

Mullen put us in position to win the damn thing by controlling the time of possession, milking the damn clock. He called a really solid game for the most part. We had a shot.

 

[thatsbaseball]

I thought it was almost a perfect game plan and I think you'll see Auburn copy the **** out of it and probably win. We had our chances late because of the game planning. After that missed field goal we just looked like a dog that had been chasing a car and caught it and didn't know WTF to do with it. I know there are coaches and players hurting this morning a lot worse than all of us...I just hope they'll keep their heads up. They deserve to finish this thing strong.

 

[Hugh Sleeze]

Ok. I've digested this loss. I'm pissed about the 3 and out after the missed field goal. That's where we lost the game. Not because of the refs, or because of an ill timed safety blitz, or anything else we can think of. It was either either poor playcalling or poor execution, but that's where we lost this game. I feel better about our last 2 games of the season now. We should come out pissed off for both those games. We proved we can hang with the best and that we belong in the Top 20. Not bad, considering where we were predicted to finish. Arkansas and olemiss are not on our level and with the exception of Umass, we have not played down to our competition all year. Arkansas has quit on their coach, so I'm less worried about that game. We should beat ole miss by 20, but the only thing that worries me is they have at least 2 Calvin Ridleys on that team and they could do some damage against us. But Taamu will struggle against our pass rush. Picture it, 9 and 3, going to a sweet bowl and our only losses are to Bama, Auburn and Georgia. I think we can all be happy with that.

 

[LawDawg97]

It’s as simple as

Mullen put us in position to win the damn thing by controlling the time of possession, milking the damn clock. He called a really solid game for the most part. We had a shot.

this.