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[1dawgfan09]

We can't laugh at Ole Miss for playing the moral victory card then turn around and do the same ourselves. "Oh, yeah, well we used to be really, really bad." I am afraid that Mullen will never be anything but a .500 coach.

[davidees]

TheODoN, on 25 November 2012 - 11:34 PM, said:

I have no reason to expect anything better. But, if nothing else, I have learned the value of a winning season.
I was in the stands when Scott Westerfield kicked the winning field goal over Arkansas to secure the SEC West championship, and I was in Atlanta the next year to watch State cap a 10-2 season. Hell, we lost to OM in our 10-2 year.

In my astute observation, the only difference is a few bounces/calls going our way and a better place kicker. I dare say it was coaching or talent. For god sakes, we had Joe Lee Dunn, defensive coordinator that couldn't cut it at Memphis.

Though I would take 'Ol Joe Lee over what we have now.

That wasn't Westerfield, it was Brian Hazelwood. Still awesome game though.

[TheODoN]

davidees, on 26 November 2012 - 06:24 AM, said:

That wasn't Westerfield, it was Brian Hazelwood. Still awesome game though.

I stand corrected.

bluelightstar, on 26 November 2012 - 02:32 AM, said:

Ole Miss didn't get blown out by them and they barely have enough scholarship players.  I can't stand these excuses and complacency.  This attitude is why Mississippi State had been so bad for so long.

I'm looking at reality. It's been 4 years since we were an absolute embarrassment. Tell me you looked forward to the 2008 football season.

[bbqit]

yall mullens isn't a bad coach. he had a lot to do when he took over and it takes time. he just made some promises that can't be kept. ya still had 8 wins regardless of who it was you beat. now, do you really want to start over with a new coach? do you really think you can find a better one with ark, ky, tenn and au hunting one down?  stick with him and make his job easier.

[Benny]

The only "bad loss" we had this year was Ole Miss. Not to say Ole Miss is a bad team but the manner in which we lost was bad. We pretty much just quit caring after they went up by 10 in the second half.

I also remember my first six years as a fan (starting in 2003), when we won more than three games in a season ONCE. I'm not gonna get tired of 8-4 for a long time, and I don't care who the eight wins are.

Stringing together winning seasons will upgrade our talent slowly but surely. Mullen's 2010 and 2011 recruiting classes are killing us right now in terms of quality depth on the OL, DL, and LB. Our secondary is top notch, but has been overshadowed by a shitty scheme and a front seven that couldn't get pressure on a high school team nor stop a good high school running back.

We need some fire on our team in the worst way. We don't play with "relentless effort" like Mullen preached when he got here. These extra bowl practices will help for next year and I hope we upgrade at least one/both OC positions in the offseason and add a stout recruiter to the mix. Shit, I wouldn't mind Gene Chizik at DC. We all know he can "recruit" in the SEC.

But Mullen in no way is on the hot seat for me. I'd have to see at least two losing seasons in a row for that to happen and even then I would consider all the circumstances. 8-4 with a loss to Ole Miss is a hell of a lot better than 3-8 with a win over Ole Miss.

[Benny]

bluelightstar, on 26 November 2012 - 02:32 AM, said:

Ole Miss didn't get blown out by them and they barely have enough scholarship players.  I can't stand these excuses and complacency.  This attitude is why Mississippi State had been so bad for so long.

It's not complacency. I recognize that changes need to be made, but for every little problem on the football team, firing the head coach isn't the answer.

You may be 100% right. Mullen may have genuinely lost interest and his teams may reflect his attitude (like Stans' teams did for nearly 10 years). But right now that isn't evident. For one year this has gone on. Our team last year wasn't very good. The 7-0 start got to most of our fans' heads this year, but the reality is that our redzone O completely sucks and bend-but-don't-break defense has become a bend-then-break defense. Changes should definitely be made, but not at head coach.

[bluelightstar]

Benny, on 26 November 2012 - 07:45 AM, said:

It's not complacency. I recognize that changes need to be made, but for every little problem on the football team, firing the head coach isn't the answer.

You may be 100% right. Mullen may have genuinely lost interest and his teams may reflect his attitude (like Stans' teams did for nearly 10 years). But right now that isn't evident. For one year this has gone on. Our team last year wasn't very good. The 7-0 start got to most of our fans' heads this year, but the reality is that our redzone O completely sucks and bend-but-don't-break defense has become a bend-then-break defense. Changes should definitely be made, but not at head coach.

This isn't a thread advocating firing Mullen.  I'm just pointing out some scary warning signs and noting that we're in dangerous territory here.  Our team last year was probably just as good if not better than this one.  The only difference is that last year's team played Georgia and South Carolina instead of Tennessee.  Literally, the only reason this season was good is because Auburn and Arkansas were historically bad.  We probably wouldn't have beaten run of the mill Arkansas and Auburn teams this year. That to me, in YEAR FOUR, is disturbing to not even be competitive in half your conference games.

Note, I didn't say it's disturbing not to win. I said it's disturbing that we weren't even competitive.

[KnoxvilleDawg]

How many times did we hurry a QB all season? And I don't think we ever sent more than 4 people on the rush ever.

[nova]

Benny, on 26 November 2012 - 07:42 AM, said:

Shit, I wouldn't mind Gene Chizik at DC. We all know he can "recruit" in the SEC.

If not for the show cause I suspect he might have soon, I'd agree...

[nova]

bluelightstar, on 26 November 2012 - 09:14 AM, said:

That to me, in YEAR FOUR, is disturbing to not even be competitive in half your conference games.

Note, I didn't say it's disturbing not to win. I said it's disturbing that we weren't even competitive.

It very much is.  If we had half as good of game planning and half as much fire as we had in 2010, I'd say we would have hit the 10 win mark.

2 years ago we flat out won games we should not have because of effort and game planning.  This year the basicallly the only games we won were the ones we should have and even then, not all of those...

[carwwest]

i am not for firing mullen...i am for firing koenning and wilson but my issue is the mental part of the bigger games...it seems like the coaches get so conservative and when we get down by more than 7, its like the coaches know we'll never be able to make a come back and that resonates to the players....now, whether it is true that we can't comeback, you cant let your team or yourself know it...i am very disappointed in the way we lost the egg bowl but the season wont be a failure with a win in the gator bowl (hopefully)...i am not claiming moral victories because a loss is a loss in the end but i still want improvement...

[KnoxvilleDawg]

Another bowl win just allows Merlin to spin and deflect away from the massive shit-fest that was Egg Bowl 2012. I hope he wakes the up. You don't get to come in against an in-state rival and claim that you are dominant and not have your team ready to dominate.

[JoeGator]

Steve Spurrier is a hall of fame coach and it took him 7 years to get competitive at South Carolina, which is a much easier job than Mississippi State.
He also followed another hall of fame coach, while Mullen followed possibly the worst SEC head coach in recent history.


I understand where y'all are coming from because even though we were predicted to go 8-4 or 9-3, the way the season played out, I would have been pissed with 10-2.


Meltdown for a week, then realize that these things take time. Lots of time.

[adfalcon]

Mullen has done an excellent job, but like mentioned before he doesn't have that fire. If I was a state fan I would worry about Wilson not Mullen. Also Mullen needs to learn to pass when you're down in the second half.

[1dawgfan09]

adfalcon, on 26 November 2012 - 10:29 AM, said:

Mullen has done an excellent job, but like mentioned before he doesn't have that fire. If I was a state fan I would worry about Wilson not Mullen. Also Mullen needs to learn to pass when you're down in the second half.

He's not the same anymore. I want that Mullen who was champing at the bit in his first two seasons back.