Head coach Dan Mullen talked about the way the battle for kicker is shaping up among other things on Thursday when he talked to the media.
Mullen started off Thursday’s interview talking about the scrimmage Mississippi State University football held in Davis-Wade Stadium on Tuesday.
“I was pleased with our attitude and our effort in the scrimmage. I have pretty high expectations, so I always want more. There are a lot of things, corrections, that we can make to get better. I think we are on the right track, especially with a younger group of players on our team. There are positives that we are headed in the right direction and the great thing is that the things we can fix are very coachable things. Guys are seeing things that need to be fixed and corrected, we got a couple weeks to get those things fixed before we have to go play. But I like our attitude and our effort.”
Mullen added MSU will have another scrimmage next Thursday. He said it would be the last one before the start of the season on September 2.
Mullen said no one in the group of the younger receivers has separated themselves so far in fall camp.
“There are working but we have a ways to go. I’m waiting to see consistently who is going to be the guy. One, I have to see somebody who can go make the play and then I want to see them do it on a consistent basis. That is what we are lacking right now for those guys. I think they can make the plays, we just have to see them consistently do it.”
However, he said while the younger receivers are struggling, the veteran receivers are showing that consistency.
“Our veteran guys have been better. Donald and Gabe and Jessie Jackson, Deddrick Thomas and even Keith Mixon you have seen consistency out of those guys which you need to see.”
Mullen said the JUCO additions in MSU’s secondary will add depth and competition to the secondary and told the story of a former MSU safety playing an inordinate amount of snaps in double overtime loss to Arkansas in 2010.
“You know me, defensively I want to play guys. When we sit in meetings, I want to know who is 1A and who is 1B. Years ago in the Arkansas game, my second year here in a double overtime game here, I think Charles Mitchell played 109 snaps including special teams. You are not going to be very productive on snap 109. I don’t want guys playing more than 30 to 40 snaps on our defense.“
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Mullen praised the trio of kickers in Thursday’s practice. He said they ended practice with a competition between Jordon Lawless, Tucker Day and Dan Mills.
“They were all the way back to 50 plus yards, there were three guys that were five for six. So I don’t know if anyone has separated themselves, but nobody separated themselves in the spring because we did not see a lot of positives. Nobody is separating themselves because I am not seeing a lot of negatives right now. The competition is getting to a point where you have to be perfect going all the way back to 50 yards if you are going to win the competition for the day.”
He also touched on the center position and the importance of Elgton Jenkins leading the offensive line.
“He has done pretty well. We keep moving guys around, we have to keep getting combinations and moving guys around. So Martinas (Rankin) is getting some snaps at center too. Harrison Moon is getting snaps at center. You know just plugging some guys in with different combinations so guys are comfortable with whoever is out there on the field, but I think he is taking that role seriously, which is important because that is a guy that is the leader of the (offensive line) there at center. He has grown up, which is what you want to see out of those guys. He understands the toughness you need to be successful at that position.”
While talking about the group of young running backs behind Aeris Williams and the way multiple players are standing out. He said he has seen great plays out of Dontavian Lee, Nick Gibson, and Kylin Hill, but its consistency in blocking protection and the other things that he wants to see. He talked about his philosophy on reviewing practices.
“Most guys want to evaluate themselves on their best play. Come in and ‘Hey, tell me about your practice,’ and they want to start with their best play. We are the reverse, you want to tell me about your practice. Tell me about your worst play and work your way up. Because that is where you have to judge yourself. If your worst play is pretty darn good, we are in a good position. Our guys have bought in and I think they understand that.”
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