Four months ago, Dan Mullen called his Gator offense to its second national title in three years. Today, the 36-year-old new head coach for the Bulldogs is using his energy and spread offense to aid the Mississippi State football team.
“It’s like Christmas time,”
said Mullen prior to spring
practice. “We get to see what
kind of hand we’ve been dealt.”
The 14-session spring camp,
which started March 24, gave
Mullen his first look at player
personnel, as well as provided
die-hard football fans a first
look into college practices.
Part of Mullen’s reasoning
for opening spring practices is
to help encourage fan involvement.
“We’re trying to build some
energy at practice,” Mullen
said. “Maybe these guys will see
the fans here and that will light
the fire.”
Will Staggers, junior teaching
and coaching major, has
attended a spring practice and
said he applauds coach Mullen
for opening up spring sessions
to the public.
“It’s just another way to get
behind your team and show
the players we support them
no matter what,” Staggers said.
“When the SEC stretch comes
in this September, our support
at practice will mean a lot to
these players.”
With the mountain of catch-up
work the rookie SEC coach
has in front of him, every spark
is crucial. Installing the new
spread offense will hopefully
take less time for Mullen and
his five new offensive coaches
than it has taken JESCO has
to put together the new high definition
video screen.
Mullen said he is looking for
the offense to find a balance this
upcoming season.
“I am not saying we are going
to be passing team or a running
team, Mullen said. “We are
going to be more 50-50.”
Ladarius Perkins, a 5-foot,
9-inch 180-pound running back
for Saint Joseph High School of
Greenville, originally committed
to Auburn but decided to play
for the Bulldogs upon Mullen’s
arrival.
He said he believes coach
Mullen is excited about what his
speed can bring to the offense.
“I have the ability to be
a playmaker in the spread
offense,” he said.
“I’m just ready to get up here
and get the chance to come in
and play.”
Under former head coach
Sylvester Croom, who now
serves as an assistant coach for
the St. Louis Rams, MSU’s
offensive stats placed in the top
100 only once.
Defensively, the Bulldogs also
have a new coordinator in Carl
Torbush.
Torbush, a former head
coach at North Carolina, is a
linebacker guru who will bring
experience and discipline to an
already strong defense, according
to Mullen.
“He’s throwing a bunch of
stuff at them,” Mullen said.
“[The defensive players] are
bringing a lot of different pressures,
and we mix that in with
a lot of different formations. It’s
a great experience for them having
to learn all the blitz adjustments
to the different formations
that we run.”
With the closing of spring
camp to be marked by the
annual Maroon and White
game coming Saturday, Mullen
said he and the Dawgs have to
continue to look ahead.
“Obviously, everybody is
looking forward to the weekend
[and] the celebration, and
hopefully we’ll have a huge
turnout for that,” he said.
“But it’s really the Tuesday and
Thursday that wrap it up for us
practice wise, so we’ve got to be
really sharp those two days to
finish strong.”