Mullen has done a great job

[NTDawg]

But at times I have questioned some of his play calling but last night he was in a zone. His best job of play calling in his time here.

 

[Felonious Junk]

That's why message board bad asses "questioning" play calling is stupid. Youre only happy bc the same plays we always call worked this time. You'll be back to acting like you know better than the coaching staff the next time we struggle.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

He only has a hard time

when we are getting our *** whipped at the line of scrimmage.

 

[NTDawg]

Whatever, first post I've ever made about play calling

 

[KurtRambis4]

He may not be

speaking directly to you, and more in general, but his point was dead on.

 

[Requiem For A Dawg]

The narrative is that Mullen seems to be a lot more vanilla/conservative with his play calling in big games. Last night he was not.

 

[muddawgs]

it helps having a legit defense

The narrative is that Mullen seems to be a lot more vanilla/conservative with his play calling in big games. Last night he was not.

In the past Mullen probably knew in that bend but don't break defense, 1 mistake by our offense and we were done. It helps having a legit defense that's just nasty. Simmons has got to be the most disruptive DL we have ever had at State. It's like he's around every play, and that's impressive for a DL. The one area that has improved though is our aggressiveness at the corners and safeties. Those dudes were flying around and laying licks. When you have that, it's easy to open the playbook up. I have more fun watching the defense than I do the offense, and I've never felt that way under Mullen till this year.

 

[KurtRambis4]

I disagree

w that narrative. Other than the Mixon play, we just ran the ball down their throat.

 

[harrydawg.sixpack]

LOL this is right. It makes a genius or a fool of any coach. Hard to scheme around loosing the line of scrimmage

 

[was21]

laughed out loud when Holy Roe interview Mullen at halftime...he was talking about how lsu was "lining up on offense in all kinds of crazy formations". And State defense just yawned and held their positions and stopped every damn thing they tried to do with all that fluff

 

[shotgunDawg]

Most of your guys have zero clue what your looking at in regards to play calling.

All you see is if it works or not.

Not very difficult to call plays when your running down their throat.

 

[KurtRambis4]

^this*

*

 

[dawgstudent]

Yep. LSU's d-line was on skates. Complete domination by our offensive line. We really didn't do anything ridiculous.

 

[bbqbully]

No, no, no, you can't come in here and give props to Mullen. Don't you know you're only supposed to criticize here? ***

 

[NTDawg]

Main point of my post is that DM was in a zone with play calling last night. He did a good job of mixing it up and setting up plays like the pass to Mixon, which isn't successful without setting it up. but it is much cooler to be an internet badass.

 

[Msubulldogfan1]

For sure. Mullen was dialing it up, Fitz was making excellent decisions. Complete domination.

 

[DerHntr]

speaking directly to you, and more in general, but his point was dead on.

So, were you ok last year with running a 165 lb back straight up the middle often last year?

This board would be a giant circle jerk if nobody questioned the moves of the staff. If that's what y'all want, we should just shut it down and instead all tweet at Mullen like lovestruck 15 year girls ala OM and Freeze.

For the record, I think Mullen called a good game last night. I also think it is possible for him to call a bad game.

 

[Felonious Junk]

Yeah we run the RB counter with the guard pulling to the play side 15 times a game. Last night it went for 20 yards almost every time. When we don't block it, it gets stuffed and y'all spaz out. FIRE MERLINZ!!

That's the point. The difference between Mullen calling a good game or a bad game is whether or not our bread and butter plays work because we basically run the same package of base plays every game

 

[NTDawg]

Sometimes the difference between a play being successful or not is if the defense was expecting it. I felt DM did a good job being unpredictable last night but what the 17 do I know.

 

[KurtRambis4]

I hated

running him up the middle but surely there was some reason. Mullen isn't an idiot. Obviously he's got some reason that he felt we had to use him.

Also, I'm not saying we can't have discussions on things. Hell I didn't like our playcalling last night on the last drive of the first 1/2, where we got a FG. I feel we got away from what we did earlier, costing us a TD. Plus, we didn't manage the clock well, imo.

I just get a kick out of this false narrative that Mullen just ***** his pants when he comes into games against top 5 teams, and can't call those games. . It was born out of our 2014 game against Alabama (in Tuscaloosa).

I don't believe that narrative. What I buy is that we were playing against the best CFB coach in history at their place when they were at the top of their game. We're not going to come out looking like the reincarnation of the St. Louis Rams under Kurt Warner (had to use another Kurt, here). Alabama tends to do that against folks.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Exactly!

The difference between it working vs Alabama or vs La Tech is pretty easy to figure out.

 

[josebrown]

It helps keeping his head only on offense, because he trusts his DC to do his job!! And he likes it this way!

 

[Crazy Cotton]

Agree. Wanna see bad play calling? watch TN from inside the 5. 3 strait passes after running all over Florida. Glorious. And there's about 100 posts on Vol Nation about hiring Mullen.

 

[57stratdawg]

Because we were able to establish the run.

 

[josebrown]

And the Egg Bowl that year too. When we were having some coaching turmoil at the very time. That was the most unfortunate time for certain coach/coaches to fall down on their job preparing for the game. And I mean mostly the DC.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Yeah om's D

was probably (nearly) just as good as Alabama's. That def didn't help.

 

[Msubulldogfan1]

running him up the middle but surely there was some reason. Mullen isn't an idiot. Obviously he's got some reason that he felt we had to use him.

Also, I'm not saying we can't have discussions on things. Hell I didn't like our playcalling last night on the last drive of the first 1/2, where we got a FG. I feel we got away from what we did earlier, costing us a TD. Plus, we didn't manage the clock well, imo.

I just get a kick out of this false narrative that Mullen just ***** his pants when he comes into games against top 5 teams, and can't call those games. . It was born out of our 2014 game against Alabama (in Tuscaloosa).

I don't believe that narrative. What I buy is that we were playing against the best CFB coach in history at their place when they were at the top of their game. We're not going to come out looking like the reincarnation of the St. Louis Rams under Kurt Warner (had to use another Kurt, here). Alabama tends to do that against folks.

We got a TD with 7 seconds left on the last drive of the first half.

 

[Msubulldogfan1]

Dan ran holloway up the middle so much bc it worked in practice a lot.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Yeah I meant

to say before that, on the FG.

 

[RutherfordBHayes]

Mullen is one of the best play callers in the business, has been so since before his time here. Sometimes he's just going against Alabama's defense with a sophomore QB and a mediocre OLine.
... oh, and horrendous D.

 

[tatedog]

Agree. Wanna see bad play calling? watch TN from inside the 5. 3 strait passes after running all over Florida. Glorious. And there's about 100 posts on Vol Nation about hiring Mullen.

I don't see the appeal in a football program that has been declining for 15 years, chewing through coaches for 10 years, and has Alabama and Florida as its main rivals. Mullen might leave for another job, but it won't be that one.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Yeah I'd be pissed

if he left for TN. I'd probably stop supporting MSU, at least financially.

 

[Msubulldogfan1]

I'll be pissed if he leaves for anywhere in the SEC.

 

[DerHntr]

Yeah we run the RB counter with the guard pulling to the play side 15 times a game. Last night it went for 20 yards almost every time. When we don't block it, it gets stuffed and y'all spaz out. FIRE MERLINZ!!

That's the point. The difference between Mullen calling a good game or a bad game is whether or not our bread and butter plays work because we basically run the same package of base plays every game

Easy question with a yes/no answer: do you think it is not possible for Mullen to call a bad game?

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Yes, but then

football always comes down to blocking, tackling, and execution.

 

[Felonious Junk]

I don't know how much you actually understand about the Xs and Os of football. I'm assuming by the question, that you're just an average viewer that doesn't truly grasp the intricacies of OL play and blocking assignments by TEs and WRs. That when the ball is snapped you just watch the ball and never notice the real reason a play "works" or not.

You say it's an easy question to answer. I say it's not an easy question to answer. The success of one play or another isn't independently attributed to the play caller. It's a confluence of several factors all at the same time.

For example, Nick isn't going to the line of scrimmage with one play. He's going with a primary call and a "check to" play depending on defensive alignment. It's up to him and the coaches to get him in or out of a play. Then depending on which play is selected before the snap of course it's wholly contingent on whether our players execute the play as it was designed.

You cant just say "it's and easy question to answer" as if that is some sort of check mate in the conversation. Mullen is a gifted offensive coach both in QB development and in game coaching. We often out execute, out fundamental superior talent due to our understanding of the concepts he teaches but often times we can't over come the talent gap that unfortunately exists in our league.

 

[DerHntr]

I don't know how much you actually understand about the Xs and Os of football. I'm assuming by the question, that you're just an average viewer that doesn't truly grasp the intricacies of OL play and blocking assignments by TEs and WRs. That when the ball is snapped you just watch the ball and never notice the real reason a play "works" or not.

You say it's an easy question to answer. I say it's not an easy question to answer. The success of one play or another isn't independently attributed to the play caller. It's a confluence of several factors all at the same time.

For example, Nick isn't going to the line of scrimmage with one play. He's going with a primary call and a "check to" play depending on defensive alignment. It's up to him and the coaches to get him in or out of a play. Then depending on which play is selected before the snap of course it's wholly contingent on whether our players execute the play as it was designed.

You cant just say "it's and easy question to answer" as if that is some sort of check mate in the conversation. Mullen is a gifted offensive coach both in QB development and in game coaching. We often out execute, out fundamental superior talent due to our understanding of the concepts he teaches but often times we can't over come the talent gap that unfortunately exists in our league.

That might be the longest nonanswer in SPS history. Bravo to you good sir.

 

[Felonious Junk]

No, your question was stupid.

How's that for short and sweet?

 

[DerHntr]

No, your question was stupid.

How's that for short and sweet?

Actually it was not. You apparently believe that no coach in the history of coaching has ever called a good game. It is simply a confluence of events that could or could not work based on talent. These coaches don't consider the defense of the other team at all. They don't scheme for them. Hell, why watch film anyway? Who the hell needs it? We should just run our plays and if they work awesome. If not, we'll just call it a day.

I think Mullen is an excellent play caller most of the time. He's considered one of the best by a lot of folks. Are all those people wrong? I watch much more than the ball as well. I enjoy him dialing up a play that takes advantage of what he sees a defense doing as they adjust to his calls. I also understand that there are a lot of options as Nick hits the line of scrimmage and assesses the situation. It's cool to see him check down and also look back to his coach for additional options. Mullen also does a good job with balancing his calling between the run and the pass. He sets up the defense well and takes what they give him.

 

[Felonious Junk]

I'm talking about the simplistic form of your question. Yes or No? Great or terrible? Sucks or awesome? It's just the extreme nature of message board posting that allows for no nuance.