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GATOR BOWL: MISSISSIPPI STATE v NORTHWESTERNJanuary 1, 2013Dan MullenJACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA Northwestern – 34 THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome the head football coach of Mississippi State, Coach Dan Mullen. COACH MULLEN: I want to first congratulate Northwestern. I know it's a big win for them. I know every win is big for everybody. But I think in talking to Fitz, I've known him for a long time and seeing him after the game, I know how important that was to him. So congratulations to them and how they played today. Their players played very well and deserve to win the game. I want to thank everybody at the Gator Bowl and the TaxSlayer. First to TaxSlayer.com and for what they've done for us this week and the great Bowl experience, and the great opportunity they've afforded these kids, and everybody with the staff here at the Gator Bowl, what a fabulous Bowl they've put on, first class operation with everything all the way. Obviously, bowl trips tend to be more fun when you come out on top. We had a great time here this week, but we talked about adjusting back to the speed of the game, and you know at times of how we did some very good things during the day to day. Times we made a lot of big mistakes. You know, that stuff happens. You get out of sync. You start to‑‑ you see what happens. I mean, you get certain first halves and I think our first five possessions were two three‑and‑outs and three interceptions. So that's not a real fast start to a game that we're looking for. But I do give our guys credit, because they were focused in. They continued to battle back. They put themselves back into position, and made a couple of critical mistakes at the very end to define the end of the game. Q. Tyler had the three picks, and it seemed like he calmed down and started to play better, but then he had the bad one there in the fourth quarter. What did you see there? COACH MULLEN: I mean, just the fourth one really poor decision. He came out, and I talked to him going into the locker room after the third pick. Said go into the locker room, splash some water on your face, readjust your pads and forget that you came out to start the game. Get in the tunnel, start jumping up‑and‑down again, get yourself tight and run out of the tunnel again. Just that. These are still young kid that's we're talking about. They're not pro athletes. I think he started off the game very poorly. I think he was shaken and just wanted to calm him down and say, hey, get a blank slate, clear it, go in the locker room and come out and start this one from scratch. And he did a really nice job. Right there at the end, just a poor decision on third down, and then sent us flying around in the pocket, and just threw a ball that he shouldn't have thrown. Q. The way you guys were running the ball there in the second quarter and Tyler was struggling, was there any thought about putting Dak in and giving him a series? Also, how come you think the run game was working so well when you guys are, I guess, throwing back. When you go back and look, you guys are throwing the ball quite a bit early and went to the run game. I was wondering what the decision was behind that? COACH MULLEN: One, we wanted to come out, and we felt like we could kind of start throwing the ball and come out and throw that early pick six or that pick six to start the game. Then put a great drive together, and we're a little late on the throw to the corner. Then we wanted to be able to run the ball. That was always going to be an emphasis, but we wanted to make sure we set it up and didn't go solely on the run to start it off. I thought at times today we ran the ball very, very well. And, you know, the line did a good job up front, and I don't think we got to the point where we got to just really hammer away and continually establish the run falling behind early. But I do think our defense kind of buckled down there in the middle. The offense came back, and we made got right back in the game, just didn't have enough to come over the top. Q. Can you evaluate the defense? Thought they kept you in the ballgame in the first half, but not enough to win? COACH MULLEN: Yeah, a couple. You know, you look, and you get behind that way early. They gave up some drives but made some big stops in the red zone and created a couple of turnovers, made some big plays. Tied at 20‑20, gave up that big drive, gave up a couple of big plays on that drive. But I think overall, the defense played well. I think a couple of the situations on third down where we lost contain on the pass rush and they were able to scramble for some third downs were some key things we have to look at to make sure we're doing the best we can to get pressure with our down guys on the quarterback. Q. You were able to get control of the passing game a good bit there right until they tied the score up. Then second the decision to let Geoff Collins play call on the scheme? COACH MULLEN: Yeah, a couple of things. We struggled against some spread teams and tempo teams in the past. So I wanted to try something different. Give Geoff an opportunity to call the game. And just see also communication‑wise, because there is a lot that has to go on with rotating the defensive line in and out of the game, and getting those guys going with those tempo teams to be able to make all the rotations you need to make and call the game at the same time. But, you know, what I'll do, I'm going to go watch it all, evaluate it, and see what direction we continuing to in in the future. Q.  You look at that 3rd and 10, Siemian got out of trouble and made the completion. Did you feel they found a rhythm there? COACH MULLEN: Well, they're tempo teams. They ran up and made another big play, and that's kind of what they do. You know, that was a big drive that they had at a key moment. Give their kids credit. They made big plays when they needed to. We had opportunity. There are certainly opportunities for to us make a lot more plays in that game. Whether it's getting sacks or scramble out of the pocket, dropping a couple of interceptions, dropping passes that kept drives alive or kept momentum going our way. We get down to inside the 5‑yard line, and have two false start penalties. You know, all of the things that you can't do. We had opportunities to take advantage of it, and we didn't get done today. Q. You've said before you can evaluate kids' body language and mentality early on in the game. Did you see that out of Tyler that he just didn't look right? COACH MULLEN: You know what, when you look at those young kids, that's what I saw. He was losing a little bit of confidence. You know. That's why I told him get into the locker room. We're in here. We're still going to stick with it and throw the ball. So get in there, get ready to go, come out again, get refreshed and go make plays. I told them that in the locker room. Guys are going to have off days. Here's the great thing. He had an off day, and there were still some opportunities there for us in the fourth quarter to go win the game. So great learning moment for young guys. I'm sure there's a lot of‑‑ I'm sure Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady, and Brett Favre have thrown four interceptions to win a game. But just that mindset of keeping your confidence throughout the course of the game. Q. John Banks injured and you tried to get him back on the field there; was he just not the same? COACH MULLEN: One, I saw him grabbing his leg. But first I was scared to death for him. Looked up at the instant replay and said it didn't look like anything serious. But he had a massive gash in the side of his leg that they had to stitch up. With that, I think he was just‑‑ he didn't feel right. He wanted to go back in, but I told our trainers unless he's 100%, try not to put him back in the game. Q. With that change today with Collins calling the plays, do you expect that to be something that sticks going into next year? COACH MULLEN: I'm going to evaluate that as we move forward. I'll see where we're at. I mean, we just finished up the season. We'll hit the recruiting trail, and usually I do the full evaluation where we add what directions, you know, what changes and tweaks and all of those things we have to make, and look at next year's team and see what direction next year's team is going to head in. Q. I was wondering what your overall thoughts are on losing five games to end the season? COACH MULLEN: Excuse my language, but it sucks. Nobody likes to lose. Our kids put in, everybody puts in a lot of working to win football games. It was great to win a lot early. It sucks to lose late, to be honest with you. But we've got to do a better job as coaches and we've got to make sure we continue to put kids in position to win. Our kids play hard. I love this senior class and everything that they've put into this program in the last four years. One of the most successful classes in school history. But what we're trying to build, the great thing is eight‑win seasons, and it's starting to be disappointing at Mississippi State. Eight‑win seasons are starting to get disappointing. So that is the direction you want the program headed in. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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