Dan Mullen Previews MSU's Road Trip To Kentucky
October 17, 2016 | Football
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State head football coach Dan Mullen previewed the Bulldogs' road trip to Kentucky at his weekly press conference on Monday.
MSU (2-4, 1-2 SEC) and the Wildcats (3-3, 2-2) kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT Saturday live on the SEC Network and WatchESPN.com.
In addition, the Southeastern Conference announced its Oct. 29 television slate Monday. The Bulldogs' 2016 Homecoming game vs. Samford that day will start at 2:30 p.m. CT at Davis Wade Stadium, also live on the SEC Network.
Below are quotes from Mullen's press conference:
Opening Statement…
"As we move into Kentucky this week, they are a team that we are very familiar with given the constant cross over game that we play every year. There is a lot of familiarity, and it is always a tough, close game with them that seems to come down to the wire. You can see the improvements they have made, and what Mark (Stoops) has done in building the program right there. They are off to a 3-3 start and have found a way to win some close games this year and do it well. They have a lot of size this year, particularly on defense. They have huge guys up front, huge defensive backs with long-tall corners on the outside. It creates matchup issues. It's hard to create matchups with them with the size they have on the outside and the big guys to stop the run on the inside. They are an excellent defensive team. Offensively, they have a great running game; they run the ball very well. I know the new quarterback they have playing for them. He adds a dynamic edge and throws the ball very well and adds a dynamic running game at quarterback, which you have to account for. Not just within the running game, but extending plays and keeping plays alive. It's going to be a great challenge, a challenge for our guys. We are going to have to come out and make plays. We need to play hard. They guys have been learning to play harder every single week. I have seen guys make great plays, and then I see us make some bad plays. We have to continue our consistency."
On if the loss to BYU affected the team's focus…
"I don't know that the focusing is going to be a tough issue. I am excited to get back out there. When you face a little bit of adversity, it tests your character, but it can really pull a team closer together. We haven't practiced since the game, so we'll see how it pulls us together out on the practice field today. Stuff like that can actually help pull the team closer together at times. They really do tighten up and come together, so hopefully that happens for us out there on the practice field this week."
On the run game against BYU…
"I think we went into the game wanting to run the ball. We wanted to make sure that we ran the ball on that environment, on the road. Maybe I was almost stubborn on running the ball. I told our guys that we were going to run the ball. We were going to be physical. I thought (Aeris) Williams and (Ashton) Shumpert ran the ball hard. I thought at times we ran the ball well. There is certain decision making whether it's a mistake upfront, a misread or not trusting the read exactly. A lot of that comes with experience. What we do is to continue to let those guys build confidence in what they are doing and executing it at a higher level."
On shuffling the offensive line after the injury to Deion Calhoun…
"I think Deion (Calhoun) will be questionable this week. I don't feel comfortable with it given the ankle sprain. Obviously, it is a little easier at the O-Line to come back from that position. We don't feel great about him coming back from the injury this week, but we will see as the week goes on. An offensive lineman can play with that more than a skill position can, but Michael (Story), I thought he did ok. He came in, and he handled the situation well. That is an important thing to me. Now, he has gotten a little bit of experience on the road in a tough environment and a close game. He will get a lot more reps with the ones this week, so we will see how he responds to it. If he responds to it well, he will take that spot and start for us. If not, then we will get the next guy ready. It's not just him, we have got to have somebody else ready as well."
On film review of the defense from the BYU game…
"I think overall, we played physical. We played hard. We have to eliminate the really silly mistakes we made. I think that really hurt us defensively in the game. Some of the silly penalties we had overshadowed some tremendous efforts we had on the defensive side of the ball, but you see some young guys start to make plays and play a little better. Some older guys playing at the level we expect them to play. If you look at last week's game, they had one of the top running backs in America, and I thought we held them better than pretty much anyone else had so far this season. A lot of that has to do with the guys up front, the front seven. We are making strides there. Will Coleman got his first action, very limited, of the season. Hopefully he can do a little bit more this week and really build himself into game shape, which would give us a little bit more depth up front and is needed."
On the development of running back Aeris Williams...
"The college game is more than here's the ball, go run with it. A lot of high school play is here's the ball, go run with it. It's reading the blocks, understanding the schemes, and understanding what's going on. I think it's him getting live reps, understanding the football and blocking schemes, understanding how plays will hit a little bit better. I think he's going to gain more and more confidence in doing that. I think his experience is helping him take those steps forward."
On learning from previous games against Kentucky…
"I think some of those, if you look back when we've had big running games, all of them have included some big runs. Unless you are running the wishbone, most of the time, if you are going to have a big running game, you are going to have a couple of big hits in there. I think we've done that in the past. We have made some big plays against them, which has certainly helped."
On creating the downfield receiving presence…
"We have a little more speed, so you have to do it with that. The tough part with that are the throws. We are taking as many shots down the field as we have in the past, but the problem is speed. It is all about timing and making the throw. When you do it with size, sometimes, there is a little bit more margin for error. We just have to do a better job of making some of those big plays down the field."
On the importance of a deep throw…
"You want to keep people off balance and keep them off of you. You have to hit them to get them off of you. That's the one thing we miss. I don't think we've decreased the number of shots we have taken down the field, I think we've decreased the efficiency of our shots downfield. I think we have to hit a couple of those."
On the impact of wide receiver Keith Mixon…
"We are seeing what we have expected. He is an electric player when he has the ball in his hands. You are starting to see him become a much better route runner and develop in the throw game. I think not just him, but Malik Dear as well. The have a certain skill set that makes them very dangerous. The more they develop that skill set into being receivers, the more dangerous they can become. I really think you've seen both of them take steps in making some big catches running routes. The fact that they've become dangerous in the pass game makes them hard to defend, and I think they both have really taken steps in that direction."
On the quarterback learning curve…
"I think one of the things you have to be patient with is the guy that he's replacing from last year was pretty darn good (Dak Prescott). I think people are seeing that now. One of the things people ask me what I want to see him do is make the unspectacular play. I think that's one of the things and it comes with time and development. Consistency comes with time. Consistency is to make the unspectacular play. If you watch him play, Nick (Fitzgerald) makes some big time plays. He made some big time plays during the course of the BYU game, and he made, as a coach, some head scratchers, and they seem like even more head scratchers when you compare him to the guy that played last year. A guy that Nick will be three years from now compared to the guy that is a rookie out there on the field. We just have to keep working."
.
MSU (2-4, 1-2 SEC) and the Wildcats (3-3, 2-2) kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT Saturday live on the SEC Network and WatchESPN.com.
In addition, the Southeastern Conference announced its Oct. 29 television slate Monday. The Bulldogs' 2016 Homecoming game vs. Samford that day will start at 2:30 p.m. CT at Davis Wade Stadium, also live on the SEC Network.
Below are quotes from Mullen's press conference:
Opening Statement…
"As we move into Kentucky this week, they are a team that we are very familiar with given the constant cross over game that we play every year. There is a lot of familiarity, and it is always a tough, close game with them that seems to come down to the wire. You can see the improvements they have made, and what Mark (Stoops) has done in building the program right there. They are off to a 3-3 start and have found a way to win some close games this year and do it well. They have a lot of size this year, particularly on defense. They have huge guys up front, huge defensive backs with long-tall corners on the outside. It creates matchup issues. It's hard to create matchups with them with the size they have on the outside and the big guys to stop the run on the inside. They are an excellent defensive team. Offensively, they have a great running game; they run the ball very well. I know the new quarterback they have playing for them. He adds a dynamic edge and throws the ball very well and adds a dynamic running game at quarterback, which you have to account for. Not just within the running game, but extending plays and keeping plays alive. It's going to be a great challenge, a challenge for our guys. We are going to have to come out and make plays. We need to play hard. They guys have been learning to play harder every single week. I have seen guys make great plays, and then I see us make some bad plays. We have to continue our consistency."
On if the loss to BYU affected the team's focus…
"I don't know that the focusing is going to be a tough issue. I am excited to get back out there. When you face a little bit of adversity, it tests your character, but it can really pull a team closer together. We haven't practiced since the game, so we'll see how it pulls us together out on the practice field today. Stuff like that can actually help pull the team closer together at times. They really do tighten up and come together, so hopefully that happens for us out there on the practice field this week."
On the run game against BYU…
"I think we went into the game wanting to run the ball. We wanted to make sure that we ran the ball on that environment, on the road. Maybe I was almost stubborn on running the ball. I told our guys that we were going to run the ball. We were going to be physical. I thought (Aeris) Williams and (Ashton) Shumpert ran the ball hard. I thought at times we ran the ball well. There is certain decision making whether it's a mistake upfront, a misread or not trusting the read exactly. A lot of that comes with experience. What we do is to continue to let those guys build confidence in what they are doing and executing it at a higher level."
On shuffling the offensive line after the injury to Deion Calhoun…
"I think Deion (Calhoun) will be questionable this week. I don't feel comfortable with it given the ankle sprain. Obviously, it is a little easier at the O-Line to come back from that position. We don't feel great about him coming back from the injury this week, but we will see as the week goes on. An offensive lineman can play with that more than a skill position can, but Michael (Story), I thought he did ok. He came in, and he handled the situation well. That is an important thing to me. Now, he has gotten a little bit of experience on the road in a tough environment and a close game. He will get a lot more reps with the ones this week, so we will see how he responds to it. If he responds to it well, he will take that spot and start for us. If not, then we will get the next guy ready. It's not just him, we have got to have somebody else ready as well."
On film review of the defense from the BYU game…
"I think overall, we played physical. We played hard. We have to eliminate the really silly mistakes we made. I think that really hurt us defensively in the game. Some of the silly penalties we had overshadowed some tremendous efforts we had on the defensive side of the ball, but you see some young guys start to make plays and play a little better. Some older guys playing at the level we expect them to play. If you look at last week's game, they had one of the top running backs in America, and I thought we held them better than pretty much anyone else had so far this season. A lot of that has to do with the guys up front, the front seven. We are making strides there. Will Coleman got his first action, very limited, of the season. Hopefully he can do a little bit more this week and really build himself into game shape, which would give us a little bit more depth up front and is needed."
On the development of running back Aeris Williams...
"The college game is more than here's the ball, go run with it. A lot of high school play is here's the ball, go run with it. It's reading the blocks, understanding the schemes, and understanding what's going on. I think it's him getting live reps, understanding the football and blocking schemes, understanding how plays will hit a little bit better. I think he's going to gain more and more confidence in doing that. I think his experience is helping him take those steps forward."
On learning from previous games against Kentucky…
"I think some of those, if you look back when we've had big running games, all of them have included some big runs. Unless you are running the wishbone, most of the time, if you are going to have a big running game, you are going to have a couple of big hits in there. I think we've done that in the past. We have made some big plays against them, which has certainly helped."
On creating the downfield receiving presence…
"We have a little more speed, so you have to do it with that. The tough part with that are the throws. We are taking as many shots down the field as we have in the past, but the problem is speed. It is all about timing and making the throw. When you do it with size, sometimes, there is a little bit more margin for error. We just have to do a better job of making some of those big plays down the field."
On the importance of a deep throw…
"You want to keep people off balance and keep them off of you. You have to hit them to get them off of you. That's the one thing we miss. I don't think we've decreased the number of shots we have taken down the field, I think we've decreased the efficiency of our shots downfield. I think we have to hit a couple of those."
On the impact of wide receiver Keith Mixon…
"We are seeing what we have expected. He is an electric player when he has the ball in his hands. You are starting to see him become a much better route runner and develop in the throw game. I think not just him, but Malik Dear as well. The have a certain skill set that makes them very dangerous. The more they develop that skill set into being receivers, the more dangerous they can become. I really think you've seen both of them take steps in making some big catches running routes. The fact that they've become dangerous in the pass game makes them hard to defend, and I think they both have really taken steps in that direction."
On the quarterback learning curve…
"I think one of the things you have to be patient with is the guy that he's replacing from last year was pretty darn good (Dak Prescott). I think people are seeing that now. One of the things people ask me what I want to see him do is make the unspectacular play. I think that's one of the things and it comes with time and development. Consistency comes with time. Consistency is to make the unspectacular play. If you watch him play, Nick (Fitzgerald) makes some big time plays. He made some big time plays during the course of the BYU game, and he made, as a coach, some head scratchers, and they seem like even more head scratchers when you compare him to the guy that played last year. A guy that Nick will be three years from now compared to the guy that is a rookie out there on the field. We just have to keep working."
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