MSU Begins Belk Bowl Prep; Calhoun Reflects On NYC Trip
December 11, 2015 | Football
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State football returned to the practice field Friday in preparation for the 2015 Belk Bowl with a two-hour workout in helmets and shorts.
The first five practices are open to the public at the Seal Complex weather permitting. The Bulldogs will practice again at 11 a.m. Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. Tuesday.
"I think today was just to get people back ready to go with football and get loosened up," said MSU head coach Dan Mullen. "We want to take some time and make sure guys are healthy as we transition to pads tomorrow."
Mullen said much of the next three practices will focus on development for the future. The Bulldogs shift into game planning for NC State next Wednesday.
"There's more development going on," he said. "Everything right now is development for the future for the first couple of days."
The Bulldogs will be without senior defensive end Ryan Brown (foot injury) and junior tight end Gus Walley (head injury) Mullen said Friday.
Senior quarterback Dak Prescott also met with the media. Prescott officially received his master's degree in workforce leadership. Senior cornerback Taveze Calhoun just returned from New York City after being selected as a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete, representing the second for MSU in the Mullen era.
"I think every day was amazing," said Calhoun. "At first, I was amazed at the buildings. The best part was meeting all of the famous people. I met Jerry Jones and Condoleezza Rice. It would be hard to name all of them. Just being in the same room, mingling with them and trying to pick their brains was so cool to me."
"That's pretty special," said Mullen. "You're talking about the premier student-athletes from all levels. Being one of the finalists for such an award, it's unbelievable."
MSU and NC State square off in the 2015 Belk Bowl at 2:30 p.m. CT on Dec. 30 in Bank of America Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPN and WatchESPN.com.
Tickets are on sale now at HailState.com/tickets or by calling 1-888-GO-DAWGS. Cowbells will be permitted in Bank of America Stadium and the NFL's clear bag policy will be enforced.
Below are quotes from Friday's media session:
Head Coach Dan Mullen
On the first day of bowl practice…
"They have to get their mindset back to football right now. We haven't played since Thanksgiving weekend, so it has been a couple of weeks. They've lifted, but no football stuff. I think today was just to get people back ready to go with football and get loosened up. We want to take some time and make sure guys are healthy as we transition to pads tomorrow."
On being away from the football field for a couple of weeks…
"My worry is that guys haven't been straining their bodies enough. So we went just helmets today. They've gotten four lifts in since we played. A big concern is guys trying to open it up when they haven't done so in a couple of weeks. That's why we went at a not-as-high intensity today. We've got a lot of recovery time. I expect it to be more intense tomorrow."
On bowl practice being a time to evaluate for spring…
"There's more development going on. Everything right now is development for the future for the first couple of days. We're just trying to get guys ready for the future."
On if bowl preparations change over the years…
"It's all very similar. It really hasn't changed. Even when I was a coordinator (at Florida), we all met and looked at different schedules. You start backwards. You look at gameday and work backwards into looking at what you need to prepare for the game. Then you look at the extra things you can do and use that for development."
On film study of North Carolina State…
"I know they're an excellent football team. They had a lead on Florida State early and battled Clemson. They can score points on offense and play good defense."
On guys considering early entry to the NFL Draft…
"I've met with a few of them. We can turn five of them in. I don't know if they all have done that yet, but we'll see. We want to educate people on making good and bad decisions so they can make the best decision."
On strength and conditioning…
"Nick Savage is running it right now. That's something we'll evaluate at the bowl game. We have a really good strength and conditioning staff here."
On the rest of the practices being in pads…
"We will be in helmets and shoulder pads the next two days, and then full pads Monday and Tuesday."
On Zach Jackson…
"He had already graduated and had an opportunity outside of football that he decided to go take."
On if he enjoys bowl practice…
"I love bowl practice. There are a lot of teams not practicing right now. There's nothing better. There are no final exams or school going on. We are coaching and teaching football. We haven't gotten into the game plan just yet. It's really coaching and developing. When you get to the bowl site, it's awesome. There's the whole bowl experience for the kids. We get to go into a car at (Charlotte Motor Speedway). That's a pretty cool deal for our kids. We have the opportunity to go to Charlotte, a cool city that a lot of our guys have never been to. These kids get to experience something cool."
On similarities to spring practice…
"It's kind of like spring ball or the beginning of training camp. With the beginning of training camp being a big ordeal, it's more like spring practice but there's no school."
On Taveze Calhoun being a finalist for the Campbell Trophy…
"That's pretty special. You're talking about premier student-athletes from all levels. Being one of the finalists for such an award, it's unbelievable."
QB Dak Prescott
On his last bowl practice…
"It's my last one. I am not taking majority of the reps in the past so I guess from me taking all of the reps to now right to the coaches teaching the younger guys making sure they are getting better."
On his thoughts on the quarterback situation after he leaves…
"It's exciting. They are all really talented. I've told them all that I think they are better than I was at their age. They have talent. They have size and they have speed so it will be a very exciting competition between the three."
On this being his last bowl game…
"It is just another game. It is nothing that I think of, I just try to go out there every day and prepare myself for us to get a win."
On tips for the younger quarterbacks…
"It's leadership and the way that they react around other and the way they react when they throw a bad pass or when they throw an interception. How do they respond? Do they get down or do they allow their teammates to see that things are getting to them; just really their demeanor and their attitude around the players. I really enjoy seeing the difference and how they all react."
On how he teaches leadership…
"It can be taught from the standpoint of just getting the other guys going or making sure they are busting their butts for you, but it really begins with what you do."
On life after Mississippi State…
"I look forward to what's next for me in life. I am excited and always thankful for everything that I've done here and the people, but I am excited for what's next."
CB Taveze Calhoun
On his experience in New York City…
"It was amazing. It was probably one of the greatest experiences in my life thus far. I really enjoyed it a lot."
On his achievements throughout his Mississippi State career
"I always look back to where I came from and not being highly recruited. Being a three-year starter and having unbelievable opportunities, it's crazy. God has been real good to me. I'm just humbled and blessed to be in the position I am today."
On going through his last set of bowl practices…
"It became kind of routine to me. It's starting to hit me, being my last one. It's bittersweet, but I have no regrets for my time here at Mississippi State."
On how bowl practices compare to preparing for an SEC game…
"Bowl practices are a little looser. It's mainly trying to get your technique right and getting stuff corrected. It's also getting the younger guys a head start in the playbook and trying to get them ready for the spring and next year. It's laid-back for me. I normally do a lot of individual drills working on technique."
On being out of practice for 10 days…
"It was hard. I know I ate too much. I was really tired today. I believe in giving the body time to rest. I think those days off helped us a lot and we're ready to get back out there and compete again."
On using bowl practice to help younger guys…
"I just try to give them little tips. They are all talented and can play, but since I've been playing here a while, I know a lot of small tips about the game that they probably don't know. I'm just trying to help them out any way I can. I try to answer any question they have. If I don't have an answer to it, I try to figure it out."
"I think every day was amazing. At first, I was amazed at the buildings. The best part was meeting all of the famous people. I met Jerry Jones and Condoleezza Rice. It would be hard to name all of them. Just being in the same room, mingling with them and trying to pick their brains was so cool to me."
On the best piece of advice from the NYC trip…
"The best piece of advice was to just continue what I've been doing. I talked to Archie Manning, and he told me I am on the right path. He told me not to get overwhelmed with everything and continue to work hard. It's small, but it meant a lot coming from him."
On his future goals…
"I would like to play in the NFL. I really want to finish my (master's) degree and maybe go back to school and get another degree. I'm just trying to use all of my resources to the best of my ability. I don't want to take any shortcuts. I want to get as much education as I can so I can be better prepared for when football ends."
