STARKVILLE — Dan Mullen learned at an early age that questions about his performance as a football player were going to be asked.
Growing up in Manchester, New Hampshire, Mullen recalled his father, Bob, always asking him about the decisions he made on the field.
“He’d be like, ‘Why are you doing this or why are you doing that?’ I’d say, ‘How do you know what I was doing? Were you at practice all week? You didn’t have any idea what was going on out there. You didn’t even know the game plan,'” Mullen said.
The Mississippi State football coach still has to answer plenty of questions. These days, queries from fans, administrators, and media members occupy plenty of time. Following a 2-3 start, Mullen is facing even more questions about the Bulldogs. One of the biggest questions is how is MSU going to respond following a 38-14 loss to Auburn when it plays BYU (3-2) at 9:15 p.m. Friday (ESPN) at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah.
MSU trailed Auburn 35-0 at halftime Saturday en route to falling to 1-2 in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs allowed 432 yards of offense (228 rushing, 204 passing) and gained 289 (103, 186).
Starting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was 17-for-34 for 181 yards and two touchdowns (one interception). He had a team-high 61 yards rushing on 17 carries. He played every series except the last one, when redshirt freshman Nick Tiano made his collegiate debut.
Although Mullen received some support from fans on Twitter, others weren’t happy with the performance and vented, calling Mullen out at times.
“It’s noise. There is so much more noise on the outside,” Mullen said. “It used to be that you guys would write an editorial. Now, everybody writes one. I guess it’s like calling plays. Everybody can call a play. You talk about coaching stuff and check my Twitter, coaching doesn’t seem real hard. I guess if you check my Twitter, the editorials aren’t that hard, either. Everybody can write one.”
Mullen said some guys won’t have a problem blocking out the criticism, but he some will struggle with it.
In his eight-year tenure, Mullen is 57-38, which makes him the third most winningest coach in school history. He has led the Bulldogs to a school record six-straight bowl games. The only time MSU didn’t make the postseason was in Mullen’s first year, when it finished 5-7 but beat Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg in 2009.
Mullen said he didn’t know if this was his most challenging season. He recalled 2013, when MSU played six freshmen and had to play three quarterbacks (Tyler Russell, Dak Prescott, and freshman Damian Williams) because of injury. MSU won its final two regular-season games against Arkansas and Ole Miss to become bowl eligible. MSU beat Rice 44-7 in the Liberty Bowl.
With Prescott at the helm, MSU spent five weeks at No. 1 in 2014 and lost to Georgia Tech 49-34 in the Orange Bowl to finish 10-3. MSU finished 9-4 last season and beat North Carolina State 51-28 in the Belk Bowl.
Mullen has raised the expectations of MSU fans, but he said this year’s team isn’t competing against prior teams.
“I think I have to be aware of what goes on for all the players on the outside and that stuff,” Mullen said. “We’ve had some great years here since I’ve been here. We’re going to have a lot more great years while I’m here, and this year might end up being one of those years. You never know how it’s going to play out. All you can worry about is focusing on this week’s game and improving this week.
“If you get caught up in too much of the big picture of everything on a daily basis, then you’re a wisher and not a wanter. A wanter is going to go do something. A wisher sits there and dreams about what it could be like. A wanter gets up and gets it done.”
After BYU, MSU will play at Kentucky, play host to Samford and Texas A&M, go to No. 1 Alabama, play host to Arkansas, and travel to Ole Miss.
“The reality hits you in the face every single day of where we’re at and what we need to do to improve, everybody in the building,” Mullen said. “What you have to do is learn to live in the reality and not in the perception world. Live in the real world of what is actually going on.”
Kickers happy
Mullen said MSU’s kickers are excited about playing in Provo, which is 4,551 feet above sea level, and getting a chance to kick in thinner air.
“They feel like they’re going to get a little extra pop kicking with the altitude,” Mullen said. “I think it’s an exciting game for kickers.”
Junior kicker Westin Graves is 8 of 11 on field goals with a long of 48. He has missed two 28-yard field goals and a 46-yard kick.
Logan Cooke is averaging 40.7 yards on 24 punts. He has a long of 68 and has pinned 16 inside the 20.
Freshman walk-on Brad Wall had three kickoffs for an average of 62 yards and a touchback against Auburn. He made his collegiate debut as Cooke has been limited on kickoffs with a knee injury. Graves had been doing the kickoffs.
“Logan was dealing with the knee. Westin’s been dealing with some back issues,” Mullen said. “(Graves) didn’t practice the whole two weeks of the bye period. He practiced I think one day. We’re trying to get those guys healthy and get them through to be able to function in a game.”
Coman day to day
Senior safety Kivon Coman didn’t play in the second half against Auburn.
Mullen didn’t disclose his injury, but he said he was banged up. His status for this week’s game is unknown.
“He didn’t go (Sunday), but we’ll see as the week goes on how he’s going to be,” Mullen said.
Coman had eight tackles (one-half for loss) and an interception against the Tigers. The Sheffield, Alabama, native has started all five games and has 28 tackles (two-and-a-half for loss), one pass breakup, and two interceptions.
After missing the first four games with a broken right arm, senior cornerback Cedric Jiles made his season debut. He had one tackle.
“He did OK,” Mullen said. “I didn’t see errors. You just saw him getting himself back into it. He played some man coverage and he kind of played off some. I think he played a little bit more conservative than he’d like to, but just getting his feet wet a little bit on the field.”
Night game
MSU’s game against Kentucky has been set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 (SEC Network), at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, the SEC announced Monday.
Mullen hasn’t lost to Kentucky in seven tries. The last loss for the Bulldogs in the series came in 2008 (14-13) in Sylvester Croom’s last season.
The last time MSU lost in Lexington was 2005 (13-7).
Alabama will play host to Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 (WCBI), while Ole Miss will play at 8 p.m. at LSU (ESPN).
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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