Mullen Interview with Freeze/Egg Bowl Discussion...

[Faustdog]

Go to about the 17 minute mark.

He did a lot of good for us. I was disappointed when he left, but we were a job for him. He had no MSU connection as opposed to someone like Cohen.

Hard feelings are pretty much gone at this point. He mentions the possibility of coming back to call an egg bowl. I'd hope he'd get a nice reception.

 

[onewoof]

Mullen has many legacies here and many are great, some are not so great. The toxic level that he helped take the Egg Bowl to, I think in retrospect he would back off that a little bit. Seeing our players act like a freak show circus on the field and fighting did no help for the damaged brand of the State of Mississippi.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Mullen has many legacies here and many are great, some are not so great. The toxic level that he helped take the Egg Bowl to, I think in retrospect he would back off that a little bit. Seeing our players act like a freak show circus on the field and fighting did no help for the damaged brand of the State of Mississippi.

He took it to toxic levels? You mean he won 3 in a row and they lost their composure?

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Mullen has many legacies here and many are great, some are not so great. The toxic level that he helped take the Egg Bowl to, I think in retrospect he would back off that a little bit. Seeing our players act like a freak show circus on the field and fighting did no help for the damaged brand of the State of Mississippi.

Bleh.

His legacies are fine here except for that he left period, and if he was going to leave, he left a year early.

He made the wrong decision, obviously.

 

[Faustdog]

Mullen has many legacies here and many are great, some are not so great. The toxic level that he helped take the Egg Bowl to, I think in retrospect he would back off that a little bit. Seeing our players act like a freak show circus on the field and fighting did no help for the damaged brand of the State of Mississippi.

Yeah, I don't really care about any of that. I don't think the conduct of two football teams in a rivalry game has a meaningful impact on anyone's opinion of our state.

And it takes two to tango. People forget that Mullen's "there's one program in this state that's on the rise" comment, which is credited with ramping up intensity, was a direct response to something Nutt had said in the clarion ledger a few weeks earlier. And any time you have one side cheating with such blatant disregard as OM during the Freeze tenure, that probably contributes to the toxicity as well.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Bleh.

His legacies are fine here except for that he left period, and if he was going to leave, he left a year early.

He made the wrong decision, obviously.

Only thing I wish he’d have done differently was wait one more year. Of course, we would’ve lost that egg bowl because he’d have been checked out after the Bama game.

 

[TrueMaroonGrind]

It kind of helps that Florida didn’t work out for him. He had a good thing going here but wanted to have a shot at a Natty. He failed and he left probably the most talented team he had. That and the constant job flirting was the worst thing about Mullen. Everything else was awesome. So many good memories thanks to his teams.

 

[The Peeper]

Hard feelings are pretty much gone at this point. He mentions the possibility of coming back to call an egg bowl. I'd hope he'd get a nice reception.

I don't have any animosity for him but I don't care to see him again here or want to hear him call a game. He definitely left a year early and it made me feel a little better to know he sucked after he did leave but it apparently worked out for him. Now, if Loafers would just fail and get fired I would be happy, but he can pound sand and rocks because I'll always have animosity for him.

 

[onewoof]

He took it to toxic levels? You mean he won 3 in a row and they lost their composure?

to use his own words, "he stoked the fire to out of control" - it got out of control.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

For me it's not THAT he left. It's how. He mentally checked out the end of the season and was more focused on a new job than finishing the one he had. He let his players down, his staff down, the school down, and all the fans down.

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

It kind of helps that Florida didn’t work out for him. He had a good thing going here but wanted to have a shot at a Natty. He failed and he left probably the most talented team he had. That and the constant job flirting was the worst thing about Mullen. Everything else was awesome. So many good memories thanks to his teams.

Florida didn’t work out at the end and he was only there four years, but he had a better winning percentage at UF than he did at MSU and went to three straight NY6 games while finally getting to play in Atlanta.

I don’t think you can call it a huge success given the ending, but it wasn’t an abject failure either.

 

[L4Dawg]

Mullen has many legacies here and many are great, some are not so great. The toxic level that he helped take the Egg Bowl to, I think in retrospect he would back off that a little bit. Seeing our players act like a freak show circus on the field and fighting did no help for the damaged brand of the State of Mississippi.

Take that opinion to Oxford where it belongs. What took it to toxic levels is he beat them three years in a row and they lost their freaking minds.

 

[curseddawgs]

Florida didn’t work out at the end and he was only there four years, but he had a better winning percentage at UF than he did at MSU and went to three straight NY6 games while finally getting to play in Atlanta.

I don’t think you can call it a huge success given the ending, but it wasn’t an abject failure either.

Exactly. From the day he was hired to the Florida-LSU game in 2020 his tenure was almost as good as it could have been. The same State fans that act like he failed would kill to win the Peach Bowl, Orange Bowl, and the division in three consecutive years

 

[DawgsGoneWild]

Can Dan not afford some wireless ear buds?

 

[Yeti]

Mullen was awesome for us. Look at attendance then vs now. Look at the tailgate scene prior to Mullen the entire day ramped up. Loafers gets some credit for game day atmosphere…cohen and Jo Mo broke it and it’s not back yet. TV times don’t help but hopefully the new coach has success and ZS improves game day. I don’t need to hear about someone who gave money or whatever at each game break

 

[onewoof]

Take that opinion to Oxford where it belongs. What took it to toxic levels is he beat them three years in a row and they lost their freaking minds.

there is truth in that take, but we had some players acting like total garbage on national TV as well, not a good look

 

[TXDawg.sixpack]

Mullen was awesome for us. Look at attendance then vs now. Look at the tailgate scene prior to Mullen the entire day ramped up. Loafers gets some credit for game day atmosphere…cohen and Jo Mo broke it and it’s not back yet. TV times don’t help but hopefully the new coach has success and ZS improves game day. I don’t need to hear about someone who gave money or whatever at each game break

Byrne should get most of the credit for the growth we experienced during the Mullen years. Byrne did more for us than any AD previously. Hopefully Selmon can produce similar results.

 

[FlotownDawg]

Matt Luke did more than anyone to bring the Egg Bowl to toxic levels. Yes, Mullen was a shite stirrer, but so is Lane Kiffin. Luke coached in three Egg Bowls. The first featured breaking Nick Fitzgerald’s leg, AJ Brown taunting the crowd, Breeland Speaks getting ejected after punching like our fifth string tight end during a punt and DK Metcalf pretending to dog piss in the end zone. The second one featured a brawl that Matt Corral started, and the third featured another dog pissing celebration by Elijah Moore, which cost them the game. None of our players did any of that stuff. Luke hates MSU and passed that on to his players, which is why they acted like they did.

 

[QuadrupleOption]

there is truth in that take, but we had some players acting like total garbage on national TV as well, not a good look

I don't recall having players act like garbage in the Egg Bowl from the MSU side. I do remember cheap shots, taunting, late hits, and intentionally breaking our QB's leg from those bastards for years until Kiffen and Leach put an end to it.

I also remember them straight up buying players then acting like victims when they got caught.

It always amuses me when they start whining about toxicity like they aren't responsible for any of it. That only seems to rear its head when they start losing Egg Bowls. Let them lose this year and I guarantee you'll see that garbage out of their fanboy media again.

 

[mcdawg22]

Egg Bowl Toxicity started in the 2010’s? Wes Shivers and the ACTUAL Egg Bowl may disagree.

 

[Darryl Steight]

Egg Bowl Toxicity started in the 2010’s? Wes Shivers and the ACTUAL Egg Bowl may disagree.

Yes, the whole reason we have the Golden Egg was because the sh!theads could not stand losing to us. After a 13-game losing streak against us, they finally won one in '26, and their true sh!thead nature (read: toxicity) came out in an attempted riot on our field. So our fans didn't have a choice, we had to put a quick stop to that. State fans have always been the Dalton in the relationship: "Be nice. Until it's time not to be nice." So, 17 Brad Wesley and Ole Miss.

I wish I was alive and had been there on Chair Day. That sounds like a lot of fun.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

to use his own words, "he stoked the fire to out of control" - it got out of control.

Blame ole miss and John Glenn. We didn’t start the fire.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Go to about the 17 minute mark.

He did a lot of good for us. I was disappointed when he left, but we were a job for him. He had no MSU connection as opposed to someone like Cohen.

Hard feelings are pretty much gone at this point. He mentions the possibility of coming back to call an egg bowl. I'd hope he'd get a nice reception.

Me too. Wait...what did you mean by "nice"?

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

Exactly. From the day he was hired to the Florida-LSU game in 2020 his tenure was almost as good as it could have been. The same State fans that act like he failed would kill to win the Peach Bowl, Orange Bowl, and the division in three consecutive years

I can’t really explain why it fell apart so quickly, but yeah, his first three Florida teams were really good. And they even started off 2021 pretty strongly, they arguably had Bama beat if they convert a 2 point conversion at the end. They were in the Top 10 at the end of September and then only beat Vandy and Samford the rest of the way, which led to him getting canned.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

He took it to toxic levels? You mean he won 3 in a row and they lost their composure?

He won three in a row, then quit caring when he realized he couldn't hustle enough to out recruit Freeze and the network.
Mullen really wanted to get out of Starkville after 2013. He gets us to number one mid season 2014 and then phones it in the remainder of the season thinking he'd get a good offer somewhere.
Thankful he helped build a better football program at State, but he's dead to me.

 

[mcdawg22]

Yes, the whole reason we have the Golden Egg was because the sh!theads could not stand losing to us. After a 13-game losing streak against us, they finally won one in '26, and their true sh!thead nature (read: toxicity) came out in an attempted riot on our field. So our fans didn't have a choice, we had to put a quick stop to that. State fans have always been the Dalton in the relationship: "Be nice. Until it's time not to be nice." So, 17 Brad Wesley and Ole Miss.

I wish I was alive and had been there on Chair Day. That sounds like a lot of fun.

Me too. I’d have been like La Parka on that field **

**90’s WCW reference

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

The rivalry definitely cooled off when Croom took over. He was more concerned about Alabama. Which he hilariously had the same record against Bama as he did awful OM teams.

Mullen drove them absolutely crazy because he came in talking crap and they couldn’t beat him until their fourth try. I will never forget him getting a microphone and cutting a wrestling promo on them after the 2009 game. I would have taken a bullet for that man circa 2009 - early 2011.

 

[curseddawgs]

I can’t really explain why it fell apart so quickly, but yeah, his first three Florida teams were really good. And they even started off 2021 pretty strongly, they arguably had Bama beat if they convert a 2 point conversion at the end. They were in the Top 10 at the end of September and then only beat Vandy and Samford the rest of the way, which led to him getting canned.

He probably should’ve canned Grantham after the Cotton Bowl in 2020. But even in 2021 they lost 4 one possession games.

 

[ronpolk]

For me it's not THAT he left. It's how. He mentally checked out the end of the season and was more focused on a new job than finishing the one he had. He let his players down, his staff down, the school down, and all the fans down.

The last 3 games were: a touchdown loss to Alabama, a win at Arkansas and a 3 point loss to ole miss. And to be fair we had to play damn near the entire egg bowl with a true freshman at QB. You guys claim he checked out every season. Had Fitz played the whole egg bowl, we likely win that game.

 

[paindonthurt]

Mullen has many legacies here and many are great, some are not so great. The toxic level that he helped take the Egg Bowl to, I think in retrospect he would back off that a little bit. Seeing our players act like a freak show circus on the field and fighting did no help for the damaged brand of the State of Mississippi.

Wtf you talking about?
I don’t recall a bad fight in the egg bowl while Mullen was here.
Certainly recall others that stand out when he wasn’t here.

 

[paindonthurt]

to use his own words, "he stoked the fire to out of control" - it got out of control.

No it didn’t. At all.

 

[paindonthurt]

He won three in a row, then quit caring when he realized he couldn't hustle enough to out recruit Freeze and the network.
Mullen really wanted to get out of Starkville after 2013. He gets us to number one mid season 2014 and then phones it in the remainder of the season thinking he'd get a good offer somewhere.
Thankful he helped build a better football program at State, but he's dead to me.

Yeah losing to Bama was bc he phoned in.

We were definitely more talented than them across the board. No reason to lose to them AT Bama.

 

[paindonthurt]

The last 3 games were: a touchdown loss to Alabama, a win at Arkansas and a 3 point loss to ole miss. And to be fair we had to play damn near the entire egg bowl with a true freshman at QB. You guys claim he checked out every season. Had Fitz played the whole egg bowl, we likely win that game.

Mostly correct but in 2014 dak played the whole egg bowl.

fitz did not play and not bc he was hurt.

 

[ronpolk]

Mostly correct but in 2014 dak played the whole egg bowl.

fitz did not play and not bc he was hurt.

I’m sorry I thought we were talking about Mullen’s last game. I didn’t realize we were talking about 2014

 

[paindonthurt]

I’m sorry I thought we were talking about Mullen’s last game. I didn’t realize we were talking about 2014

Going back he may have been referencing the last year.

my bad!

 

[Johnnie Come Lately]

there is truth in that take, but we had some players acting like total garbage on national TV as well, not a good look

Maybe I watch games through maroon glasses, but aside from the Armed Forces Bowl postgame melee, I do not recall any of our players acting like total garbage in our recent history.

Play like total garbage? I have witnessed that plenty.

 

[ronpolk]

Going back he may have been referencing the last year.

my bad!

He probably thinks Mullen quit on the team in 2014 too, which I would also disagree with that.

 

[onewoof]

Maybe I watch games through maroon glasses, but aside from the Armed Forces Bowl postgame melee, I do not recall any of our players acting like total garbage in our recent history.

Play like total garbage? I have witnessed that plenty.

The Egg Bowl was a perfectly chippy mess for 4 hours

Ole Miss’ win over Mississippi State included all sorts of shoving, jawing, and taunting.

www.sbnation.com

Your annual BIG EGG BOWL BRAWL is here

All after a touchdown that didn’t even count!

www.sbnation.com

 

[paindonthurt]

He probably thinks Mullen quit on the team in 2014 too, which I would also disagree with that.

Yeah I would too.
Egg bowl sucked but I think that had more to do with D coordinator, the egg bowl in general and playing in Oxford.

 

[Dawgg]

to use his own words, "he stoked the fire to out of control" - it got out of control.

How? How did it get out of control?