Dan Mullen spoke to the media on Monday following a big win over Tennessee. Now, he is looking ahead to his first time back at Mississippi State since taking over at Florida. He talked about some of the challenges the Bulldogs will present for the Gators this week.
Here’s what he said:
• With so much of the focus on Mullen going into the MSU game, he feels that will take some pressure off the players.
• On Starkville: “People were really accepting of us, being a Yankee and all, they were very accepting of me from the beginning.”
• Mullen said he thinks the fans at Mississippi State are appreciative of what he did in his time there, but he doesn’t know if it will feel that way Saturday.
• Mississippi State is three-deep on the defensive line, and Mullen said there isn’t a huge drop off between them. He called them the best defensive line in America.
• On QB Nick Fitzgerald: “He’s big, he’s physical and he’s really fast.”
• The Gators will try to simulate the cowbells in the crowd noise at practice this week.
• Mullen’s scheme is a little different this year than it was last year, but he thinks MSU’s players will be at an advantage since they are so comfortable with going against it.
• Statistically speaking, Mullen said it would be smart of him to get Kadarius Toney the ball more since he is averaging 12 yards per touch.