Detailed article on Mullen's offense

[Swamp Donkey]

He means it is obvious.

 

[GatorStud]

I'm banking a measure of my next season happiness that DM will have better talent to work with than MSU, and he seems to have a notion of orchestrating an attack versus that spin the wheel excrement we've had for a decade since he left, basically. Everyone can see we have to get bigger and nasty on D. Flip a coin, we need a smooth Operator behind a bigger and nasty OL... WFT, we're looking 2 yrs before some prime time spotlight filters in on the Gators. If nothing else, I hope we look physically stronger and are developing a this is what we do, try to stop it attitude. Just saying, I'm trying to make the change fun. Mac damaged our programs mojo, our identity of giving any opponent all they can handle win, lose or draw... a season of single minded focus without the drama queen HC. At least he's gone. Yippie, Go Gators!

 

[78]

I don't mean to continue to belabor the obvious, but that WASNT the rep that Creyer had. He beat everyone with Utah talent (back when they were still WAC).

People are on here claiming Creyer's success was really Mullins' etc, so it is a notable contrasting point.

Harvin left after 2008 and Tebow after 2009.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Harvin left after 2008 and Tebow after 2009.

And yet? Maybe I'm just tired and not following...

 

[Jbossgator8]

We win 9 games and average 38 points a game doing it next season. That gives us hope for the year after that. MARKED improvement with what we have seen since 2010...

 

[Sec14Gator]

I've read this highlighted point from you about 4 dozen times. Perhaps it's generally correct, but not universally as you keep repeating it.

The 2010 Gator team may have been disappointing, but it was absolutely more talented than MSU's roster. Same with 2014 LSU and ATM. Like 2010 florida, those teams struggled but they were talented.

Look at these players compared to essentially just Dak at MSU: Myles Garret, Speedy Neil, Trey Williams, Kenny Hill, Ricky Deals-Jones, Daeshon Hall, Armani Watts, Deshazor Everett, Jamal Adams, Kwon Alexander, Vadal Alexander, Kendall Beckwith, jallin Collins, le'al Collins, Leonard Fournette, etc (I'm done going through the roster to make this point).

Is the next best player on MSU versus these several first round picks Benardrick McKinney?

Mullen's record isn't overwhelming, but it's also not as definitively bad as you paint it.

 

[cover2]

How would he get superior athletes to UF (compared to what he could get at MSU and what we've gotten lately)? I don't know...recruiting maybe?! The premise is that he should be able to get better classes here at UF than he was able to get in Starkville. If he does, and again that's what I'm expecting, that should provide the answer to the latter question in your response. I can't tell you just how great or poor a recruiter he is, but an equally important factor is how good his staff handles this part. I guess we really won't know until the ink's dry, but I have to say I'm happy about the work I see them doing here at the onset.

Your post a way's down indicates that you may be basing your negative feelings more on a perception of what others felt and not so much any personal dealings...

...I can understand how this works in a person's mind. But he is the HBC at UF now and IMO a big upgrade compared to MacElwain (whose mess he still has to clean up). His staff looks to be an upgrade as well. I can't help but feel better, but as always in the world of coaching, the proof will be in the pudding. I just think that what he brings will ultimately be better than what we've endured lately and can potentially get us back in the conversation sooner than later. Hell, if he can win the turnover battle and field competent Spec Teams, it'll be a boost that we haven't been able to enjoy. Might even make us feel better about what his offense is.

 

[Theologator]

I guess I would say if you can run the ball successfully you're not going to throw it as much. UF was inept running and throwing. My impression is that MSU ran it relatively well as their base offense so they didn't throw as much. From what I saw of their games, they were not as terrible as UF even if they had fewer yards per game.

UF was also waaaay behind in several games and those defenses were happy to give up passes underneath. UF also refused to give Davis and Toney more carries early, then lost them to injuries.

Aside: Franks was horribly awkward and struggled to read defenses, make his checks, etc. That could all radically improve IF he is dedicated and has solid coaching. He does have a great arm and made some great throws. He doesn’t fit Mullen’s scheme at all. I expect him to transfer and wish him well.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

.Aside: Franks was horribly awkward and struggled to read defenses, make his checks, etc. That could all radically improve IF he is dedicated and has solid coaching. He does have a great arm and made some great throws. He doesn’t fit Mullen’s scheme at all. I expect him to transfer and wish him well.

Franks is probably more talented running the ball than throwing, though you wouldnt know it bc McElstain amd Nusschump tried to coach that out of him (same w Treon and Zaire).

He will be fine. Mullins system is simple and Mullins knows how to teach it. He is already better than the QB Mullins had last year.

If not he will find a freshman that fits.

 

[TheDouglas78]

9 wins. I think at some point we had something like 32 players out? At the end of the year? Due to suspension and injuries. And a ton of starters.

With the right coach and the right strength and conditioning program – I expect a marked improvement.

At the start of the UAB game they report 32 players were not out due to Injuries or Suspensions. A real S&C will make a huge improvement.

 

[TheDouglas78]

Which makes him a good but not great coach... we are paying a good to very good coach elite money to be good or very good. What has Mullen done to be the 5th highest paid coach in NCAA football?

 

[TheDouglas78]

Franks is probably more talented running the ball than throwing, though you wouldnt know it bc McElstain amd Nusschump tried to coach that out of him (same w Treon and Zaire).

He will be fine. Mullins system is simple and Mullins knows how to teach it. He is already better than the QB Mullins had last year.

If not he will find a freshman that fits.

We don't know what we have in Franks, because for 2 years, he has had poor coaching and poor help from his Line and Skill Positions. Not easy to find an open receiver when all receivers are in the same 5 yard window half the time and your coach will pull you for being aggressive down the field.

 

[Theologator]

I appreciate that you’ve got your inside experiences and shared some of the basis for your concern off the field as well as your take on stats that raise concern on the field. I hope, as I’m sure you do, that your concerns don’t transpire on both counts. I’ve challenged you on it on other threads but you’ve answered.

One of my best friends was an RA in Yon Hall 1978-80, as Pell was cranking up. His stories are of an absolute zoo. And that wasn’t secret or inconsistent with news reports etc. The public face during Meyer’s tenure was extreme discipline and attention to detail, Zook being looser and more chummy.

(How they keep a lid on 100-ish glorified, entitled, testosterone-mad warriors in a pressure-packed environment is beyond me. I suspect the vast majority of major programs struggle with exactly what you experienced to varying degrees. Richt & Bowden, for example.)

Moving forward, I hope Mullen establishes a better culture behind the scenes than you experienced and that his recruiting and on-the-field coaching add up to much better W/L results than he had at MSU. There’s little doubt that his system works just fine with Tebow at the helm, etc. His teams play harder/better than Mac’s. His offenses are clearly better than Muschamp’s. There is reason for hope.

But we’ll see. And you may have some “I told you so” opportunities.

 

[williston_gator]

We don't know what we have in Franks, because for 2 years, he has had poor coaching and poor help from his Line and Skill Positions. Not easy to find an open receiver when all receivers are in the same 5 yard window half the time and your coach will pull you for being aggressive down the field.

He has shown he can't really read the field and make smart decisions. All the talent in the world won't change that.

 

[TheDouglas78]

He has shown he can't really read the field and make smart decisions. All the talent in the world won't change that.

Has he? he has had bad games, but do you honestly believe with the coaching and the play calling he truly has been trained what to look for? Or that our receivers were effectively getting open or running proper routes on a regular basis. How many times did you see 3 or 4 receivers in the same 5-10 yard region be effectively covered by 2 players, because they couldn't get themselves open. Or we have 5'6" Powell running behind 6'+ LB effectively hidden behind them. I'm not saying Franks is great or even good, I'm saying we don't have enough data because of the ineffective coaching a kid got after coming into the program extremely raw. He has talent, but he hasn't been taught to read a defense, that is coaching... at what point do you think this kid has been effectively coached?