Dan Mullen

[SeabeeGator]

At 100% healthy, he is great, and damn near elite. He hasn't been 100% since we played Miami.

He’s a one trick pony. Greenard gets in to stuff the run too. That’s the big difference.

 

[CGgater]

Hindsight is 20/20

YOU, sir, are living up to your moniker. I don't believe anyone on this Earth has produced such valuable information equal to this universe-tilting revelation.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I don't think this is way we are encouraged to post here. I'm not sure there's a formal rule/policy on it, but your tone (level) and demeanor (reasonable) are not consistent with GCMB norms.

he's a self-admitted violent felon, so we give him a little slack.

 

[oxrageous]

What was most frustrating to me last night was that it was crystal clear early on that we were in a shoot out. The D was lost. We had to be aggressive on O as that was the only way we had a chance. And we did have a chance because Trask, Pitts and WR's were in synch and lighting up LSU's D. We had to keep our foot on the gas at all times. Can't say we would have pulled it out had we done that, but that was our only chance.

Sadly, Dan either didn't recognize that or didn't care. Pulling Trask while he was in the middle of carving up LSU's D in Death Valley was infuriating. I get the rationale, but a good coach has to adjust based on the game situation and put his team in the best position to succeed. Our only chance last night was going all in on Air Trask.

Instead, we wasted opportunity after opportunity trying to run the option with EJ and even Trask when we should have been going balls to the wall throwing down field. I just rematched the 2nd half and it was even worse than I remember. Someone asked me last night for details on why I think Dan killed us last night. Here goes.

- Opening drive of the 2nd half, we march right down the field and score even though Dan tried to blow it by reverting to running the option in the red zone. Trask bails him out with a great 3rd down TD pass.
- 2nd drive of half tied 28 all. We get a holding call on 1st down so its first and twenty. We run Perine up the middle for no gain essentially killing the drive. Gotta try to pick up some yards there.
- 3rd drive of the half. Now down 35 - 28. The wasted EJ series. Absolutely inexcusable. Trask was on fire. Pulling him here was mind boggling to say the least. One of the all-time worst coaching decisions.
- 4th drive of the half. Still 35-28. Trask marches us down the field making play after play. He's clearly in a groove and then on 2nd and 2 on the 17 yard line, LSU calls a time out giving Dan time to think. So he yanks Trask again and calls a failed QB run for EJ wasting a down and breaking Trask's rhythm. Trask throws the int on the next play after being rushed back onto the field.
- Final drive of the game. Now 42-28. Trask marches us down the field yet again making clutch throw after clutch throw. We get to first a goal at the 2 and Dan wastes first down with a halfback option trick play and then calls Perine up the middle on 3rd down and ends the game running another failed option play with Trask.

So, we had five drives in the second half. Dan killed 3 of them with his stubborn insistence on playing EJ and/or running the option and he killed another by going too conservative. He also tried to kill the only successful drive but thankfully Trask bailed him out on that one.

Just a terrible night for Dan. His play calling killed us.

This recaps my thoughts perfectly. It was more than obvious in the first quarter UF was going to have to score a lot of points to win. Mullen should have adapted and didn’t, expecting his defense to suddenly shut things down.

 

[SeabeeGator]

This recaps my thoughts perfectly. It was more than obvious in the first quarter UF was going to have to score a lot of points to win. Mullen should have adapted and didn’t, expecting his defense to suddenly shut things down.

How did you come to this conclusion? At what point was he conservative and relying on defense? Even Donk isn’t as irrational as you after this game.

 

[oxrageous]

How did you come to this conclusion? At what point was he conservative and relying on defense? Even Donk isn’t as irrational as you after this game.

After we went up 7 right after the half. You would have thought he knew by then we had to score on every possession. Instead, he runs EJ out there for a quick 3-and-out, completely sinking our chances. It was a fire-able decision, it was that bad. With cause.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

How did you come to this conclusion? At what point was he conservative and relying on defense? Even Donk isn’t as irrational as you after this game.

you guys seem to define conservative as conservative relatives what he normally does I guess. Wasting 40 runs when you are really clicking in the air is and your running games blows is very conservative.

if SOS had a gunslinger and an incredibly talented receiver corps he sure wouldn't be running 40 option plays.

 

[SeabeeGator]

After we went up 7 right after the half. You would have thought he knew by then we had to score on every possession. Instead, he runs EJ out there for a quick 3-and-out, completely sinking our chances. It was a fire-able decision, it was that bad. With cause.

You should stop drinking so much. The drive after the TD was Trask. We threw that beautiful screen to Perine that got called back by holding. Went nowhere after that. The drive following that was EJ and I’m guessing Mullen has him scheduled for the third drive or he wanted to generate some rushing offense. Either way, certainly could’ve been better but definitely wasn’t him turning it over to the defense to win. He was mixing and matching and trying to take advantage of a tiring LSU defense.

 

[SeabeeGator]

you guys seem to define conservative is as conservative relatives what he normally does I guess. Wasting 40 runs when you are really clicking in the air is and your running games blows is very conservative.

We had 150 on the ground. Wasn’t a total disaster for the first time. Also helped keep LSU’s offense off the field by eating up clock - 38/22 TOP advantage. Any other game with even competent defense and we win. Unfortunately, we got pathetic defense which is what y’all should be complaining about.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

. He was mixing and matching and trying to take advantage of a tiring LSU defense.

punting really doesn't tire the defense much.

 

[oxrageous]

You should stop drinking so much. The drive after the TD was Trask. We threw that beautiful screen to Perine that got called back by holding. Went nowhere after that. The drive following that was EJ and I’m guessing Mullen has him scheduled for the third drive or he wanted to generate some rushing offense. Either way, certainly could’ve been better but definitely wasn’t him turning it over to the defense to win. He was mixing and matching and trying to take advantage of a tiring LSU defense.

Good Lord you are in for a rude awakening as this season rolls on.

 

[SeabeeGator]

punting really doesn't tire the defense much.

You realize we picked up first downs by running the ball that resulted in TDs, right? Even EJ got a few first downs to keep scoring drives alive.

 

[SGG]

Good Lord you are in for a rude awakening as this season rolls on.

Guess I am too.

We will see which one of us is right, or are you gonna pull the old “I hope I’m wrong” card?

 

[SeabeeGator]

Good Lord you are in for a rude awakening as this season rolls on.

I should dredge up all your ridiculous posts the last two weeks. Is your “dumping” a result of being “awakened” to what guys like @ltraz and I have been telling you? We aren’t a championship team, no matter how much you like Trask. Crappy OL and Grantham/inconsistent defense was always going to cost us. I’m still at 9-3 this season - same as I started - but now feel more optimistic we might get to 10-2. Before I thought 8-4 was more likely.

 

[oxrageous]

You realize we picked up first downs by running the ball that resulted in TDs, right? Even EJ got a few first downs to keep scoring drives alive.

Is there anything that you saw that UF could have done better? Listening to you, the coaches were absolutely perfect and did nothing wrong whatsoever. All they needed to do was line the players up and give them ribbons for doing their best after the game.

 

[SeabeeGator]

Guess I am too.

We will see which one of us is right, or are you gonna pull the old “I hope I’m wrong” card?

Now that’s funny!

 

[oxrageous]

Guess I am too.

We will see which one of us is right, or are you gonna pull the old “I hope I’m wrong” card?

Mullen lost this team with this game. We drop USC, UGA, Missouri, and Vandy now.

 

[SGG]

Mullen lost this team with this game. We drop USC, UGA, Missouri, and Vandy now.

 

[Gatorraid81]

The result was fine. The situation wasn’t. We had a lot of time available and nearly ran out of time before we ran out of downs, as well as rushing at the end as a result. Replay that several times and we miss a TD opportunity due to that same clock management.

Let it run down some to reduce time for LSU, but don’t risk completely running out of time.

I'm sure that wasn't how he planned it to play out, but still the end result was perfect to end the first half.

 

[SeabeeGator]

Is there anything that you saw that UF could have done better? Listening to you, the coaches were absolutely perfect and did nothing wrong whatsoever. All they needed to do was line the players up and give them ribbons for doing their best after the game.

Yes. Generate pressure on defense and disrupt route timing for their WRs instead of letting them roam free for easy completions.

Offensively, I would’ve kept EJ in on that 3rd down that Trask threw a pick. I think he gets the first and we have a shot to tie it. I might try some PA from under center or jet sweeps in the 4th to keep LSU guessing. Speed option worked great until that 4th down play - probably try something different there. But my focus would’ve been on defense, not offense, since that was historically bad. Not that you seem to care, for whatever reason.