Dan Mullen Florida Postgame Interview

There were plenty of storylines heading into the Florida Mississippi State game. Coach Dan Mullen was facing Florida for the first time since taking the MSU job and he was taking on quarterback Tim Tebow, the same player he groomed into a Heisman trophy winner.

Mississippi State came up short when the clock hit zero, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. Early in the fourth quarter the Bulldogs trailed just 16-13 before ultimately losing 29-19.

“I was really proud of the kids, how they fought, how they battled, what they did,“ said Coach Mullen.

In the fourth quarter with the Bulldogs trailing 16-13, the Bulldogs failed on a gadget play that would ultimately lead to a Florida touchdown. On fourth and one from their own 27, State’s Heath Hutchins faked a punt and tossed the ball to Robert Elliot who slipped five yards short of the first down marker. Florida took advantage and extended the lead to 22-16 when Chris Rainey ran it in for an eight yard score on second and goal.

“It wasn’t like we were churning up and down the field on offense. It was a key point in the game. I thought we needed a play. They’ve been coming after us on the punt play and I thought we’d get it. It looked like we got it but when I looked at the replay it appeared Robert just stumbled. David Nelson, a heck of a football player for them was right there when he stumbled,“ said Mullen.

At the end of the game Dan Mullen caught up with his old boss, Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer. “He said we ‘re doing a heck of a job and building a solid program here.“ Coach Mullen said Meyer also talked to him about the fake punt. “He kept looking, waiting for me to give away that we were gonna run it. I guess I must of had a pretty good poker face going so, he didn’t think it was gonna come and all of a sudden it suprised him,“ said Mullen.