Gators’ Mullen renews rivalry with Ole Miss
Calling Florida-Ole Miss a rivalry game would be quite a stretch, seeing as how the Gators and Rebels have played only five times in the last 25 years and just 24 times dating to 1926.
But, if you’re looking across at that Ole Miss sideline Saturday from Dan Mullen’s perspective, and the perspective of eight of his assistant coaches, this very much is going to look and feel like a rivalry game.
Because for those nine years Mullen was the head coach at Mississippi State, the Rebels were his biggest rival — and it wasn’t even close.
So, Saturday in Oxford is not just going to be the season opener for the Gators. It’s also going to be the renewal of the Mullen-Ole Miss rivalry.
Well, sort of.
Mullen likely will be less loathed than he used to be in Oxford now that he’s wearing different colors.
“Hopefully, Ole Miss, they’re cheering, they like me now,” Mullen said. “I was at a high school game once and I had a lady come up and say, ‘Coach, I pray for you every day.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s so nice of you.’ She goes, ‘I’m an Ole Miss fan. I pray somebody comes and gets you the heck out of this state as soon as possible.’ So now I left, so maybe they like me a little bit.”
That’s probably doubtful. The MSU-Ole Miss rivalry has always been intense, but it seems to reach a higher level during those nine years Mullen was down the road in Starkville. He had no love — and not a whole lot of respect — for his archrival.
During those nine years, Mullen never referred to Ole Miss as Ole Miss. He called it the school up north, just like Urban Meyer used to call FSU the school out west when Meyer was at Florida.
“I don’t think I said Ole Miss for nine years, but now I say it,” Mullen said. “That was all just part of the rivalry. It became a pretty big deal. I got people all worked up. It’s just one of those things you do. It sparks the rivalry.”
Mullen had a way of riling up the Rebels and their fans. The main way he did it was by beating them. He won his first three games in the rivalry, putting a 31-3 hurtin’ on Ole Miss in that third game in 2011.
Overall, he went 5-4 against the Rebels and was 2-2 in Oxford. One of the highs was the 55-20 win in Oxford in 2016. One of the lows was the way the Rebels sent Mullen off to Florida, with a 31-28 upset in Starkville in 2017.
From start to finish, it was intense. The memories are many for Mullen.
“Any time you win, holding that Egg Bowl trophy up, that’s really, really, really special,” he said. “Those are the things that make college football so great and so special — the passion of the fans.
ELSEWHERE
Georgia: Uga X, the latest in the line of the school’s lovable English bulldog mascots, won’t be on hand for any games this season unless the SEC changes its policy not allowing live mascots as part of its coronavirus precautions. Georgia, which opens at Arkansas on Saturday, plays its first home game Oct. 3 against Auburn and will allow about 16,000 fans inside Sanford Stadium. Uga, which stands for “University of Georgia,” will spend that day and other game days with owner Charles Seiler and his family in Savannah,
Noon; VaughtHemingway Stadium, Oxford, Miss.
ESPN; WINZ 940. Florida by 13 Florida 0-0; Mississippi 0-0.
Mississippi leads
12-11-1.
Georgia.
Alabama: Mac Jones, who started four games last season for an injured Tua Tagovailoa, was officially named QB1 this week after beating out five-star freshman Bryce Young. Jones took command of a highpowered Crimson Tide offense in 2019, throwing 14 touchdown passes to three interceptions and averaging 10.7 yards per attempt while going 3-1, including a Citrus Bowl victory over Michigan.
LSU: All quarterback
Myles Brennan has to do is follow perhaps the best passing season in college football history (Hiseman trophy winner Joe Burrow). His job is made even tougher by the departure of star wide receiver
Ja’Marr Chase, who opted out of the season to prepare for the draft after setting SEC records last year for touchdown catches (20) and receiving yards (1,780). In total, nine offensive starters won’t return from last season’s title-winning team.
Ohio State: Defensive tackle Haskell Garrett could soon rejoin the team for practices, coach Ryan Day said. Garrett has been recovering since he was shot in the face last month near campus.It is uncertain if he would be available by the time the Buckeyes are scheduled to start their season when they host Nebraska on Oct. 24.