Mullen enjoys seeing Prescott
MSU's Mullen enjoys chance to see former quarterback in Dallas
For Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, football is his job.
It's not often Mullen gets the chance to sit back and enjoy things as a fan.
That wasn't the case last Sunday night. One day after Mullen's Bulldogs captured a 47-35 win over UMass, Mullen traveled to Texas to be in attendance for former MSU quarterback and current Dallas Cowboys signal caller Dak Prescott's Sunday night game against the Chicago Bears.
Prescott passed for 248 yards and his first career touchdown in the game. He ran for 36 yards and a score. The Cowboys topped the Bears 31-17. Mullen, meanwhile, soaked it all in. “You know what, it was really kind of cool,” Mullen said of the experience. “It was different and I was much more relaxed than if I was on the field, but I still was a little tense and wanted Dak to do well.”
Mullen said he's been to very few NFL games in his life prior to Sunday. His schedule doesn't usually allow it.
With MSU on a bye this week though, and Dallas playing the night game on Sunday, Mullen had the time to go to the Lone Star State to support his former player.
“I got to sit, enjoy a football game and try not to coach too much,” Mullen said. “I got to enjoy it.”
Mullen's experience was bettered by the continued excellent play of Prescott, who has started every game for Dallas in his
rookie season after longtime Dallas starter Tony Romo injured his back in the preseason.
So far this year, Prescott has thrown for 767 yards and a touchdown. He has still not yet thrown an interception.
On the ground, Prescott has run for 54 yards and two scores.
Mullen got to visit with Prescott before and after Sunday's game to express his happiness for Prescott's success.
“I got to see him real quick before the game and he came up and talked to me,” Mullen said. “I told him to get away from me and get to his routine.
“It was good to see him after the game, give him a big hug and tell him how proud I am of him.”
Prescott wasn't the only thing that impressed Mullen during his brief trip to Texas. Mullen was floored by the experience of being in AT&T Stadium. Being in that venue and seeing his former quarterback succeed made for a great Sunday evening for Mullen.
“That stadium was awesome and it was cool to be there and to be a fan,” Mullen said.
Despite Prescott's success, his future is a bit
uncertain in Dallas. Romo is slated to return at some point in the next few weeks. The question is, will the Cowboys hand the starting quarterback job back to Romo or is it possible Prescott could do enough to unseat the veteran? Mullen says he doesn't know how it'll go. “I do know this, knowing Dak, whatever they feel is good for the team, he is going to be all-in 100 percent to do that and doing whatever he needs to do to help the team win,” Mullen said. “Those are tough decisions for (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones and (head coach) Jason Garrett right there. They make a lot of money to make those and I've got my own problems and my own decisions I've got to make.”
Mullen plans to meet with administration
Mullen emphasized in his news conference on Tuesday night and again on the Southeastern Conference Teleconference on Wednesday that he's not surprised Scott Stricklin is leaving his position as athletic director at MSU to assume the same job at Florida.
The Gators made Stricklin's hiring official on Tuesday.
“The (MSU) baseball team is going to
Omaha and the women's basketball team gets in the Sweet 16,” Mullen said. “We've won more games (in football) than Florida has over the past six seasons, not just one or two. They looked at the success our athletic department was having and you can see why Florida would want to come and get someone like Scott.”
Mullen said the uncertainty that now surrounds MSU's athletic department as the school searches for a new leader hasn't really provided any more anxiety than usual for him. Mullen said he hopes to sit down with administrators soon to discuss the future of things at the university.
“I haven't had a chance to sit down to talk to anybody really about the future,” Mullen said. “I might do that this week to see where the people see the future of the athletic department going. I guess that will either increase or decrease my anxiety.”
Coleman, Jiles returns nearing
Mullen reiterated on Tuesday night that he expects senior defensive lineman Will Coleman and senior cornerback Cedric Jiles back for Mississippi State's Oct. 8 home game against Auburn.
Both players have missed MSU's first four games this season. Coleman suffered a back injury in the early days of training camp. Jiles has been recovering from a broken arm.
“Talking to trainers (Tuesday), we expect both of them back for (the Auburn) game,” Mullen said. “Will is doing a little bit (in practice) and (Jiles) a little bit more right now, but we expect both of them back on Monday.”
Mullen talks Miles
Mullen wasn't a fan of LSU head coach Les Miles being fired following LSU's 18-13 loss to Auburn last Saturday.
Miles, who was the longest-tenured head coach in the SEC, was fired on Sunday. The Tigers made former Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron their interim coach.
“Me personally, I don't know if it is good for anybody,” Mullen said. “I don't see them hiring a coach this week or next week. Ed (Orgeron) is there and he will do a good job and I know Ed. I have a lot of respect for Ed and he's always done a good job with that stuff in the past. Just as a program and for the organization, I don't know if it is healthy for the organization.”