Mullen shines light on Dak's shadow over MSU's QBs
STARKVILLE - Dan Mullen’s resume includes Heisman Trophy quarterbacks, national champions and No. 1 overall picks. But only two mastered the college game under the quarterback guru: Alex Smith and Dak Prescott.
“You hear guys say the game slows down for them,” Mullen said. “That’s when it (happens).”
Smith at Utah and Prescott at Mississippi State acted as another coach on the field. They could call their own plays, then check at the line to a more favorable option.
Not even Heisman winner Tim Tebow possessed that talent.
“Physics don’t change. No one physically slows down out there it’s just in their brain as they see it,” Mullen said. “The information goes from your eyes to your brain and your brain to your leg or your arm. The faster that clicks, the more that you’re going to get it.”
Some of it is teachable. Other parts are God-given.
The only way to improve is through repetitions. Prescott and Smith mastered college football as seniors. Nick Fitzgerald prepares for his seventh career start at Mississippi State on Saturday against Kentucky (6:30 p.m., SEC Network).
The redshirt sophomore stepped into the shoes of the greatest player in program history. Not only that, but Prescott is dominating the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie.
“Nick made some big time plays during the course of a game. And then he makes some, as a coach, some head-scratchers,” Mullen said. “They seem a little bit more like head-scratchers because of the guy that was playing the year before.”
Fitzgerald is taller and faster than Prescott. He has a bigger arm too. But Prescott posted prolific numbers as a result of his knowledge of the game. He was able to progress from his first option to his fifth. Prescott knew when to pull on an option read and when to give. He knew how much touch to put on a slant compared to a hitch or an out route. The quarterback owned the offense. “They’re tough for college quarterbacks in general,” Mullen said. “It’s reps. The one thing you can’t get enough of is reps and the more reps he gets, I think the more accurate he’ll be.“
The process of learning through repetition isn’t an easy one either.
Mullen explained the difficulties of teaching a young quarterback.
He provided an example on the readoption. If the quarterback misread the defender and gave the ball to the running back, Mullen would correct the situation. However, he also knew the quarterback would undoubtedly hold the ball on the next read option call, regardless of the defense because, “You told me to keep it, coach.”
Mullen expanded it to plays down the field.
While Prescott would look for a shot down the field but have the confidence and knowledge to scan down to his fourth option out of the backfield, it’s more difficult for younger players.
Inexperienced quarterbacks are more likely to throw down the field even into coverage because “Coach wants to take a chance.”
“A lot of it is decision-making, which is, to me, the processing of information,” Mullen said.
The challenge comes when read one isn’t open. Neither is the second option. Then the quarterback has to look at option three or four while the pocket is closing.
Right now, Mullen said, it’s difficult for Fitzgerald to get to option three.
“I think one of the things you’ve gotta be patient with is the guy that he’s replacing from last year was pretty darn good,” Mullen said.
Mullen doesn’t expect Fitzgerald to have the ability to reach his fifth progression. The Georgia native is on the same curve Prescott was as a redshirt sophomore.
“We’re doing things that he’s going to do well,” Mullen said. “Trying not to make it too complicated on him within the decision-making so he can become more confident in his decision.”