The firing of Willie Taggart at Florida State hits especially close to Florida and coach Dan Mullen, not only for their game on Nov. 30, but in the ongoing recruiting battles.

Mullen weighed in on the firing and his opinion of its timing, coming after Week 10.

“I’ve always thought of finishing off the season,” Mullen said at his regular Monday press conference. “I’ve never been on that side of it but on the other side, I would never take a call until the season was over. Everyone deserves that year and then you see where you’re at after the season.”

Florida won last year’s meeting, 41-14, but Florida State won the previous five meetings.

FSU fired Willie Taggart following a 9-12 overall record in one and a half seasons. Taggart led FSU to a 5-7 record last season and was 4-5 in Year 2 after losing to Miami. Taggart’s overall ACC record was 6-9. He was 0-5 against rival teams.