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Dan Mullen addressed the media on Monday, two days after his top-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs hung on to win a tight game against Arkansas. Here are a few dispatches from the coach’s press conference.
- Mullen expressed some pride over the way his team has won games in a variety of ways this season. “We’ve won some high-scoring games, now we’ve won a low-scoring game. Win however you can. Winning is the most important thing.” With the SEC being such a minefield, that last statement rings very true.
- Both of Dak Prescott’s interceptions on Saturday were bad reads, according to Mullen, although he did add that neither was “really on Dak.” The last few weeks have seen Mississippi State turn the ball over far too often for a national championship contender, and Mullen reiterated this week how important it is to clean up those issues. “When you’re the hunted, not the hunter, people are gonna throw the kitchen sink at you,” Mullen said.
- Mullen said he and the team are completely focused on beating Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. He had some praise for their unorthodox defense and up-tempo offense, also calling the game a huge opportunity for the school. “They’ll come in with a chip on their shoulder,” Mullen said.
- Punter Devon Bell was a big key to winning against Arkansas on Saturday, Mullen said. He praised the punter for using his “13-inch vertical” to grab a high snap in the fourth quarter. Bell averaged 40.7 yards on his three punt attempts.
- Mullen praised quarterback Dylan Favre, a former MSU player who now starts at UT-Martin. “He’s a playmaker. He’s a gamer and can make things happen on the field. You put him on the field and exciting things happen. Some good, some bad,” Mullen said.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.