HOOVER, Ala. - Mississippi State took Dan Mullen out of Gainesville, but the Bulldogs hope Starkville doesn't take the Florida out of Dan Mullen.
The Gators' former offensive coordinator had a lot to say on what to expect from a program that has been to only one bowl game since 2001 and an offense that ranked last in the Southeastern Conference in scoring (15.2 points per game) a season ago.
"If you turn on a game film, watch a team, all 11 players on the field on any given snap, play with a relentless effort, play with a passion for the game of football for 60 minutes of that game, then we'll have a successful season," Mullen said.
One of UF's team slogans implemented by coach Urban Meyer is "four to six seconds of relentless effort," and Mullen said he is intent on bringing that hardworking, focused attitude to his new squad.
In a 15-minute interview with MSU junior K.J. Wright, the linebacker used the phrase "relentless effort" three times when describing the new goals for the Bulldogs.
Terminology, however, isn't the only thing that made the nearly 600-mile trip from Gainesville to Starkville, Miss.
The Bulldogs will switch from a run-heavy offense to the spread Mullen and Meyer made famous in The Swamp, and Mullen, who is looking to emphasize special teams play, will be the team's official special teams coach just as Meyer is for the Gators.
The 37-year-old coach has also brought the "Champions Club" with him in hopes of holding players accountable on and off the field.
It seems the only things he didn't bring with him are the two national championships he won with UF in 2006 and 2008, something Mullen's new players are acutely aware of.
"He has what we want," Wright said. "I believe that what coach Meyer has done, he's going to do the same."
Wright said he was upset to learn that previous coach Sylvester Croom would not be back for this season but instantly became excited when he found out Mullen would be the new coach while watching SportsCenter on ESPN.
Though the defensive philosophy - run fast and hit hard, according to Wright - hasn't changed, the offense is moving in a noticeably more dynamic direction.
"I don't like to get scored on in practice," Wright said. "But it kind of made me happy to see that we are getting better."
Mullen may be trying to mold MSU in the image of his previous place of employment, but the Maroon and White certainly won't be confused with the Orange and Blue in 2009.
In front of roughly 250 members of the media, Mullen referred to Jackson State, the Bulldogs' first opponent this season, as a "great in-state rival."
The two programs are still on opposite ends of the SEC food chain, but MSU and UF will undoubtedly be linked for as long as Mullen resides in Starkville.
Wright said he would like to play for Meyer if he had to choose another coach within the conference, and from the looks of things, he might find that playing for Mullen isn't too far off.
