The Reflector

When Auburn's War Eagle dive-bombed over the Plains during the waning pregame minutes, swooping toward the 50-yard line at Jordan-Hare to a roaring sea of orange, I thought, "This is going to be exciting." Finally, the time had come to witness a new brand of Bulldog football, featuring a risk-taking, attack-first offense and a confusing, stingy defense. If State loses a slew of games this season, they will do it in style.

No more stubborn game plans, resulting in the haunting, familiar phrase tipsy students echoed throughout the Junction every postgame for the past three seasons, "Dixon up the middle…" No more grinding battles with all hope placed solely on the back of the defense. No more offenses ranked No. 113 (2008). No more 3-2 losses.

A man who has done nothing but win his whole life has come to town, fresh off a national title. Still high off 45 points scored on a SWAC team whose band wins every game, I was ready for the Dan Mullen era, ready to spread the fun.

589 yards and 49 points later, I thought, "Dan needs a Mullen-gan."

The Bulldogs' SEC opener against an Auburn team picked to finish No. 5 in the West - a game many felt represented a scarce opportunity for State to grab a SEC win amidst a brutal schedule - left a queasy feeling of exposure for MSU fans.

I could not cast away the terrible thoughts creeping into my mind:

"Can the Dogs ever bring in the talent to run a legitimate spread? We might score a TD or two, so are we just going to lose differently from here on out? Georgia Tech is going to run for 700 yards against us. Ya know what, forget it, put Tyler Russell on field."

But then I realized just as this 2009 squad could not be accurately judged after throttling Jackson State, it cannot be accurately judged after getting throttled by Auburn. Immediate observations are the best option. We have room for three. So, from the Plains...

Dixon:

Anthony Dixon looked lean - he has lost 20 pounds weighing in at 235 -- eager and more decisive than in years past. After serving a one-game suspension for a DUI, he racked up 92 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, while facing a dominant Auburn front seven. Great news. But in two games, MSU has rushed 83 times and thrown 46, a strange ratio for a supposedly creative, spread-style offensive.

Special teams:

State special teams are swarming and disciplined (Ignore the fake punt, it happens.) The telling stat, Auburn returned 3 of 6 punts for only 7 yards. Also, for a fan base accustomed to Bulldog special teams being a major liability, Heath Hutchins, who averaged 45.2 yards a punt and kept the game from getting even more out of hand, is a major relief. Mullen has exerted a great deal of time and effort coaching this unit. Consider this: a handful of highly talented college teams manage to produce mediocre special teams year in and year out - USC, who beat Penn State in the Rose Bowl last year, ranked No. 96 overall in special teams in 2008 - suggesting talent alone cannot mold great special team units.

Since Mullen seems to have slapped together strong special teams with a perceived lack of talent, perhaps coaching will not be to blame if we tank this season.

Defense:

A common theme emerging from spring and fall practice was the marked progress of MSU's defense in contrast with its offensive counterpart still searching for an identity. Mullen suggested prior to the season opener the defense would have to carry the load. Well, the Bulldogs surrendered six scoring drives Saturday, all for over 70 yards. Are the front seven really improved with the arrival of JUCO-transfer stud Pernel McPhee and the return of former secondteam All-SEC linebacker Jamar Chaney? Can Charles Mitchell and Zach Smith really plug holes in a secondary that lost Derek Pegues and Keith Fitzhugh? Stay tuned to find out as MSU currently has six ranked teams left on the schedule, including No. 21 Houston.

To end on a bright note, the 24 Bulldog points were the most scored against Auburn in any venue since 1998. Also, State has not topped 20 points at Jordan-Hare since 1975, a game ending in a 21-21 tie. Now that is exciting.

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