STARKVILLE — The file on Mark Tucker is nonexistent. This week, that is Mississippi State’s problem.
Tucker is the new head coach of the Charleston Southern football team — MSU’s first opponent, visiting Davis Wade Stadium Saturday at 3 p.m — and is in his first head-coaching job. That being the case, MSU’s coaching staff has little to work on when it comes to formulating a game plan for his Buccaneers.
“There’s nothing to watch,” Mullen said.
What MSU lacks in film it can make up for in offensive precedent: Tucker was promoted from quarterbacks coach to the head coaching job, and Tucker has said Charleson Southern’s triple option run-based offense won’t see drastic changes. As Mullen pointed out, Tucker is one of very few points of continuity.
Other than Tucker, Charleston Southern only has one assistant coach back from last year — the special teams coach. It gives MSU precious little to work with in preparation.
“You’re trying to see what they’re going to do, how they’re going to adjust to personnel and new coaches are going to want to add their philosophies in there,” Mullen said. “We have to do a good job in-game of making adjustments.”
On the other side of it, Tucker downplayed the usefulness of taking so many new coaching pieces into the game.
“There’s things that I might emphasis that (former coach Jamey) Chadwell hasn’t or things that I particularly like,” Tucker told The Dispatch. “For instance, we’re walking into their place this week and we don’t have a great deal of consistent history on (MSU defensive coordinator Todd) Grantham’s system defensively. To me, it’s kind of a wash. We are who we are.”
No news on Rivers
Mullen had no update to offer on the status of junior college transfer defensive end Chauncey Rivers, who is awaiting word on his academic clearance with the NCAA. Rivers, coming in from East Mississippi Community College, is expected to have a prominent role at the position if he is cleared.
Grantham mentioned options such as Marquiss Spencer, Kobe Jones and Fletcher Adams in the event that Rivers is not allowed to play. MSU can also turn to more defensive end reps from Montez Sweat, who has practiced at both end and outside linebacker with intentions of playing both, but MSU defensive line coach Brian Baker told The Dispatch MSU had not had that discussion as of Monday.
Remembering South Alabama
Saturday will make it four straight years that MSU has started its season from an opponent outside of the Power 5 conferences. The one loss in that stretch, to South Alabama last year, is far from forgotten by today’s Bulldogs.
“That was a wake-up call last season that you can’t look over anyone, you can’t pass over any game,” MSU quarterback Nick Fitzgerald said. “We’re taking this game as serious as we take any other one, preparing for it as serious as any other opponent.”
Mullen passed on using the loss as motivation for Saturday’s game, attributed this to a different set of circumstances while blaming himself and his staff for the failings of last year’s season opener.
The lesson has been learned.
“No matter who you play, you have to play to your highest level. Whether it’s Charleston Southern or it’s Alabama, it doesn’t matter, you have to play your best,” MSU safety Brandon Bryant said. “Guys like (Charleston Southern) always come out with a chip on their shoulder and want the upset; they’re going to play hard, we have to play harder.”
Redshirt debate
Mullen has been outspoken in his favoring of a rule proposed by his coaching counterparts which would allow players to redshirt after playing in four or fewer games per season, a contrast to the current rule where any game activity makes a player ineligible for a traditional redshirt. The rule has not passed yet; in the mean time, Mullen has a delicate balancing act to manage when it comes to freshmen.
“I have to see how they respond to picking up a game plan,” Mullen said, adding the decision is also weighed by how much a freshman will play as it is if the freshman is ready.
The one shoe-in to almost certainly play as a freshman, as identified by both Mullen and Grantham, is Starkville native linebacker Willie Gay. Kicker Tucker Day is another leading candidate as he is in the battle for the starting place kicker spot. Beyond that, most others — wide receiver Austin Williams was named as one — remain under consideration.
Mullen also added on the subject of freshman quarterback Keytaon Thompson, an early-enrollee from the spring, that he is currently MSU’s No. 2 quarterback but there is no guarantee he plays unless Fitzgerald is injured for an extended period.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter, @Brett_Hudson
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