Anyone who is sleeping on the Louisiana Tech game this year...

[maroonmania]

shouldn't be. We could easily have our hands full with them. They took Kansas State into overtime @KState and just beat Hud's bunch by 30. I'm very concerned with that game especially with a sleepy crowd 11:00 start time. I'm sure they will be fired up to beat Manny since he left them.

[BulldogBear]

shouldn't be. We could easily have our hands full with them. They took Kansas State into overtime @KState and just beat Hud's bunch by 30. I'm very concerned with that game especially with a sleepy crowd 11:00 start time. I'm sure they will be fired up to beat Manny since he left them.

I never sleep on them!! That said, while I think we should take them seriously, I think we will win although there may not be as much opportunity for "practicing" certain players. This is not the Croom error. One thing I can definitely say about Dan's tenure. We don't find a way to lose these games anymore. Croom lost a game like this annually. Even Jackie struggled in a ringer game every season and lost 3-4.

[Saltydog]

don't come ready to play.

[NCDawg]

I'm sure Dan will have them ready to play against Troy and LA Tech. He coaches with a lot of fire against teams like NW LA State, Troy and LA Tech. Then he reverts back to his nonchalant coaching ways against the big schools.

[Liverpooldawg]

That game won't be as easy as many seem to think.

[TrapGame]

Unfortunately Dan has a tendency to let teams like this hang around too long. I can easily see LaTech's offense go up and down the field on our defense pushing our bend don't break philosophy to the limit.

[msstate7]

Usm scores 40.2 a game and gives up 28.0 a game.

La tech scores 40.6 a game and gives up 25.2 a game.

Both cusa teams and both have played similar schedules. I think mullenss may be just as good as driskel.

We're at home. We should win by 2 scores easily

[Saltydog]

as some here seem to think.

Kentucky - struggled with them last year and their defense looks improved from last year.
Mizzou - Offensively have yet find an identity but it's in Columbia.
Arkansas - Not a place where we've had much success. I just don't like this matchup and they'll be fighting for bowl eligibility as well.

We may win every single one of these but it won't be easy. I think they'll all be close games.

[DownwardDawg]

He should be run out of town if he loses that game.

[mic]

We aren't going to lose this game shit...
I get it we haven't played the way most here thought we would including me..
But 3-2 after the first 5 was very possible and probable before the year started..

I feel really good about going forward.. Because of the way the defense has played..
I believe the offense gets rolling like we thought it would and if the D holds and stays the course we are going to have good results...

[drunkernhelldawg]

They've got a strong program. Can't comment on them this season since I haven't seen them play, but it doesn't surprise me when they beat or challenge name teams. They've been doing it since before the last time they beat us, a year in which I think they beat one or two other major conference teams.

[maroonmania]

Usm scores 40.2 a game and gives up 28.0 a game.

La tech scores 40.6 a game and gives up 25.2 a game.

Both cusa teams and both have played similar schedules. I think mullenss may be just as good as driskel.

We're at home. We should win by 2 scores easily

a. USM is better now than when we played them. They have a TON of new guys on the roster this year so glad we got them early.

b. LT has a QB that has made the rounds in the SEC so he will know fully what to expect in an SEC environment.

c. As stated, I'm concerned that at 11:00 we won't have the home field advantage that you get in later games.

d. There are a lot of things that our football team 'should' do that they often don't do. We SHOULD have beaten LSU earlier this year. Heck,we should not have gone into OT with LT the last time we played them but we did.

Bottom line, I still fully expect us to win this game but it will likely not be the cake walk some on this board seem to think it will be.

[HSVDawg]

I agree and have been saying this for weeks. Its highly likely we will struggle for 3 quarters and eventually pull away for a 10-14 point win. Worst case is a loss, but it could be anything in between. The way our offense has played up to this point, I see a blowout win as being next to impossible barring major inprovement over the next 2 weeks.

[HSVDawg]

He should be run out of town if he loses that game.


Really? So he should have been fired in 2011 if La Tech hadn't missed that field goal late in the 4th quarter?

[Dental Dawg33]

We aren't going to lose this game shit...
I get it we haven't played the way most here thought we would including me..
But 3-2 after the first 5 was very possible and probable before the year started..

I feel really good about going forward.. Because of the way the defense has played..
I believe the offense gets rolling like we thought it would and if the D holds and stays the course we are going to have good results...


Agreed. Lost to two top 10 teams. Both of those games were ours to win had we played well the entire game and minus a few botched plays (I know, shoulda, coulda, woulda, didn't). There is still a lot of promise to this season. I'm not necessarily happy with where we are right now, but I'm excited to see where we go from here.

[Behrdawg]

We won't lose to La Tech. No way. I'm more worried about Kentucky than La Tech.

[Dawg61]

We don't lose when we are favored. We also almost never win when we aren't favored.

[NCDawg]

We don't lose when we are favored. We also almost never win when we aren't favored.

An exception being Auburn. Weren't we 2 point underdogs?

[defiantdog]

Usm scores 40.2 a game and gives up 28.0 a game.

La tech scores 40.6 a game and gives up 25.2 a game.

Both cusa teams and both have played similar schedules. I think mullenss may be just as good as driskel.

We're at home. We should win by 2 scores easily

Voice of reason and logic are scarce on these boards. Just freak out that we're going to lose like everyone else. *************************************************

[defiantdog]

An exception being Auburn. Weren't we 2 point underdogs?

I think the key word was "almost"

[Dawg61]

An exception being Auburn. Weren't we 2 point underdogs?

Yea think Dan's overall record when he's the underdog is 6-25 now.

[Dawg61]

Yea think Dan's overall record when he's the underdog is 6-31 now.

This is why you see lots and lots of bitching when we face opponents that are favored. Dan refuses to go balls out and he just keeps on losing in these games. 6 wins. 25 losses. That's not good.

[Liverpooldawg]

We don't lose when we are favored. We also almost never win when we aren't favored.

LSU, A&M, and I believe Auburn last year we were the underdog. We were at Auburn this year. I agree that under Mullen we rarely lose if we are favored.

[Dawg61]

Sorry he's 6-25 going on year 7 vs teams that are favored.

[SallyStansbury]

This is why you see lots and lots of bitching when we face opponents that are favored. Dan refuses to go balls out and he just keeps on losing in these games. 6 wins. 31 losses. That's not good.

I wonder what a similar team (like us.....) record is in games that they are not favored? It could be that those teams are favored because they are better than us and they likely should win?

Risk aversion is the answer to your comments, Dan is very risk averse, and I wonder if he would prefer to lose three games *while keeping it close* instead of winning one while getting blown out in the other two? That is a legit question and I wonder how he would answer it?

Let me ask you this.....is it because he plays fairly tight all the time and doesn't loosen up in the big games in which we are often the underdog? or is it more he knows he is coming from a position of strength against lesser teams and goes for it regularly there?
I like not losing to shit teams because I recall both Croom and Jackie doing that (LA Tech, Maine, etc....) Thanks Dan, seriously thanks, but I would like to win the occasional game in which we are not favored.....untuck the wiener and slap them in the face with your Dak.

[HancockCountyDog]

Good lord, its deja vu around here.

Someone wake me up when Dan loses to a Vandy/UK or the directional school of choice. He hasn't yet, and he isn't with one of his better teams and the best QB he has ever had.

[defiantdog]

Good lord, its deja vu around here.

Someone wake me up when Dan loses to a Vandy/UK or the directional school of choice. He hasn't yet, and he isn't with one of his better teams and the best QB he has ever had.

I honestly thought this thread was satire. Why is everyone freaking out about La Tech?

[Jack Lambert]

They've got a strong program. Can't comment on them this season since I haven't seen them play, but it doesn't surprise me when they beat or challenge name teams. They've been doing it since before the last time they beat us, a year in which I think they beat one or two other major conference teams.

K-State is not as good as they have been.

[NCDawg]

K-State is not as good as they have been.

Problem is so far it doesn't look like we are either. Hate to admit those prognosticators on SECN were right.

[TrapGame]

Mullen will not pull a Freeze and keep starters in for 3 1/2 quarters on LaTech pummeling them 63-10. He will use the lesser, yet somewhat talented LaTech to teach the youngin's. It could get closer in score than most will like but it will make November a lot sweeter to have some extra experience to rely on.

[BB30]

We don't lose when we are favored. We also almost never win when we aren't favored.

Yep, that is pretty much true of every program in the country. If you can show me a program that loses more when they are favored and wins more when they are underdogs I would be impressed. Say over the last 3 years my guess is nobody fits that.

[msstate7]

I honestly thought this thread was satire. Why is everyone freaking out about La Tech?

Got me. Wallowing in self pity maybe?

We aren't losing to la tech

[Todd4State]

Here's the reality about La Tech. I think they are a good team and they have a chance- along with USM, Western Kentucky, and Marshall- to win C-USA. Their floor is 8 wins and they most likely will win 9 this year. So there is no doubt that they are good.

That said, their two losses are on the road and all of their wins are at home.

Hudspeth's team is not as good this year. They are 1-3 with a loss to Akron right now and there's a good chance that they don't go bowling.

As Lambert said K-State isn't as good either and at best the jury is still out on them this season. Wins over South Dakota, UTSA, and La Tech with a loss to Oklahoma State. The scores of those games indicate that K-State is having a down year most likely unless they can turn it around.

My guess is that they are comparable to USM but probably a little bit better. We're going to have to show up to win and I think it will be a game that we will probably win but it will still be in doubt going into the fourth quarter.

[HSVDawg]

Here's the reality about La Tech. I think they are a good team and they have a chance- along with USM, Western Kentucky, and Marshall- to win C-USA. Their floor is 8 wins and they most likely will win 9 this year. So there is no doubt that they are good.

That said, their two losses are on the road and all of their wins are at home.

Hudspeth's team is not as good this year. They are 1-3 with a loss to Akron right now and there's a good chance that they don't go bowling.

As Lambert said K-State isn't as good either and at best the jury is still out on them this season. Wins over South Dakota, UTSA, and La Tech with a loss to Oklahoma State. The scores of those games indicate that K-State is having a down year most likely unless they can turn it around.

My guess is that they are comparable to USM but probably a little bit better. We're going to have to show up to win and I think it will be a game that we will probably win but it will still be in doubt going into the fourth quarter.

^^^What he said. The overall truth about this game is that we are not going to just be able to throw Lee / Williams / Peters / McLaurin / Fitz / Staley out there for 40 snaps like most people have presumed to try and find playmakers for a bigger role. Nor are we going to be able to be experimental with our playcalling to the point that it hampers our offense in an attempt to find our identity. We just have to find a way to win.

[Bothrops]

Welp, it's time to find out who the studhoss is gonna be at RB this week and not a minute after. It's time, Dan.

[BulldogBear]

I never really got the impression anyone was freaking about Louisiana Tech. I'll disagree with Todd that it'll be still a scare come 4th quarter. But, I think that will be because we had to take them seriously and play three quarters. I don't think that game has anything close to the potential of Troy for sorting out some things. We'll beat Tech and I don't mean to imply that it'll be "easy." What I mean is that I don't really think the outcome is in doubt nor truly will be past the first quarter or at least halftime. I look for the type of game where it's really kind of over by halftime, we make sure of that in the 3rd and then get to play some deeper guys in the 4th.

[DownwardDawg]

Really? So he should have been fired in 2011 if La Tech hadn't missed that field goal late in the 4th quarter?
Uuummmmm.....NO!!!! This is 2015 with a much better team.

I was actually trolling. No way we're gonna lose to tech. Not a chance.

[Todd4State]

I never really got the impression anyone was freaking about Louisiana Tech. I'll disagree with Todd that it'll be still a scare come 4th quarter. But, I think that will be because we had to take them seriously and play three quarters. I don't think that game has anything close to the potential of Troy for sorting out some things. We'll beat Tech and I don't mean to imply that it'll be "easy." What I mean is that I don't really think the outcome is in doubt nor truly will be past the first quarter or at least halftime. I look for the type of game where it's really kind of over by halftime, we make sure of that in the 3rd and then get to play some deeper guys in the 4th.

I don't think it will be a scare- but I think it will be like the USM game where we will go into the fourth quarter and we will have to have a good drive to take away any remaining chance that they have of possibly winning. In other words, we're going to have to leave our starters in for most of the game.

[maroonmania]

I honestly thought this thread was satire. Why is everyone freaking out about La Tech?

Good heavens you people overreact, WHO IS FREAKING OUT AROUND HERE? I haven't seen ONE post in this thread where someone actually thinks we will lose. My only point was that a lot of MSU fans seem to think that Troy and La Tech are gimmees. Troy is but La Tech is not.

[State82]

Troy is but La Tech is not.

Yes. This is all some folks were implying. And I agree. La Tech will not be like NW St and Troy.

[HSVDawg]

Who said we were going to lose?