STARKVILLE, Miss —Mississippi State fans felt as if they were left at the altar by Dan Mullen and hurled expletives at him and his players the second the Florida Gators stepped off the bus at Davis Wade Stadium. It was sort of like if Mullen had broken up with a girlfriend and then showed up at her house for Thanksgiving dinner with a new girl.
Mullen spent nine years dedicating his life to building the program as Mississippi State. His family grew from two to four in Starkville; he made a home and a life for himself all while turning a program that was an after thought into a contender.