UF has tall task in facing mirror-image Mullen

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mute the clanging cowbells, fade all the maroon to blue, and this setting could resemble Gainesville in the spring.

This might look like an Orange and Blue Game. Florida playing against Florida.

It's not, of course. This is Florida vs. Mississippi State. But it's also Urban Meyer vs. Dan Mullen, which sort of makes Saturday night's game a Florida vs. Florida Light (or UF wannabe) matchup.

After coaching under Meyer for 10 years, and serving as his offensive coordinator in Gainesville for the past four seasons, Mullen has made it no secret he is using Meyer's Florida blueprint for building a successful program in Starkville.

Certain aspects of these two programs could not look more alike. Well, sort of.

"I think we're doing a good job with our program," Mullen said. "But Florida's is obviously the best in the country right now. They have NFL talent at every position. Urban has done a great job of recruiting. They have a lot of depth.

"Look, they have probably the greatest player in the history of the game (Tim Tebow). Their backup (John Brantley) is probably the second-best quarterback in the SEC, and he sits on the bench. Urban has done a great job developing that. Our program is still developing."

Mullen and the Bulldogs still have a long way to go to catch Florida, but there already are some striking similarities. Like the head coach coaching special teams. Players singing the fight song after victories. The infamous mat drills in the offseason. Then, of course, there is the offense.

Mullen is basically running the same spread offense he coordinated at Florida, one that he and Meyer designed after Meyer took his first head coaching job at Bowling Green in 2001.

"They're real similar," UF defensive line coach Dan McCarney said of the UF and MSU offenses. "The playbooks can't be much different. They're very similar."

Florida's defense will be going against basically the same offense it sees every day in practice.

The Mississippi State defense will be going against a Florida offense that Mullen knows inside and out.

"Coach Mullen is a very intelligent coach," Tebow said. "He knows a lot of what we do. It will be two similar schemes going at each other."

Mullen's familiarity with UF's offense and personnel has been a considerable concern in the Meyer camp this week.

"They're doing everything on defense that bothers us as a staff on offense," Meyer said. "You name it, if it bothered us (when Mullen was the offensive coordinator at UF), they're doing it. Dan is a smart guy. We'll be ready for it."

Mullen has downplayed the possible impact his inside knowledge of Florida will have on Saturday night's game.

"I know the system and the offense," Mullen said. "I'll help our defensive coaches with what they're trying to do, with what Florida is running on offense. But I don't think it's a huge advantage."

Meyer and the Gators are taking no chances. The offensive signals have been changed this week, and UF's offensive staff will attempt to avoid tendencies that Mullen might be familiar with.

"Yeah, Dan knows everything (about the offense)," UF offensive coordinator Steve Addazio said. "We were all in this together for years. He knows it. Obviously, there are things you have to do to account for that. You can't stick your head in the sand on that.

"Ultimately, it comes down to execution. It doesn't matter what play you run. You've got to execute well and take care of the football. You have to do all those things that are necessary to win. That's how you win. But don't stick your head in the sand on something you can do to help yourself. So, we're on that."

Mullen doesn't know everything there is to know about the Florida offense. Changes have been made since he left. The Gators are more multiple in their running game now, and UF has installed its Banzai fast-break attack that was not present a year ago.

"We've changed things up since he's been here," senior wide receiver David Nelson said. "We're using different signals and we have different formations.

"Our coaches are working on some things to really try and hide some of the play-calling. They're doing a good job of that."

It's Meyer trying to stay ahead of his friend and former offensive coordinator.

Mullen is hoping to close some ground on his mentor.

"Every single player on our team has to play great," Mullen said. "The whole state of Mississippi has to show up and make it the most hostile environment we can. Hopefully, we'll find a way to make a big upset."