The Identity Theft of Mitch Mustain

[Sed76]

Just wanted to let everyone know that it is streaming for free on Amazon Video if you have a Prime membership.

[rhames]

Yeah. It has been for sometime now.  It's worth a watch for sure. I enjoyed it, especially since I was a freshmen at the UofA at the time. Brings back a lot of memories.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

wish it was on netflix

[gchamblee]

I just watched it, and I don't know how to put it to words but I thought I knew who he was and I was terribly wrong. He seems to be mature beyond years and I genuinely feel bad for the young man.

[majestic]

The kid got hosed by everyone involved.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Yeah. It has been for sometime now.  It's worth a watch for sure. I enjoyed it, especially since I was a freshmen at the UofA at the time. Brings back a lot of memories.

You know, I am not a big fan of Bobby Petrino for all of the fall out that came from his time here, but I wish for Mustain that his time at Arkansas had coincided with BP's time here. I think BP would have helped him become a far more effective QB who could have put up some big time numbers. But that is life, it is often about timing and being in the right place at the right time. On the other hand, had Nutt not been so insecure and had allowed Gus to develop and call his own plays on offense, Mustain might have excelled anyway and Arkansas might have won a lot more games. But that said, had that happened, we might not have been rid of Nutt when we were. I feel bad for Mustain and his Mother for all that they had to go through.

[daBoar]

You know, I am not a big fan of Bobby Petrino for all of the fall out that came from his time here, but I wish for Mustain that his time at Arkansas had coincided with BP's time here. I think BP would have helped him become a far more effective QB who could have put up some big time numbers. But that is life, it is often about timing and being in the right place at the right time. On the other hand, had Nutt not been so insecure and had allowed Gus to develop and call his own plays on offense, Mustain might have excelled anyway and Arkansas might have won a lot more games. But that said, had that happened, we might not have been rid of Nutt when we were. I feel bad for Mustain and his Mother for all that they had to go through.

As a freshman, Mustain threw one of the best passes I ever saw at Vandy to Monk.  That young man had great promise....just thrown off the track by HDN.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

As a freshman, Mustain threw one of the best passes I ever saw at Vandy to Monk.  That young man had great promise....just thrown off the track by HDN.

The kid had a lot of potential. I just think that his head got all screwed up with everything that happened here and then the transfer to USC. I think he got too far away from home and maybe got tempted by the bright lights of the big city. Had he stayed here and been able to be mentored by a real QB coach, I think his story would have turned out differently, but that is all speculation. I think had he stayed and persevered, he would have had BP for his last two years at Arkansas.

[bphi11ips]

You know, I am not a big fan of Bobby Petrino for all of the fall out that came from his time here, but I wish for Mustain that his time at Arkansas had coincided with BP's time here. I think BP would have helped him become a far more effective QB who could have put up some big time numbers. But that is life, it is often about timing and being in the right place at the right time. On the other hand, had Nutt not been so insecure and had allowed Gus to develop and call his own plays on offense, Mustain might have excelled anyway and Arkansas might have won a lot more games. But that said, had that happened, we might not have been rid of Nutt when we were. I feel bad for Mustain and his Mother for all that they had to go through.

It's always amazed me why so few people here recognized Mustain's talent (not talking about you, Muskogee).  He was a 5-star QB for a reason.  Every team in the country wanted him for a reason. His detractors were generally entrenched in the Nutt drama on the Nutt side and compared his stats to Casey Dick's to support Nutt's head scratching decision to bench him.  What they ignored was that Mustain was a true freshman who wanted to redshirt.  Casey Dick was a redshirt junior who was serviceable if he was all we had.  They also ignored the stats of the other top QB in Mustain's class, Andrew Stafford.  Like Mustain, Stafford was thrust into the starter position as a true freshman at Georgia - and had much worse stats than Mustain.  How has Stafford done since? 

The other factor Mustain detractors like to point to is his record at USC.  Mustain was just okay at USC, but by the time he was eligible the poor kid was a head case, and who wouldn't have been under the circumstances?

Mitch Mustain, Damian Williams and Gus Malzahn -along with Felix Jones, Dmac, Hillis, along with DJ Williams and the Arkansas receivers BP stepped into - were the future of Arkansas and could have left a legacy if Nutt had the sense to get out of his own way.  But he doesn't.

[bphi11ips]

As a freshman, Mustain threw one of the best passes I ever saw at Vandy to Monk.  That young man had great promise....just thrown off the track by HDN.

Wow. That's the first time I've ever heard anyone else here besides me mention that pass, at least I think we're talking about the same one.  What made it special to me was not the pass itself, which was perfectly placed and went for a TD, but Mustain's natural instinct to look the defender off with his eyes giving Monk the separation he needed to get open deep.  He didn't look like a freshman, that's for sure.

[rhames]

I just watched it, and I don't know how to put it to words but I thought I knew who he was and I was terribly wrong. He seems to be mature beyond years and I genuinely feel bad for the young man.

Mike Irwin has been telling us this for years.  The doc definitely validates what Irwin has been saying.

[daBoar]

Wow. That's the first time I've ever heard anyone else here besides me mention that pass, at least I think we're talking about the same one.  What made it special to me was not the pass itself, which was perfectly placed and went for a TD, but Mustain's natural instinct to look the defender off with his eyes giving Monk the separation he needed to get open deep.  He didn't look like a freshman, that's for sure.

That's right, it was a hot day in Nashville, just after Eels passed.

[bphi11ips]

That's right, it was a hot day in Nashville, just after Eels passed.

I was there. Had a perfect seat to see Mustain. I fell for the look he gave the underneath receiver myself. He set his feet like he was going there and Monk broke wide open.

[hog of steele]

I think had he stayed and persevered, he would have had BP for his last two years at Arkansas.

If he had stayed, I think HN would have been here longer. His transfer brought an end to the nutt era. I am grateful for that. Hindsight is 20/20 but had he gone to a less stacked school, he may have had his moment.

[PharmacistHog]

It's always amazed me why so few people here recognized Mustain's talent (not talking about you, Muskogee).  He was a 5-star QB for a reason.  Every team in the country wanted him for a reason. His detractors were generally entrenched in the Nutt drama on the Nutt side and compared his stats to Casey Dick's to support Nutt's head scratching decision to bench him.  What they ignored was that Mustain was a true freshman who wanted to redshirt.  Casey Dick was a redshirt junior who was serviceable if he was all we had.  They also ignored the stats of the other top QB in Mustain's class, Andrew Stafford.  Like Mustain, Stafford was thrust into the starter position as a true freshman at Georgia - and had much worse stats than Mustain.  How has Stafford done since? 

The other factor Mustain detractors like to point to is his record at USC.  Mustain was just okay at USC, but by the time he was eligible the poor kid was a head case, and who wouldn't have been under the circumstances?

Mitch Mustain, Damian Williams and Gus Malzahn -along with Felix Jones, Dmac, Hillis, along with DJ Williams and the Arkansas receivers BP stepped into - were the future of Arkansas and could have left a legacy if Nutt had the sense to get out of his own way.  But he doesn't.

Who the heck is andrew stafford?

[rlamb]

The imbecile Nutt was supposed to have said one of his dumber statements after benching an 8-0
quarterback. Something like, "well, Dick was just the better handeroffer". I watched Mitch live in a
couple of those 8 win games and I noticed something not said much that he was twice as slick a hand
off guy than Dick or anyone else we had before or since. He was very quick in his hand off ball skills!

[Pork Twain]

I think what happened during that time was awful, but I still think Mitch was more Gary Brashears and less Ryan Mallett.  I was never impressed by what I saw from him on the field.  Sure he was somewhat effective at running Gus's gimmicky system, but sadly not as effective as the great Casey Dick.  My thoughts on his abilities is not meant to be a slam against him and I really hope everything is going well for the young man.  I just think there was way too much hype in that class and with the hiring of Gus.

[bphi11ips]

Who the heck is andrew stafford?

Good question.  Matt Stafford.

[Hawghiggs]

  I hope Mustain is having a good life now. The young man just simply made the mistake of choosing the wrong programs. Nutt was never going to pass the ball, and Pete Carroll was going to over load at the QB position.  He would have been successful at so many other programs. 

[Hawgphish]

I watched it recently.  There is a lot of blame to go around.  First to blame is whoever forced Malzahn on Nutt.  It was clear that Nutt did not want Malzahn as OC.  Secondly, Nutt totally mismanaged the whole situation.  It seemed like Nutt wanted both Malzahn and Mustain to fail, even if it was at his own expense.  Thirdly, Malzahn realized his was in a toxic situation and failed to coach and mentor Mitch.  Mitch said that no one tried to "develop" him.  Once the interceptions began, he was given the cold shoulder by Gus.  Watching Mitch come off the field after an interception you could see that the coaches were not investing in him. 

Also,  I was disgusted by the friend of Nutt who was sending those nasty emails to Mitch.  Pathetic and Pitiful.  Scum. 

I really feel bad for the guy.  He was duped by adults, thrown away once he could not help them anymore.  I wish him the best.

[bphi11ips]

I think what happened during that time was awful, but I still think Mitch was more Gary Brashears and less Ryan Mallett.  I was never impressed by what I saw from him on the field.  Sure he was somewhat effective at running Gus's gimmicky system, but sadly not as effective as the great Casey Dick.  My thoughts on his abilities is not meant to be a slam against him and I really hope everything is going well for the young man.  I just think there was way too much hype in that class and with the hiring of Gus.

This is what I was talking about above.  No disrespect to Pork Twain, but this is just wrong - and unfair to Mustain.  One of the fascinating things about Hogville is the myths and legends it creates.  Two myths are included in this post - one is about Mustain's talent, and two is that Malzahn's offense was "gimmicky". 

With respect to the first, you have to compare apples to apples.  Here are real numbers for Mustain, Stafford and Mallett as true freshmen:

Stafford - Georgia - 135-256  52.7%  1,749 yards 7TD  13 INT  109 rating
Mallett - Michigan - 61-141  43.3%  892 yards  7TD  5 INT  105.7 rating
Mitch Mustain - 69-132  52.3%  894 yards  10TD  9 INT  120.5 rating

Now, consider the teams each played for and the overall talent on each in the Olines and receivers.  Consider each players' "measurables".  Mallett is atypical, more Ben Roethlisberger, while Stafford and Mustain were almost identical out of high school at 6'3" and 210 and 208, respectively.  Mustain was also fast for a QB at 4.5.  He showed his speed several times, e.g., the TD against USC in his first possession as a Razorback. 

Now, consider the QBs who we've seen come through the program since 2006 and what they looked like as true freshmen. Not a lot of season experience, but think about Spring games.  Plenty of highly rated 4-stars like Rafe Peavey and Ty Storey who obviously weren't ready to play.  Consider Brandon Allen's numbers as a true freshman:

21-49  42.9% 186 yards 1TD 3 INT  69.2 rating

Look what BA did as a fifth year senior and don't attribute that all to Dan Enos.  BA was responsible for most of his own "development" of his God-given talent, because that is what all of these QBs possess and what separate them from everyone else - talent and hard work.  But Mustain was on a different level than anyone as far as polish as a freshman, and that includes Mallett.  That's why Pete Carroll wanted him.

As far as Malzahn goes, he has shown himself to be as good as anyone at molding his talent to his offensive scheme.  Arkansas never ran anything close to a HUNH in 2006.  We had 2000 yards passing and 3000 yards rushing.  What Malzahn did in 2006 was create space by using DMac and Jones in the same backfield and putting Jones in motion, often out of the Wildcat, which spread through college quickly and even made an appearance in the NFL for a bit.  It was the combination of Dmac and Jones, two first round picks, that made it deadly. 

When Malzahn went to Tulsa, he inherited an experienced QB and a scheme not so different from the offense Dan Enos runs at Arkansas. He added his own wrinkles and the HUNH, which is now common across college football, but he didn't overhaul Tulsa's offense.  He used what he inherited and led the country in total offense for two years.  At Auburn he built his first offense around a freak of nature.  Since then he has used the zone read, tempo and RPOs to create space in the defense.  It is his offense, but it's not gimmicky.  In fact many of his innovations are now offensive staples. 

After watching, reading, and hearing about Malzahn, I'm not a big fan personally.  On the other hand, I can separate that from my observations about him as a coach.  Like Petrino, he is an offensive genius.  Also like Petrino, his highest and best use at the highest level appears to be as an offensive coordinator.  But maybe if either one ever coaches at an Alabama or Ohio State or USC where they can get the talent on defense and depth across the board, maybe they are as good as Saban or Urban.  X's and O's will only take you so far without the Jimmies and Joes. Mustain was definitely one of those.

[bphi11ips]

I watched it recently.  There is a lot of blame to go around.  First to blame is whoever forced Malzahn on Nutt.  It was clear that Nutt did not want Malzahn as OC.  Secondly, Nutt totally mismanaged the whole situation.  It seemed like Nutt wanted both Malzahn and Mustain to fail, even if it was at his own expense.  Thirdly, Malzahn realized his was in a toxic situation and failed to coach and mentor Mitch.  Mitch said that no one tried to "develop" him.  Once the interceptions began, he was given the cold shoulder by Gus.  Watching Mitch come off the field after an interception you could see that the coaches were not investing in him. 

Also,  I was disgusted by the friend of Nutt who was sending those nasty emails to Mitch.  Pathetic and Pitiful.  Scum. 

I really feel bad for the guy.  He was duped by adults, thrown away once he could not help them anymore.  I wish him the best.

EXCELLENT, concise summary of the major points.

[HognotinMemphis]

I watched it recently.  There is a lot of blame to go around.  First to blame is whoever forced Malzahn on Nutt.  It was clear that Nutt did not want Malzahn as OC.  Secondly, Nutt totally mismanaged the whole situation.  It seemed like Nutt wanted both Malzahn and Mustain to fail, even if it was at his own expense.  Thirdly, Malzahn realized his was in a toxic situation and failed to coach and mentor Mitch.  Mitch said that no one tried to "develop" him.  Once the interceptions began, he was given the cold shoulder by Gus.  Watching Mitch come off the field after an interception you could see that the coaches were not investing in him. 

Also,  I was disgusted by the friend of Nutt who was sending those nasty emails to Mitch.  Pathetic and Pitiful.  Scum. 

I really feel bad for the guy.  He was duped by adults, thrown away once he could not help them anymore.  I wish him the best.

This...nail on the head. We called Nutt the "quarterback killa" then for a reason. Nutt was vengeful and spiteful. He would want someone to fail so that he looked better short term, even if it was likely that would ultimately cause Nutt's own failure. Obviously any head coach would want his OC and his QB to do very well in order to win games. But Nutt was happy calling his own plays even if it meant not utilizing the best play caller on the coaching staff. And if Nutt didn't like Mustain, would not put it past him to help Mustain fail rather than help him succeed so Nutt could put in a player who would go along with Nutt's bs.

This has played out almost exactly as I would have predicted based on my opinion and impression of Nutt and my conclusion drawn back in 2006: Nutt failed at Arkansas, Nutt failed at Ole Miss, and since OM has been persona non grata in college football coaching circles. He cannot get anyone to hire him. And if anyone, including Mustain himself, thought Nutt or anyone on Nutt's Murray St Mafia staff was going to "develop" him, they did not know Nutt very well. Nutt was a failed QB in college and by 2006 was on his last leg at Arkansas.

[Pork Twain]

This is what I was talking about above.  No disrespect to Pork Twain, but this is just wrong - and unfair to Mustain.  One of the fascinating things about Hogville is the myths and legends it creates.  Two myths are included in this post - one is about Mustain's talent, and two is that Malzahn's offense was "gimmicky". 

First, we have differing opinions and that is okay, but there is really no scientific way or anything close to proof as to who is actually more correct.  There just isn't enough meat to this to say conclusively that he was anything other than another highly ranked Arkansas player that did not translate his high school success to the college game or that HDN and Brother Gus stunted his college career with their BS.  Sure we can blame HDN, that is easy, but the reality of it is that there is never a sure thing with recruits.

MM looked lost much of the time on the field for the hogs, even though he was running his high school offense with similar skill position players.  He got credit for winning a lot of games that our running game and defense won...  Again, I am not making this personal about MM, I do not know him, but I have seen it too often that the talent did not translate to the next level.  I do feel bad for MM and he kept his head up through it all, much better than I would have at that age.  Unfortunately for him, when he got to college, any hope he might have had of living up to his potential, was killed by the two snakes fighting for power.

Just based off of numbers, it is hard to say who was the 5* freshmen and who was the 3* sophomore.  People act like Casey was a RS Sr that year when they say MM was just a TF, but in reality Casey had one extra year under HDN and that has never equaled quality qb development.

2006 69 132 894 52.3 6.77 70 10 9 4 120.5
2006 65 132 991 49.2 7.51 50   9 6 4 125.7 

Gus's offense is pure gimmick and I am not sure how you can defend that.

[AlmaHog2011]

First, we have differing opinions and that is okay, but there is really no scientific way or anything close to proof as to who is actually more correct.  There just isn't enough meat to this to say conclusively that he was anything other than another highly ranked Arkansas player that did not translate his high school success to the college game.  Sure we can blame HDN, that is easy, but the reality of it is that there is never a sure thing with recruits.

MM looked lost much of the time on the field for the hogs, even though he was running his high school offense with similar skill position players.  He got credit for winning a lot of games that our running game and defense won...  Again, I am not making this personal about MM, I do not know him, but I have seen it too often that the talent did not translate to the next level.  I do feel bad for MM and he kept his head up through it all, much better than I would have at that age.  Unfortunately for him, when he got to college, any hope he might have had of living up to his potential, was killed by the two snakes fighting for power.

Just based off of numbers, it is hard to say who was the 5* freshmen and who was the 3* sophomore.  People act like Casey was a RS Sr that year when they say MM was just a TF, but in reality Casey had one extra year under HDN and that has never equaled quality qb development.

2006 69 132 894 52.3 6.77 70 10 9 4 120.5
2006 65 132 991 49.2 7.51 50   9 6 4 125.7 

Gus's offense is pure gimmick and I am not sure how you can defend that.

Pure gimmick but it put up 56 on us last year. You can say your opinion is Gus's offense is gimmicky but the Auburn administration must not agree and they know a little more than do you.

FTR not a Gus fan at all! Never will know what would have happened if Mitch had been coached by a real QB coach. I wouldn't say he was destined for the NFL  but I would say he had the talent to play in the NFL. Kid made a bad decision to go to USC..Happens I made a bunch of bad decisions in my lifetime and it's worked out great for me. Hopefully Mitch come's out a better man and has a successful life.

[Pork Twain]

Pure gimmick but it put up 56 on us last year. You can say your opinion is Gus's offense is gimmicky but the Auburn administration must not agree and they know a little more than do you.

FTR not a Gus fan at all! Never will know what would have happened if Mitch had been coached by a real QB coach. I wouldn't say he was destined for the NFL  but I would say he had the talent to play in the NFL. Kid made a bad decision to go to USC..Happens I made a bunch of bad decisions in my lifetime and it's worked out great for me. Hopefully Mitch come's out a better man and has a successful life.

I think our DC had as much to do with the score they put up as their game plan...  They ran it down our throats all day and coach Klien was hiding behind the water cooler.

After taking over a top team, Gus has gone 8-5, 7-6, 8-5 and I would say his time as a HC at a SEC school is fading.

[HUNGRYHAWG]

All I can say is that was painful to watch and relive that circus. 

[AlmaHog2011]

I think our DC had as much to do with the score they put up as their game plan...  They ran it down our throats all day and coach Klien was hiding behind the water cooler.

After taking over a top team, Gus has gone 8-5, 7-6, 8-5 and I would say his time as a HC at a SEC school is fading.

Maybe but I am not going to start arguing for Gus I can't stand him or Auburn. If Gus's offense is gimmicky then so is BBs. If we don't man up and beat Auburn I will be sicker than last year. What they did to us was the most embarrassed I have ever been watching Arkansas Football.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Maybe but I am not going to start arguing for Gus I can't stand him or Auburn. If Gus's offense is gimmicky then so is BBs. If we don't man up and beat Auburn I will be sicker than last year. What they did to us was the most embarrassed I have ever been watching Arkansas Football.

There is a lot that occurred that led up to that beat down. They won't do that to us again this year.

[bphi11ips]

Maybe but I am not going to start arguing for Gus I can't stand him or Auburn. If Gus's offense is gimmicky then so is BBs. If we don't man up and beat Auburn I will be sicker than last year. What they did to us was the most embarrassed I have ever been watching Arkansas Football.

There is a lot that occurred that led up to that beat down. They won't do that to us again this year.

I think you're right that it won't happen again. Not sure what you mean though about a lot of things leading up to it. Every once in a while games get completely out of hand for no apparent reason.

No one saw Miami's embarrassing 51-7 win over Arkansas in Little Rock coming in 1987, but the next year Miami was lucky to escape 18-16 on its home field late in the season when both teams were undefeated and ranked in the Top 10. 

Another example of an anomaly that comes to mind is OU's 63-21 slaughter of Texas in 2012. Another one no one saw coming.  Texas won 36-20 the next year as a big underdog.

I made the infortunate decision to go to the Auburn game last year. Other than AA's injury, what went wrong that makes that day anything other than one of those rare games when everything seems to go right for one yeam and wrong for the other?

[aloha_kid]

Who the heck is andrew stafford?

Matthew Lucks brother.

[LRRandy]

There is a lot that occurred that led up to that beat down. They won't do that to us again this year.

I think what really happened was nobody from Arkansas could tackle anyone from Auburn. Or as you have put it. Arkansas handed Auburn 500 yards. I do agree that it won't happen again this year.

[AlmaHog2011]

There is a lot that occurred that led up to that beat down. They won't do that to us again this year.

Yes sir there was. I sure hope not Muskogee that was hard to take. Really broke me down I live around a bunch of OU fans who are very obnoxious. That was a total collapse. If I see that again I won't be a fan anymore of BBs. And I don't want to start over with a new coach.

[Medic821]

8-0. Who was in the back field morons.  Ask the
players what they thought of Mustajn .

[NinoHogUNIA]

I think what happened during that time was awful, but I still think Mitch was more Gary Brashears and less Ryan Mallett.  I was never impressed by what I saw from him on the field.  Sure he was somewhat effective at running Gus's gimmicky system, but sadly not as effective as the great Casey Dick.  My thoughts on his abilities is not meant to be a slam against him and I really hope everything is going well for the young man.  I just think there was way too much hype in that class and with the hiring of Gus.

This!!

Im sorry but DW was tbe true stud out of that Springdale bunch. 

Mitch was vastly overrated.

[Mike Irwin]

If you spend any time around him you'll realize that Mitch Mustain is an introvert. It takes a head coach or quarterbacks coach who understands how to motivate a kid like that because generally the position requires a type A personality. Mustain played under two of the worst head coaches for him that he could have selected.

Nutt was jealous of any QB who had skills. He spent most of his time trying to convince his own QBs that they were bus drivers. He also mistook Mitch's low key personality for arrogance and convinced himself early on that Mitch was only loyal to Malzahn (absolute baloney) and therefore a threat to him.

Pete Carroll was only interested in Type-A quarterbacks. Mitch didn't have enough rah-rah to suit him.

His mom is convinced that Mitch should have gone to Tennessee. David Cutcliffe was the only coach who recruited Mitch who openly discussed the kid's low-key personality and what he would do as his position coach to make him a team leader.

So why didn't he go to Tennessee, especially after he left Arkansas?

"I hate those guys," he told me. Not Cutcliffe but the Tennessee football program and their fans. The fact is the kid grew up a Hog fan and pretty much disliked the rest of the SEC.

[Pork Twain]

I wish things would have worked out and that he would have gotten a real chance to show what he could have been or not been.  Two people I like least in this world are HDN and Gus.

[Mike Irwin]

This!!

Im sorry but DW was tbe true stud out of that Springdale bunch. 

Mitch was vastly overrated.

Ben Cleveland impressed me the most. If that kid had gone to Florida and not gotten hurt there's no telling how good he could have been. As for Mitch, his skills were there but as I stated in the above post he didn't have a typical QB personality.

[Mike Irwin]

8-0. Who was in the back field morons.  Ask the
players what they thought of Mustajn .

Why will this never die? I HAVE asked the players. The ones who sucked up to Nutt didn't like Mitch. The ones who where not in Nutt's "circle of trust" thought Mitch was a very talented QB. Reggie Herring sent three defensive players into the infamous "code red" meeting to stir up crap against Mustain. The entire offensive line stood up and basically told them to go to hell.

[Al Boarland]

I think our DC had as much to do with the score they put up as their game plan...  They ran it down our throats all day and coach Klien was hiding behind the water cooler.

After taking over a top team, Gus has gone 8-5, 7-6, 8-5 and I would say his time as a HC at a SEC school is fading.

Didn't Auburn go 3-9 in 2012?

8 wins by CBB this season and people will think he did a good job.

[HognotinMemphis]

Nutt was jealous of any QB who had skills. He spent most of his time trying to convince his own QBs that they were bus drivers. He also mistook Mitch's low key personality for arrogance and convinced himself early on that Mitch was only loyal to Malzahn (absolute baloney) and therefore a threat to him.

Exactly the conclusions I came to as it was happening. Nutt was easy for me to read.

[Pork Twain]

Didn't Auburn go 3-9 in 2012?

8 wins by CBB this season and people will think he did a good job.

No more than 1-2 years makes a team great, 1-2 down years do not make a team suck.

2010 - 14-0
2011 - 8-5
2012 - 3-9 Coach fired
2013 - 12-2
2014 - 8-5
2015 - 7-6
2016 - 8-5

Auburn Recruiting Classes (247)
2010 - 6
2011 - 5
2012 - 11
2013 - 10
2014 - 6
2015 - 8
2016 - 9

Surely you realize that different schools have different realistic expectations.  Having all of that talent on hand, greatly reduces the patience of those in power.  Could you imagine how little we would tolerate if we pulled in those classes?  You cannot spin this to make Gus look good.

I think we will win 9-10 this year but I could live with 8-5.  We should have had 9 last year

[KlubhouseKonnected]

He just was not as big as his hype. No shame in that.

[bphi11ips]

He just was not as big as his hype. No shame in that.

He was for a true freshman SEC QB.  Who knows what he would have done with at least two more years under the kind of circumstances his hype warranted?  He could have gone anywhere and should have.  Mustain's instincts told him not to play for The Dork, but his equally hyped high school coach manipulated Mustain into going to Arkansas to get into college coaching.  Then The Dork and his Posse publicly humiliated him and Malzahn discarded him. 

You can't make this kind of stuff up, and it all happened to an 18-year-old kid.  It's hard to imagine anyone thriving under the circumstances Mustain faced.  Imagine, however, what he could have done if Nutt had been the coach he, Cleveland and Williams deserved.  Makes you sick, doesn't it?

One player in the saga who never gets any share of the blame is Kurt Voigt.  He may have been a journalist with access, and Mustain may have had fair warning, but there was no public interest at stake when Voigt wrote that Mustain called Nutt a dork.  Everyone agrees Nutt was acting like a dork when he got caught in the "I called that play, brutha" lie, but Voigt didn't need to quote a naive teenager making an excited utterance.  Voigt knew he was sitting on dynamite, and he used it to sell books without regard to the shitstorm he would create.  Without "Year of the Dog" would there have been the South Carolina benching, Code Red, or "Dear Mr. Interception King"?

Again, you can't make this stuff up.  That's why there's a documentary.

[hawganatic]

What they ignored was that Mustain was a true freshman who wanted to redshirt.  Casey Dick was a redshirt junior who was serviceable if he was all we had.

Casey Dick was a true sophomore coming off of a back injury.  He had his redshirt pulled off of him late in first year on the team.  Going into the season he really only had two (maybe three, don't remember what game he went in) games experience over Mustain. 

Mustain should have never come to Arkansas.  It was obvious with his dork comment that he didn't respect Nutt and didn't really commit to us when he "committed."  I really wonder if he would have committed to us at all if Malzahn hadn't pressured his players into making their commits before their senior season started.  He also made a bad decision to follow an over-hyped high school coach that has since not shown any ability to develop a quarterback.  Just plug-and-play with what he had.

[bphi11ips]

Casey Dick was a true sophomore coming off of a back injury.  He had his redshirt pulled off of him late in first year on the team.  Going into the season he really only had two (maybe three, don't remember what game he went in) games experience over Mustain. 

I stand corrected on Casey Dick's class in 2006.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Casey Dick was a true sophomore coming off of a back injury.  He had his redshirt pulled off of him late in first year on the team.  Going into the season he really only had two (maybe three, don't remember what game he went in) games experience over Mustain. 

Mustain should have never come to Arkansas.  It was obvious with his dork comment that he didn't respect Nutt and didn't really commit to us when he "committed."  I really wonder if he would have committed to us at all if Malzahn hadn't pressured his players into making their commits before their senior season started.  He also made a bad decision to follow an over-hyped high school coach that has since not shown any ability to develop a quarterback.  Just plug-and-play with what he had.

Casey Dick had 4 games in 2005, S. Carolina, Ole Miss, Miss State and LSU. 53 of 99 (53.5%) for 584 yards, 7 TD's to 4 INT's.

Mustain wanted to come to Arkansas and his coming didn't have anything to do with the "Springdale 5" and their coming wasn't any of his doing. What do you think the offer of Gus coming to Arkansas was all about? He is the sole reason all of those kids landed here and HDN was under pressure to make that happen. Mustain was a key part, but not all of it.

So it was a scenario that was orchestrated by more than Nutt, more than Malzahn and certainly more than Mustain, who had nothing to do with it all. He trusted that offensive systems at Arkansas were going to change. As did the others who came here as a part of that group.

With a new OC and a new system forced down his throat, HDN was going to be certain that he exerted his authority as the HC over Gus and Mustain (because in his eyes, Mustain was an extension of Gus). It was a bad situation where an arrogant HC wasn't willing to consider allowing something to develop that might have made his offense more dynamic (because he didn't come up with it). Reportedly Malzahn suffered hazing in front of the team by other members of Nutt's staff referring to him as "high school". Do you think that promoted any respect for Malzahn as the OC among the rest of the team? Does that sound at all like the HC had an agenda?

Plus, Nutt didn't like having something rammed down his throat that wasn't his idea. Can't blame him but most self respecting HC's would have refused from the outset but Nutt was trying to save his job so he caved.

All that said, we went something like 8-1 in the first 9 games when Mustain played at QB. We had other talent on the team that really helped and though his numbers weren't great his freshman year, his talent did compliment the offense to some degree to contribute to the total outcome. The next 2 games (when he didn't play) after the first 9, we lost, back to back. I'm not promoting Mustain as the hero, I'm just saying that as a true freshman, he demonstrated a promising future as a QB and that threatened HDN as the HC.

Don't place the blame on Mustain. He wanted to play at his home, in-state school and probably would have been a really good QB here, but after all of the crap that he and his Mother had to suffer from HDN's Posse, HDN's own motives and Malzahn eventually looking out for himself, Mustain was cast away to find his own way and unfortunately that young man was damaged by the games of adults.

[Mike Irwin]

Mustain should have never come to Arkansas.  It was obvious with his dork comment that he didn't respect Nutt and didn't really commit to us when he "committed."

You don't have a clue.

Mitch was dead serious when he committed to Arkansas. When practices were over at SHS many times he would race over to the U of A to catch the last hour or so of the Hogs' workout. He came to all the home games and helped lobby the recruits at those games.

He decommitted for one reason only. Nutt fired Roy Wittke, who Mitch thought was going to be his quarterbacks coach, and hired Gus Malzahn. Mitch had no intention of having Malzahn as his high school and college coach. He also was not interested in running the hurry up no huddle offense that Malzahn had installed at Shiloh Christian and SHS. Mitch had been told by Wittke that Arkansas
was going to a pro-style offense which Mitch preferred. He recommitted when Nutt announced that Malzahn would coach the receivers not the quarterbacks at Arkansas.

As for the "dork" comment, how long since you were in high school? High school kids say off the wall stuff all the time. In fact Mustain's mom told Malzahn he was nuts if he turned a sportswriter loose on those players for the proposes of writing a book. So Mitch is in his room listening to the Ole Miss game on the radio. Arkansas wins it's first SEC game of the season. Nutt starts going Howard Dean crazy when Chuck Barrett interviews him in the locker-room after the game. Mitch hears that, laughs and says, "What a dork."

It didn't mean squat. If he really thought Nutt was a dork he would have gone to any of about 15 other schools that would have taken him in a heartbeat.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

You don't have a clue.

Mitch was dead serious when he committed to Arkansas. When practices were over at SHS many times he would race over to the U of A to catch the last hour or so of the Hogs' workout. He came to all the home games and helped lobby the recruits at those games.

He decommitted for one reason only. Nutt fired Roy Wittke, who Mitch thought was going to be his quarterbacks coach, and hired Gus Malzahn. Mitch had no intention of having Malzahn as his high school and college coach. He also was not interested in running the hurry up no huddle offense that Malzahn had installed at Shiloh Christian and SHS. Mitch had been told by Wittke that Arkansas
was going to a pro-style offense which Mitch preferred. He recommitted when Nutt announced that Malzahn would coach the receivers not the quarterbacks at Arkansas.

As for the "dork" comment, how long since you were in high school? High school kids say off the wall stuff all the time. In fact Mustain's mom told Malzahn he was nuts if he turned a sportswriter loose on those players for the proposes of writing a book. So Mitch is in his room listening to the Ole Miss game on the radio. Arkansas wins it's first SEC game of the season. Nutt starts going Howard Dean crazy when Chuck Barrett interviews him in the locker-room after the game. Mitch hears that, laughs and says, "What a dork."

It didn't mean squat. If he really thought Nutt was a dork he would have gone to any of about 15 other schools that would have taken him in a heartbeat.

Good information, thank you Mike.

[AlmaHog2011]

You don't have a clue.

Mitch was dead serious when he committed to Arkansas. When practices were over at SHS many times he would race over to the U of A to catch the last hour or so of the Hogs' workout. He came to all the home games and helped lobby the recruits at those games.

He decommitted for one reason only. Nutt fired Roy Wittke, who Mitch thought was going to be his quarterbacks coach, and hired Gus Malzahn. Mitch had no intention of having Malzahn as his high school and college coach. He also was not interested in running the hurry up no huddle offense that Malzahn had installed at Shiloh Christian and SHS. Mitch had been told by Wittke that Arkansas
was going to a pro-style offense which Mitch preferred. He recommitted when Nutt announced that Malzahn would coach the receivers not the quarterbacks at Arkansas.

As for the "dork" comment, how long since you were in high school? High school kids say off the wall stuff all the time. In fact Mustain's mom told Malzahn he was nuts if he turned a sportswriter loose on those players for the proposes of writing a book. So Mitch is in his room listening to the Ole Miss game on the radio. Arkansas wins it's first SEC game of the season. Nutt starts going Howard Dean crazy when Chuck Barrett interviews him in the locker-room after the game. Mitch hears that, laughs and says, "What a dork."

It didn't mean squat. If he really thought Nutt was a dork he would have gone to any of about 15 other schools that would have taken him in a heartbeat.

Thanks Mike..The truth is crazy about how Nutt handled that entire situation. I heard that interview and it pissed me off what Nutt said. It was worse than being a dork but the people that hate Mitch and support Nutt have made that the end all be all when it comes to Nutt. Nutt bullied Mitch and tried to do that to Damian and to Damian's credit he was out of there.

Nutt was in charge of everything and he's the one who is responsible for the entire bad situation. I know a lot more things that the Nutt and his mafia did during his days as HC. Very sad what kind of person Nutt is.

Some will support him to their death but they don't care about the truth.