Notebook: Mullen on 17K fans, Big 12 thresholds, 'ridiculous' pregame rule

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Florida announced its reduced stadium capacity for the 2020 season Thursday, capping fan attendance at 17,000.

Gators coach Dan Mullen said Friday he feels bad for the students, many of whom come to UF to attend sold-out football games. He also thinks his players will have to get used to the crowd size.

“It’s going to be a little awkward,” he said. “Almost have more of a scrimmage feel than a game day feel, so I think that will be an adjustment. I probably got to do a little bit more research. It will be interesting with the NFL when they get to play to call some of their guys.

“We’ll talk to some of their guys about how they felt about it. … Just to see what the atmosphere for those guys is and the effect on the players to maybe try to mentally prepare us for what it will be so it feels like game day and not a scrimmage because of the lack of atmosphere.”

It’s been almost two decades since Mullen coached in front of a home crowd with so few fans. His last experience was the 2002 matchup between Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green, where he served as quarterbacks coach.

“Would have been our last home game,” Mullen said, “and it was freezing cold. We were a ranked team and still had a really bad attendance. That kind of annoyed me.”

Bowling Green’s stadium capacity is only 24,000, but the Falcons had a reported attendance of 12,974 for their home finale in ’02.

“That was a complete lie,” Mullen said. “That was a friends and family crowd. You get rid of the 1 and the 12, chop that number off and go."

The Big 12 announced its football game cancellation thresholds Friday.

The minimum numbers of players required to play is 53, and the league also set the minimum thresholds of available players for offensive line (7), interior defensive linemen (4) and quarterback (1).

Mullen expressed concerns that a threshold rule could be abused by teams to avoid playing. He wants the SEC to ensure that doesn’t happen.

“I think everybody's worried about maybe gamesmanship,” Mullen said. “One of the thoughts I had on that is, whatever you pick the numbers to be is great. … We get one game that we can try to change the date on. When it becomes a no-contest reschedule, the second time you do that you have forfeit the game. ... That’ll eliminate maybe the potential of anybody trying to have gamesmanship within the rule or trying to play around the rule to work it to their advantage.

“You certainly hope no one would, but I'm sure coaches out there will try to try to do that and work their way around it maybe. And yeah, that's not fair. … You’re not doing things the right way and now we gotta go play later in the season. Then we have a bunch of injuries or something like that. Why punish us? So I think you should get one. And then the second one you'd have to forfeit the game if you don't want to play. I think that would solve a lot of problems.”

UF’s pregame routine has been derailed by a new NCAA rule that requires players to wear their jersey number while on the field 90 minutes before the game.

In years past, Mullen players at Florida and Mississippi State have warmed up in shirts and shorts to keep opposing teams from scouting their roster. Someone apparently complained.

“That's because these staffs, people have like 75 quality control coaches that get all mad. They’ve got like 30 guys that are trying to take notes on our guys whenever we're warming up,” Mullen said. "I think it's ridiculous to have to do that, to be perfectly honest with you, it is.

“The Dan Mullen Rule, that is horrendously ridiculous. Listen, it's not the game. Our guys like warming up how we warm up, but anyway. It is what it is. … I try to be a good soldier in the SEC, so I'll abide by the Dan Mullen Rule, and we'll put some number somewhere.”

Mullen was asked which school turned UF in.

“Who do you think?” he responded.

The reporter guessed Georgia.

“You said it, not me,” Mullen quipped.

* Mullen on pumping in crowd noise: “Yeah, we will. We have to see how that all plays out. My understanding is we’ll follow the SEC rule … I have a lot of experience with artificial noisemakers and creating noise in the stadium. So when the center’s hand goes over the ball, you have to turn the music off, is my understanding. You can do whatever you want to do. Center’s hand goes over the ball, you’ve gotta stop whatever artificial noise you’re creating in the stadium, whether it’s speakers or band playing or cowbells ringing.”

* Mullen on running back Dameon Pierce: “I think Dameon has done a really good job for us. I think he’s got experience. He’s played. When you look at us, guys have earned playing time. We’re going to roll them through. I certainly would expect us to play multiple backs this year. I know you guys like the starters. I can’t tell you who will play the first play, but I think we’ll have several backs play in every game.”

* Mullen on Rams rookie receiver Van Jefferson: “I talked to him the other day and it’s great to hear that he is doing really, really well. I’m not really surprised. You watch his work ethic, he always carried himself like a pro, extremely hard worker, very intelligent football player. Not just a guy who can learn the offense. An intelligent football player. He really studies and understands the game. And he is a very intelligent route runner, really quick in and out of breaks. He can run the same route five or six different ways to kind of mess with the defense. … The other thing I think that was great, that’s gonna help him, I said, 'How was the offense?’ He's like, ‘Basically it's the same offense I was running at Florida.’ So a lot of crossover, a lot of similarities and I think that's certainly going to help him be ready to play this year.”