Mitch Mustain

Has anybody heard any talk about MM asking for a release from Ark (with possibly his 2 classmates as well) ? I just caught the end of the subject on sports radio this AM. There seems to be a lot of unrest with Mustain and Nutt about a book that came out that has quotes in it from Mustain when he was a senior in high school that were pretty cutting on Nutt. The speculation further goes that with all the turmoil going on there that if the Ala job was offered to Nutt that he might take it (for 3MM, that is). Anybody else heard this info?

MM hasn't directly stated that he is transferring, but a meeting was held last week between the Ark AD and several players parents regarding the offense. See the c&p below....

Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Parents voice concerns over Hogs’ offense
BY BOB HOLT

Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006

FAYETTEVILLE — Parents for Arkansas freshman football players Mitch Mustain, Damian Williams and Ben Cleveland met with Razorbacks Athletic Director Frank Broyles last week to discuss concerns about the direction of the football program.

Rick Cleveland, Ben’s father, confirmed Tuesday that the meeting took place last Thursday in Broyles’ office and lasted about an hour. The meeting included Rick Cleveland, Beck Campbell (Mustain’s mother ), David and Karen Williams, and Broyles.

The meeting centered on whether Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will get more say in how the offense is run, Rick Cleveland said, and if it will be more pass-oriented.

Mustain is a quarterback and Cleveland and Williams are receivers, and all three played for Malzahn at Springdale High School, where they excelled in a Spread, no-huddle offense to help the Bulldogs go 14-0 last season and win the Class AAAAA state championship.

“The reason for the meeting was very simple,” Rick Cleveland said. “We wanted to know what is the direction of Arkansas ’ football program ? Are we eventually going to get to Gus ’ offense ? Or are we going to stay with the way we are at present ?”

In going 10-3 this season and winning the outright SEC West title, Arkansas’ offense has been built around sophomore tailbacks Darren McFadden, a consensus All-American who was the Heisman Trophy runnerup last week to Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, and Felix Jones. They are the third duo in SEC history to each rush for 1, 000 yards, with McFadden at a school-record 1, 558 and Jones at 1, 018.

It was a big bounce back season for the Razorbacks after they went 5-6 and 4-7 the previous two years to put Coach Houston Nutt’s job status in jeopardy.

Nutt, who hired Malzahn last December to be offensive coordinator and call the plays, was voted SEC Coach of the Year by the media and coaches after the Razorbacks’ six-victory improvement.

“For us, personally, we have nothing against Houston Nutt, nothing against Arkansas ’ program,” Rick Cleveland said. “Every school and its head coach has the full authority to run the offense that they want. That’s what they go recruit people for, to run what they’re comfortable with.

“ That’s not the issue with us. Arkansas has every right to run that and do what they want.”

Cleveland said the issue for the Springdale players and their parents is that the offense isn’t what they were led to believe it would be during the recruiting process.

After Malzahn was hired, Ben Cleveland and Damian Williams switched their commitments from Florida to Arkansas and Mustain recommitted to Arkansas after reopening his recruiting.

“With our kids going to Arkansas, it’s basically like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole,” Rick Cleveland said of the offense. “When Gus came onto the scene, the very first question we would ask was, ‘Do you have full control of the offense and do you have full control of the personnel ?’ Which we were told, ‘Yes.’

“ I don’t believe Gus lied to us. But as the season has progressed, it’s very obvious that this is not Gus Malzahn’s offense and Gus does not have full control of the personnel or the play calling.

“ From our perspective — and it’s only our perspective — it seems as if you’ve been sold a bill of goods.

“ We never would have committed here knowing that this was the offense, because we knew our boys wouldn’t be happy.”

Rick Cleveland said the response from Broyles was that Nutt continues to be in charge of the team.

“His exact words were that experts have told us that Coach Malzahn’s offense will not work in the SEC and for it to work the quarterback has to run the ball 15 to 18 times a game,” Cleveland said. “That made it pretty clear that things are going to stay the way they are and Malzahn’s offense is not going to be run here.”

Broyles said Tuesday he had told the parents they needed to meet with Nutt, not him, but he agreed to see them when they showed up at his office anyway.

“I didn’t want to be rude,” said Broyles, who declined to discuss any details of the meeting.

Nutt declined comment Tuesday about the parents’ meeting but said he doesn’t expect any players to transfer. Malzahn couldn’t be reached for comment.

Rick Cleveland said the parents wanted to meet with Broyles “because he’s the one who ultimately controls everything” at Arkansas.

“Why not go to the person who’s totally in charge ?” Cleveland said. “It was a very pleasant meeting. There was no confrontation whatsoever.”

Since Malzahn was hired, he and Nutt have said publicly the offense would be a combination of what has worked well at Arkansas in the past with additions brought in by Malzahn and new quarterbacks coach Alex Wood, a former NFL offensive coordinator.

Malzahn has said the running backs are Arkansas’ best players and the team would play to its strengths, and his greatest contribution has been putting together an offense that enables McFadden and Jones to be on the field at the same time.

The Razorbacks have run numerous trick plays for big gains and excelled in a “Wildcat” package with the versatile McFadden at quarterback.

Nutt and Malzahn also have said they expect the passing game to continue to progress next season.

David Williams, Damian’s father, declined comment on the meeting and whether his son is considering transferring from Arkansas.

“To be honest with you, I don’t think any of the boys want to transfer. They love Arkansas,” Rick Cleveland said. “But as a ballplayer, you want to be used to the best of your abilities.”

Ben Cleveland and Damian Williams each made the SEC All-Freshman Team and are among Arkansas’ top six receivers.

Williams is tied for second on the team with 19 catches for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a score that put Arkansas ahead to stay just before halftime in its SEC West title-clinching 28-14 victory at Mississippi State.

Cleveland is tied for fourth on the team with 11 catches for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game-tying reception in overtime against Alabama before Jeremy Davis hit the winning extra point in a 24-23 victory.

Mustain has completed 64 of 122 passes for 853 yards and 10 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. He started eight games, all victories by the Razorbacks, before being replaced by sophomore Casey Dick.

While the three Springdale freshmen have played key roles in the Razorbacks’ season, Rick Cleveland said they anticipated having more impact on the offense.

“It’s a very fluid situation,” Cleveland said of whether he expects any of the Springdale players to transfer. “These are 18-year-old kids. One day they want to stay. One day they’re upset and want to leave.

“ What the coaching staff has to understand is that they can’t keep telling these kids, ‘This is going to happen, this is going to happen, this is going to happen,’ and it doesn’t happen.”

Rick Cleveland said his son and Damian Williams want to play in an offense where they’ll catch 60 passes per season.

J. J. Meadors, with 62 catches in 1995, is the only Razorback with 60 or more catches in a season in the program’s history.

Five SEC players have 60 or more catches this season; three had 60 or more last season.

“Our boys are used to catching 60 passes a year,” Rick Cleveland said. “They want to go to a college where they get the same opportunity. Whether they’re good enough to do that or not is a whole different question. They have to earn that.

“ They are team players... but they’re saying, ‘Hey, I don’t know if I’ll be happy being in this offense, catching 10 balls a year or 15 and blocking 90 percent of the time.’”


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Regardless to the rumors that have and will fly as this story gains legs, the mere fact that this meeting occurred doesn't bode well for Nutt. I wouldn't be the least surprised to see all three transfer after the bowl season......


GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!

If I were the coach these boys would be filling water cups for 4 years.

You are exactly right kentdaddy. Why in the world would you TOTALLY change your offense when you have McFadden and Jones in the backfield? They are both better players than Mustain anyway. Geez, MM didn't exactly light it up this year and from what I've seen of him, I'm not sold on him like I am Stafford (a little bias?)

And thank you NC_Dawg for the article on the subject. Could get interesting going forward. Ala may be getting desperate. I also heard that Ala is going to go back after Saban when the NFL season is over.

I also found this.......

Nutt not interested in book on Springdale HS champs

Associated Press

College Football News Wire

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Arkansas coach Houston Nutt says he has no plans to read or discuss a new book that attributes critical comments of him to freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain.

Nutt told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette he preferred to focus on the fact that Mustain and three of his Springdale High School teammates joined Arkansas and were part of a successful season for the Razorbacks.

Kurt Voigt, prep sports editor at The Morning News in Springdale, wrote "Year of the Dog: One Year, One Team, One Goal" on Springdale High School's 2005 season, when the Bulldogs went undefeated on the way to winning the Class AAAAA state championship.

Included in the 198-page book are details of Mustain's recruitment last spring and the stress of the process. According to the book, Mustain questioned the direction of Arkansas' offense.

"We're doing more stuff on offense every week on a high school team than they are. And they're in the SEC," Mustain is quoted as saying. The high school senior goes on to describe the Razorbacks' conservative game plan as the "same old boring offense."

According to the book, Mustain also made an off-the-cuff comment last year after Nutt took credit for a play call following an Arkansas win. The quarterback said Arkansas "would have a better chance of getting me" if Nutt were fired.

Nutt told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he's already chosen what books he plans on reading this season, and they don't include Voigt's book.

"I'm not planning on reading it. I keep two or three good books to read in the season. I've got them lined up," Nutt said.

When reached at a listed phone number Thursday, Mustain told The
Associated Press he couldn't comment on the issue, saying all interviews had to be set up through the school's sports information department. The school sports information department said players will not likely be available until the team starts practicing again. Students are taking finals now.

This season Mustain started eight games, all victories, though he was benched after starting off with an interception in the Razorbacks' victory over South Carolina.

Arkansas is 10-3 and ranked No. 12 in the nation. The Razorbacks will face No. 6 Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day.

Stephens Press is publishing the book. The company is a subsidiary of Stephens Media Group, which owns the Morning News.


This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index


And This!!!!!!!!!!!!

Receiver Williams will be given his release to transfer

Associated Press


LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Houston Nutt hopes the drama surrounding his football team is over now.

The Arkansas coach said Wednesday he would let freshman receiver Damian Williams transfer amid concerns voiced by several parents about the direction of the Razorbacks' offense.

Williams' parents, along with those of two other freshmen, met with thletic director Frank Broyles last week to raise concerns that their sons might not be a good fit for the Razorbacks' system. Parents of quarterback Mitch Mustain and tight end Ben Cleveland were also at the meeting -- all three players went to Springdale High School.

Nutt said he believes Mustain and Cleveland are "100 percent committed."

"I'm excited about Ben, excited about Mitch, and we are going forward," Nutt said. "And we're going to be very, very, very positive from this day forward."

Williams, a freshman who played high school football at Springdale, is tied for second on the No. 12 Razorbacks with 19 catches. Marcus Monk leads with 49. Williams was named to the Southeastern Conference's all-freshman team last week.

Arkansas will face No. 6 Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day.

Williams was one of four star players from Springdale who signed with Arkansas in February. Mustain, Cleveland and receiver Andrew Norman also went to Springdale. The Razorbacks hired Springdale coach Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator last December.

Until Nutt's announcement Wednesday, the biggest news of the day concerned Beck Campbell, Mustain's mother. Campbell released a statement about the meeting with Broyles, saying the parents respected Nutt's prerogative to shape the team's strategy.

Campbell said she discussed concerns about her son's future as a football player. Campbell said she did not seek promises or guarantees, and that playing time was not an issue.

"It was agreed by all parties involved that the head coach has the valid right to determine the direction of the program and the manner in which the team would develop," she said.

Mustain was one of the nation's most sought-after recruits last year.

Rick Cleveland, the tight end's father, said the parents understand Arkansas can run whatever offense it's comfortable with, but he's concerned the Springdale players might have been sold "a bill of goods" during recruiting.

"Our boys are used to catching 60 passes a year," Cleveland told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "They want to go to a college where they get the same opportunity."

It was the latest distraction for the Razorbacks as they wrap up their best season in years. Led by tailback Darren McFadden's SEC-leading 1,558 yards -- a school record -- Arkansas (10-3) bounced back from two straight losing seasons to win the SEC West. But lately there's been as much talk about Mustain and his fellow freshmen as about Arkansas' upcoming bowl.

A recent book about Springdale's season last year attributed quotes critical of Nutt to Mustain. According to the book, Mustain questioned the sophistication of Arkansas' offense during the recruiting process. He also made an off-the-cuff comment after Nutt took credit for a play call following an Arkansas win. The quarterback said Arkansas "would have a better chance of getting me" if Nutt were fired.

Nutt said he felt the book had been weighing on Mustain. The freshman started eight games -- all wins -- before being replaced by Casey Dick last month. Mustain has completed 52.5 percent of his passes this season for 853 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

"I had a good meeting with Mitch earlier in the week, and he apologized to me. He wants to be here, he wants to be a Razorback, and he wants to compete for this job, and I'm excited about that," Nutt said. "Ben Cleveland, I just met with him, he's very, very excited. He wanted to be here, and he's putting everything aside. He wants to be a Razorback, and I accept that 100 percent."

"Damian Williams, unfortunately, he could not accept things the way they are, and he's asked for his release and I have granted his release and he'll have that [Thursday] morning, and I wish him the best," Nutt said.

Williams had initially said he was going to go to Florida, but he switched to Arkansas just before signing day. Mustain, Cleveland and Norman had already committed by that time.

Rick Cleveland said the parents who met with Broyles were concerned about Malzahn's control over the offense. Springdale used a spread offense last year, and the passing game played a bigger role than it has at Arkansas this season.

McFadden, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, and Felix Jones, another 1,000-yard rusher, have been big reasons for that. Nutt said the Razorbacks will eventually do more on offense, but that he and his team couldn't afford to think long-term after struggling in 2004 and 2005.

"Y'all know as well as I know -- we had to win this year," Nutt said. "We had to win. That's what y'all told me. We had to win this year. That's what we did -- tried to put our players first."

Malzahn's influence on the offense has been a hot topic around Arkansas.

"We couldn't have won 10 games if there's chemistry flaws," Nutt said.

Nutt admitted that his team had been affected by the recent drama, particularly the book.

"I had to really talk to my seniors hard, because they were hurting for me," Nutt said. "I said, 'Listen, don't worry about me. ... I don't want you bothering Mitch or Ben."'

"We have all said silly things," Nutt said. "We've all said dumb things. No one ... has been there with a tape recorder."

Nutt said he wanted any transfer talk resolved as soon as possible.

"I asked them all to go ahead and get out if they're not happy. Get out now -- don't take advantage of me with the [Capital One] Bowl," Nutt said. "We've got too many Magic Kingdom rides, we have too many other things to do."

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press