You Can’t Go Home Again, Even for Frozen Custard

Next year is big in the world of frozen custard.

Created on New York’s Coney Island in 1919, the dessert celebrates its first century on plates around America in just a few months.

They say that if you like frozen custard, you can’t beat Bop’s. It was 81 years after that initial custard when Bop’s opened its first location, but now it’s known throughout Mississippi (and at one location in Louisiana) as the best around for that old fashioned ice cream.

On the menu, you’ll find The Big Bubba (with strawberries, banana, pineapple and a cherry, among other things) and The Little Bubba. Only in the South can you find two sizes of Bubbas.

But, one thing that hasn’t been found on their menu is The Mullen, especially at Bop’s of Starkville, and you sure won’t find it now.

When Dan Mullen called Starkville home – you may remember he was the football coach there – Bop’s was one of his favorite places. The story goes that he always ordered the same non-menu treat consisting of vanilla concrete, chocolate syrup, caramel, chocolate chips and M&Ms.

Bop’s called it “The Mullen” back then, but when he turned his back on Starkville for the supposedly greener pastures of Gainesville, they changed the treat’s name … to “The Lateral Move.”

After what happened at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday night, his relocation doesn’t look anything like a lateral move. There was nothing equal about the two teams that played in front of the full house of cow bell clangers and people wearing “Dan Who” t-shirts.

The game’s outcome – domination by the orange and blue guys – along with the outcome of the Wildcats/Gamecocks game in Lexington, left a lot of unanswered questions. Who is the real challenger to Georgia in the SEC East? Who is the real challenger to Alabama in the SEC West? Are there any REAL challengers in either division? And … regarding that “lateral move,” who will end up smiling … if anybody does?

One thing was clear, the team that Mullen brought from Gainesville was better than the one he left behind in Starkville. Florida led significantly in every statistical category.

A week after gaining 202 yards total offense in a loss to Kentucky, the once-powerful Bulldog offense gained 201 yards against the Gators. Senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald completed just 11 of 26 passes for 98 yards and the offense was successful on just two of 14 third- and fourth-down conversion attempts. Since recording the first touchdown in Lexington a week earlier, State has been outscored 41-6 (two field goals).

From the Florida perspective, were the Gators written off too early after their double digit loss to Kentucky? That defeat doesn’t look so bad now after the Wildcats domination of Mississippi State and South Carolina. And, Florida doesn’t look so bad after the magnitude of its wins in Knoxville and Starkville.

We’ll have more answers after games on Saturday.

Another orange and blue team – Auburn – travels to Davis Wade this weekend nursing injuries and still trying to figure out what can be done about its inconsistent offense and ineffective offensive line. That should be the formula for State to turn things around, but after its last two games, can there be any confidence about that happening? The loser of that one faces a disappointing season after such high hopes in August.

LSU, the SEC’s second most surprising team so far, travels to Gainesville on Saturday. A win by the Tigers there keeps them in the Western Division race and realistically knocks the Gators out of Eastern Division contention. But with Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M still ahead, an LSU loss makes its title run much less likely and keeps Florida’s slim chances alive.

In which direction will things go for the Gators?

Will it turn out well for the new coach and his new team?  As one of few SEC head coaches ever to move directly from one conference team to another, history doesn’t guarantee a positive outcome.

When Tommy Tuberville moved from Ole Miss to Auburn, it worked extremely well for the coach and his new employer. In his 10 seasons on the Plains, the Tigers won four SEC West titles, finished second twice, had an undefeated season and won five of eight postseason bowl games.

Things weren’t quite so rosy for Doug Dickey or Houston Nutt.

Dickey moved from Tennessee to Florida after winning two SEC titles and finishing second once in his final three seasons in Knoxville. After relocating to Gainesville, his teams didn’t win a league title in nine seasons; only one team won as many as nine games; only one lost fewer than four times, and his teams lost all four of its postseason bowl games.

Nutt coached Arkansas for 10 seasons, taking the Razorbacks to two of their three SEC Championship Game appearances as Western Division winners. Six of his teams won at least eight games and seven played in postseason bowl games. After becoming the Ole Miss head coach, the SEC record of his teams got worse every season. His overall record in four seasons was 24-26; the conference mark was 10-22; and the Rebels won just one of its last 16 SEC games under Nutt. He was dismissed after a 2-10 season.

So the jury is still out on Mullen and his “lateral move.” It could go either way.

But, the verdict does appear to be in on what folks back in Starkville, and probably most Bulldog fans everywhere, think.

You Can’t Go Home Again, written by novelist Thomas Wolfe, was published posthumously in 1940. It tells the story of George Webber, a young author, who writes a book about his fictional home town, Libya Hill, South Dakota.

Webber had moved from the Dakotas, and his novel made references to Libya Hill. Even though the book was successful, things had changed in his home town. Residents were offended by Webber, feeling that he had dismissed them. They resented his success, called him names and sent threatening letters. We don’t know if they made any t-shirts.

Things could never be the same again for Libya Hill or for Webber.

Near the end of the book, Webber acknowledges that despite the pull to go back home, time passes, old friendships and familiar places don’t remain the same and concludes “that you can’t go home again.”

Maybe you can, but as we saw on Saturday night in Starkville, the reunion might not be pleasant and you might not be invited back soon.

Even if only for frozen custard.