Texas A&M went through an indoor practice at the McFerrin Athletic Center on Monday to complete day 17 of Fall Camp. Coach Fisher met the media following the practice to talk Sunday's scrimmage, A&M's preseason rankings and much more.
Hear from Coach Fisher below, and visit Fall Camp Central for more, as coverage of Fall Camp is brought to you by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
JIMBO FISHER QUOTES
It was good to get out and get some corrections from the scrimmage yesterday, making some adjustments. Got a lot of young guys working some critical situations, mixed the looks up, got a lot of young guys with the ones at times and took guys out of the game as if something had happened, and worked those scenarios. So for the most part they did a pretty good job. The scrimmage was probably little too inconsistent for my liking in that I thought each side made the most best plays when the other side just didn't execute. That's usually what happens but I mean I'd like to see a little tighter execution. We put some young guys in some different situations to get some different scenarios in there, whether a quarterback the back or receiver, offensive linemen, guys you know you played for if injured, just to see how they would interact and and do that. Both young quarterbacks got a lot of time with the ones and twos and did it on purpose. I didn't scrimmage Kellen and Connor as much in that scenario because I want to see them put in some really tough situations with some really good people on the other side and how they reacted. But also did that with some of the young backs, the alignment, you know different guys. And on defense we did the same thing too, but at the same time our ones got work so I just wish it was a little more consistent. It was pretty physical for the most part and both sides had their moments.
On how the team responded to criticism after Thursday...
I thought it was a lot better. I think they understood the urgency and understood the physicality which we've got to play with. Again I still think we're not executing at a high enough level but we're in camp. But we heed to get it, we're 10 days out. We've just got to clean up some of the details of how we're doing it.
On the AP poll released today (No. 12), following the coaches' poll (No. 11)...
See? We've already dropped. No, I mean you know it's funny. I bet if you went around the country and asked that question I bet nobody'd see it. It's not even who's number one, number two, number three. I've been there too and say what the heck are they looking at, you know what I'm saying? But, I mean I can see that team. We're not that team yet. Maybe we're better. I really do...I think we have good enough players. It's just a matter of how we execute and get all the details and understanding and identify the roles for the guys and make sure, as I say, the more we play with consistency the more I'll visualize that. As a coach, you know who to put in what role and if they do something one day or two days, you go boy here we go. And all of a sudden that third day you go where did that come from? You start to trust in something, and I think that's with youth sometimes. So the more we develop consistency maybe the more I'll see that. But you know, we can have a great year. We can.
How did you come out of the scrimmage health-wise?
Good, I mean some bangs and bruises but nothing that you know...a guy may miss a day or two or something like that but nothing that was like Baylor (Cupp) or anything of that nature.
Do you feel like any players or a position group strung a couple of good scrimmages together?
You know I've been solidly happy with our offensive line. We had some guys at times even those guys in there I think in mixing matching some guys, I think they've done a good job. I think our backs have been solid. Defensive line has played pretty good. Been happy with some of our young safeties' play, and our older safeties play. Our safeties have done a good job I think. We've kicked the ball well. Our kickers, punters and kickers, have hit the ball very well.
How's the center competition going?
Good. I mean it's going real good. (Colton) Prater and (Ryan) McCollum both, it's like having two starters. You've got both guys in there and you're working Luke (Matthews) in the background of that and Barton (Clement) in there. You can't have enough centers. So I feel very comfortable there and a good thing is either one of those guys could go play guard in two seconds too. We're mixing them at center and guard, the whole thing is to develop inside depth.
What does that say about Prater that he is in the mix after McCollum was named Spring MVP?
Well, I think McCollum got banged up a little bit you know just had some nicks and nicks and Prater was playing really well. That's Prater man, not that McCollum isn't it, but Prater is just like a pit bull dog. I mean he just fights scratches and claws, and he's quick, he's athletic, and he just competes. It doesn't matter what...he's just Coach, what do you need me do? Yes sir. And just goes and does it.
Where are you at cornerback with the two veterans back and are the young guys challenging for playing time?
They are. I mean we got to develop more depth there because of the way teams play today, getting all them on the field with the nickels and the dimes and all that stuff. Those young guys need to keep developing, and we got a couple guys are nicked and nacked, they've missed a little bit of time but they'll be fine. They're getting back in there now. But you know we're still not I don't think we're where we want to be as far as depth in numbers quite yet with consistency.
What are you seeing from two guys, Anthony Hines and Micheal Clemons?
Clemons has played really well. I've been very pleased with him. I thought he had a good scrimmage the other night played a lot of different looks and special teams. He's running he's been having a really good camp. Hines has gotten much better each and every time. He actually didn't scrimmage in the scrimmage the other night he had a tweak, but he should be back at practice tomorrow and be fine. It was just something we held him, but he had been getting much better. I wish he had the scrimmage because just to see it out there without it. But he's getting much, much better because he can run and play and is very much more comfortable at that position.
Hear from Coach Fisher below, and visit Fall Camp Central for more, as coverage of Fall Camp is brought to you by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
JIMBO FISHER QUOTES
It was good to get out and get some corrections from the scrimmage yesterday, making some adjustments. Got a lot of young guys working some critical situations, mixed the looks up, got a lot of young guys with the ones at times and took guys out of the game as if something had happened, and worked those scenarios. So for the most part they did a pretty good job. The scrimmage was probably little too inconsistent for my liking in that I thought each side made the most best plays when the other side just didn't execute. That's usually what happens but I mean I'd like to see a little tighter execution. We put some young guys in some different situations to get some different scenarios in there, whether a quarterback the back or receiver, offensive linemen, guys you know you played for if injured, just to see how they would interact and and do that. Both young quarterbacks got a lot of time with the ones and twos and did it on purpose. I didn't scrimmage Kellen and Connor as much in that scenario because I want to see them put in some really tough situations with some really good people on the other side and how they reacted. But also did that with some of the young backs, the alignment, you know different guys. And on defense we did the same thing too, but at the same time our ones got work so I just wish it was a little more consistent. It was pretty physical for the most part and both sides had their moments.
On how the team responded to criticism after Thursday...
I thought it was a lot better. I think they understood the urgency and understood the physicality which we've got to play with. Again I still think we're not executing at a high enough level but we're in camp. But we heed to get it, we're 10 days out. We've just got to clean up some of the details of how we're doing it.
On the AP poll released today (No. 12), following the coaches' poll (No. 11)...
See? We've already dropped. No, I mean you know it's funny. I bet if you went around the country and asked that question I bet nobody'd see it. It's not even who's number one, number two, number three. I've been there too and say what the heck are they looking at, you know what I'm saying? But, I mean I can see that team. We're not that team yet. Maybe we're better. I really do...I think we have good enough players. It's just a matter of how we execute and get all the details and understanding and identify the roles for the guys and make sure, as I say, the more we play with consistency the more I'll visualize that. As a coach, you know who to put in what role and if they do something one day or two days, you go boy here we go. And all of a sudden that third day you go where did that come from? You start to trust in something, and I think that's with youth sometimes. So the more we develop consistency maybe the more I'll see that. But you know, we can have a great year. We can.
How did you come out of the scrimmage health-wise?
Good, I mean some bangs and bruises but nothing that you know...a guy may miss a day or two or something like that but nothing that was like Baylor (Cupp) or anything of that nature.
Do you feel like any players or a position group strung a couple of good scrimmages together?
You know I've been solidly happy with our offensive line. We had some guys at times even those guys in there I think in mixing matching some guys, I think they've done a good job. I think our backs have been solid. Defensive line has played pretty good. Been happy with some of our young safeties' play, and our older safeties play. Our safeties have done a good job I think. We've kicked the ball well. Our kickers, punters and kickers, have hit the ball very well.
How's the center competition going?
Good. I mean it's going real good. (Colton) Prater and (Ryan) McCollum both, it's like having two starters. You've got both guys in there and you're working Luke (Matthews) in the background of that and Barton (Clement) in there. You can't have enough centers. So I feel very comfortable there and a good thing is either one of those guys could go play guard in two seconds too. We're mixing them at center and guard, the whole thing is to develop inside depth.
What does that say about Prater that he is in the mix after McCollum was named Spring MVP?
Well, I think McCollum got banged up a little bit you know just had some nicks and nicks and Prater was playing really well. That's Prater man, not that McCollum isn't it, but Prater is just like a pit bull dog. I mean he just fights scratches and claws, and he's quick, he's athletic, and he just competes. It doesn't matter what...he's just Coach, what do you need me do? Yes sir. And just goes and does it.
Where are you at cornerback with the two veterans back and are the young guys challenging for playing time?
They are. I mean we got to develop more depth there because of the way teams play today, getting all them on the field with the nickels and the dimes and all that stuff. Those young guys need to keep developing, and we got a couple guys are nicked and nacked, they've missed a little bit of time but they'll be fine. They're getting back in there now. But you know we're still not I don't think we're where we want to be as far as depth in numbers quite yet with consistency.
What are you seeing from two guys, Anthony Hines and Micheal Clemons?
Clemons has played really well. I've been very pleased with him. I thought he had a good scrimmage the other night played a lot of different looks and special teams. He's running he's been having a really good camp. Hines has gotten much better each and every time. He actually didn't scrimmage in the scrimmage the other night he had a tweak, but he should be back at practice tomorrow and be fine. It was just something we held him, but he had been getting much better. I wish he had the scrimmage because just to see it out there without it. But he's getting much, much better because he can run and play and is very much more comfortable at that position.