Postgame Sights & Sounds | Lamar
Sep 14, 2019 | Football
COACH FISHER: I thought the guys did a great job tonight. Played well. All three phases were really good. I'm really glad we got the special teams cursed. We only had one punt. We put that inside the 10 by kick-off coverage. Was really good.
Played one kick-off that was a little bit different, but the punt return finally we gave them a chance to get the game going and set up some scores, which was very good.
Kick-off return didn't have much chance. Had the one in that situation. But did a really good job with special teams.
I thought defensively we were really good. One and 16 on third down we were very physical up front. Leveraged the ball very well, played the ball very well. Played the ball -- had one play pop out, but I also got a blocked field goal, which was really good in that regard.
Offensively, thought we had good balance. A couple of two critical drops in the first half I thought that cost us points that we could have gotten points in right there that would have been really critical, one before the half and then the slant route down on the goal line.
But, again, all-star, we had the field goal kicker Seth [Small] who had another outstanding game kicking the ball. Did a great job in his regard.
Kellen [Mond] I thought played a really good game, pulled the ball, read the ball pretty much. Had the one play in the second half, he didn't see the guy over the top on the deep ball. Other than that, I don't think there were too many bad decisions in that regard.
The young quarterback came in, Zach [Calzada]. Made a couple nice throws, had a couple drops. He missed a read or two. I thought he really come in and the more time you get in -- James [Foster] came in and did a really nice job, pulling the ball, reading. Had good command of the things we asked him to do in that regard. Very happy. Was six in the return game. Thought he did a great job, nice, and really started emerging himself in the passing game. Thought did a nice job giving us another weapon going forward I thought played very well.
So Aus (Jhamon Ausbon) had a 100-yard game. Keldrick [Carper] had a good, solid game. Had two critical drops, but we'll get that fixed.
[Camron] Buckley was very solid, in the end played a good game. Overall a very solid game. And we better be because we have conference coming next week, and Auburn is one heck of a team so we got to get better.
Q. How would you assess Isaiah Spiller's night tonight?
COACH FISHER: Again, another 100-yard game, played well. We'll look at the film before I judge everything. But each and every time he goes out there, he's getting better. And like you say, he's never perfect because there's a lot to learn. But a guy -- you can't complain about a guy who's had two 100-yard games now. The competition levels stepped up very highly in this game, but I thought he ran well in the Clemson game last week, too, with the opportunities he had. So it was a big week for him.
And Jacob Kibodi also did a nice job. And Cordarrian [Richardson] also got his first touchdown in a game. So that was big, too.
Q. With how things went last week and bridging over into next week, how much of this game was as much of a dress rehearsal for some guys to open things back up and shift around the depth chart?
COACH FISHER: I think -- not really shift. You got to play to play. You have got to go back to play well. You got to get back, get in the game, lights are on, scoreboard's on. You have got to go play well in the game, have a good week of practice, and put that behind you.
You can't ever make up for something in the past and you can't worry about something in the past. All you can control is the next way you prepare. And we've got to get better because we have got a heck of a group coming and be ready to play.
Q. Two things. What went into [Jacob] Kibodi playing the first quarter? And, also, Ainias Smith seemed like he was a late edition to the class and obviously made quite an impression?
COACH FISHER: We wanted him the whole time. It was his choice to be a late edition to the class. (laughter) Okay? Wasn't my choice. So I'm glad -- but I'm glad he made that decision for sure. And I think -- the guy's a very talented guy. In the return game, can catch in the slot, can get the ball over.
We were inches away. If we got the ball down, another one, he might have had another big touchdown in the game. Runs routes. He's a really good player.
Kibodi did a nice job, so did [Isaiah] Spiller. Some of the guys were just a few seconds late for something, so we decided we would make an adjustment. Nothing bad, just typical young things.
Q. Jimbo, having Debione [Renfro] ready back into the ball game tonight and obviously the performance he had, how nice is it to have him back?
COACH FISHER: Really good. Getting his body back in there playing. He has great size and length, and he's a really good player. Great to have him back there.
Q. You talk about [Isaiah] Spiller learning things every week. How much have you seen him grow just in the short time?
COACH FISHER: A lot now. There's a lot put on him and expectations and what he's doing. And he's -- he's having to fill some big shoes for missing the past and what we lost and things are going. But he's a very smart, talented young man and he's doing a really good job. Very mature for his age.
Q. Jimbo, was there anything that you wanted to see tonight that you didn't?
COACH FISHER: I wish I didn't have a turnover. You never want those. But, you know, for the most part I saw what we needed to see. Threw the ball, a couple of drops which got to get cleaned up. We have still got to be a little cleaner on offense.
I ain't never been in an offensive game where I didn't think should be cleaner. You have got to keep playing that. I think the defense did a really nice job of playing the ball, didn't give up big plays. We created some on offense.
And I thought the kicking return game really got me excited that we did see. Getting the punt return game helped us set up some points.
Q. Jimbo, how pleased are you right now with the development of the back end defensively?
COACH FISHER: Much better. And I think it's -- overall what we're doing, how we're doing it, the guys have learned the scheme. They learned to play better. They've physically gotten better. And I think we've got more depth, which has helped us. And I think the competition level has made guys play better. You have got to play well to keep playing. Very pleased.
Q. With [Isaiah] Spiller and [Jacob] Kibodi, did you like what you saw when they weren't carrying the ball?
COACH FISHER: For the most part. Again, I've got to be careful there until I watch the film and make sure. Sometimes what you see and what you don't see, you know, you're catching flashes of and getting things. So I'll wait and reserve that comment for Monday. How's that?
Q. Were you pleased with some of the downfield passes Kellen [Mond] started to make again tonight?
COACH FISHER: Yeah. We gave him a couple pressures on some things we had. He scrambled out and hit some backside guys and kept things alive, which was very good, which I was very happy about. And he did a nice job in that regard. He really did. He was accurate down the field again.
Q. Jimbo, what was your overall take-away from the offensive line tonight and their performance?
COACH FISHER: A couple pressures. But a couple -- from my understanding, we had some side protections that weren't them, the back or tight end. I have got to look at what happened.
One guy slipped one time and got beat. And I think right before the half, we had pressure on the right side that I wish we wouldn't have had, had a chance. I'll look. Again, it's hard to make that true opinion until we get in there and see it.
Q. You might have said this, but is there an update on Quartney Davis?
COACH FISHER: Yeah, Quartney -- he had something that was tweaked and turned and just bothers him too much to take a chance on it this week. So he should be full go and ready to go.
Q. Coach, with this one behind you, do you feel like your guys are excited about starting SEC play with Auburn next week?
COACH FISHER: I don't know if they are, but they better be because there are a lot of really good ones coming.
