Aggies Meet Media as Arkansas Week Arrives

Fresh off the season's first bye week, Jimbo Fisher, Kellen Mond and Dan Moore Jr. met the media on Monday as part of the Aggies' weekly football press conference inside the Kyle Field Media Center.

A&M and Arkansas are set to face off Saturday night at 6:30 at Kyle Field.

Select comments from Fisher's press conference:

• When you study Arkansas under the new regime, what areas do they appear to be the most improved on tape?  I think they compete extremely hard. I think they play well together as a team. Offense, defense, special teams, they complement each other. They're creating a lot of turnovers on defense, they've created 13 if I'm not mistaken. Taken advantage of those in some special teams areas. Have been very opportunistic as a football team. Play extremely hard, physical, very well-coached and play together extremely well.
• It seems like in this past decade or so no matter what record each team comes in with this game has always been a close one. In your previous stops have you had, say a rivalry that was like this, where it always seemed like the game came down to a touchdown or less?  You always have one...Arkansas and A&M have played for so many years, they know each other so well. It means a lot to the alums and everybody else that it just becomes that game. Almost every league I've ever been in I've had those. NC State and Florida State was always like, that no matter what it was always a battle. I remember when I was at LSU, Kentucky. We beat Kentucky two years in a row on the last play, one year we won the SEC that year. I Just off the top of my head there's been one in every league I've ever been in. Just the way it is.
• When you see a team like Arkansas that has so many interceptions. Is that something that you bring up a lot to Kellen or would that be counterproductive?   No...I mean you make him aware of what they do well, these guys play the ball well, they see the ball with their eyes very well, they see the quarterback very well, they understand routes, they match routes. You don't scare a guy but you've got to make him aware of what that team does, how they play, how they'll play him and why they're having success on the plays and which they're having it on, and what you'll do to counter that.
• If you look at one aspect that I guess scares you the most or that you knew was going to be key in order to get this victory, what would that be?  Well, I think that they're playing very hard. Their diversity on defense. They play different fronts, different coverage. Linebackers are very active, very natural football players. Those guys have been players of the week. They play the ball well on defense. Create pressures. Offensively, very athletic. Different guys across the board. All the receivers, Burks is a big guy that plays in the slot out there, Woods is a good player, the running backs are very good. Feleipe Franks is a big, strong, athletic guy who can get the ball so vertical. He has a cannon. Knew him in high school, he grew up right there below Florida State in Tallahassee at Wakulla High School. Strong, athletic, hard to get him on the ground, makes a lot of plays. I mean it's just overall. And, their belief that they're playing well. You have to go beat this team. This team is not going to give you anything. You've got to go play well and get better.

Select comments from Moore's press conference:

• When you look at you know preparing for Arkansas and the success you guys had the last few weeks, how important is it for you to keep that pass protection up against a team like Arkansas that has caused a lot of turnovers so far this year?  It's always important to keep pass protection up, obviously. You want to keep your quarterback off the ground and able to complete passes. So every week that's emphasized and just like any other week it'll be emphasized this week.
• Why are y'all better as an offensive line this year and does it even seem surprising even to you that you have only allowed one sack?  It's Just the mindset that we came in with this offseason. After last season this camp. This summer, this season, all around. We wanted to get better. We knew we had to get better. And I think that's the reason we've improved, just the mindset. 
• So, does it seem odd though that you have only allowed one sack all year long? Does that even surprise y'all?  It doesn't. I knew what we were capable of, we all did.
• Looking at your line you've got four guys who've been there a long time starting. How important is that in developing the cohesiveness we've seen from you guys?  Chemistry plays a big part in football, especially offensive line. You're playing beside the same people every day. Knowing someone's tendency, the way they think, the way they move, their strengths, their weaknesses, all that plays a part in it. Communication is a huge factor as well. Having that experience of one another and being able to play beside each other in the past, that definitely is a huge reason.
• I'm not sure how much you got a chance to watch Arkansas yet but in what areas do they appear to be most improved on defense?  I see a very disciplined team. I see a team that fights to the last whistle. They're physical, for sure, and they play as a team. So it's gonna be huge this week for us to rally and be able to execute.

Select comments from Mond's press conference:

• What have you seen from Arkansas' defense? It looks like a much-improved unit. Obviously they're very opportunistic early here in the season, what have you seen?    I definitely think they've been playing really well and I think it's one of those defenses that have been playing together as a full unit. I think at times across the country you see a lot of big time players and then some guys. But I think they play really well together and you know within the scheme they do and they execute really well so it's definitely going to take a full game for us and a big time week of game planning to go in and, you know, play a big time game in the sec.
• They've given up some rushing yards and you've been able to really run it here and, and establish that run game very well how important is the ground game in a matchup like this?   I think it's really a really key important piece, and I think you know one of the things that we've done really well over the past couple of weeks is that communication, whether it's a check run play, or just you know we kind of line up in it but when the offensive line and that chemistry that they continue to have and also the communication that they continue to have and also along with the receivers blocking downfield so I think the whole run game has done really well for us, because we've had all those pieces and a lot of people being unselfish, and we've got to continue to do that this week.
• Where do you feel the passing game is right now with with your young receivers and who can step up?   I think it's continuing to grow every week. With Caleb Chapman going down and then us getting a bye week this soon, we're able to get some guys back healthy and then also continue to build that chemistry. We should get Hezekiah Jones back this weekend, also start getting some of these younger guys going and just continue to build that chemistry. Having Hezekiah Jones back, giving some guys a breather and just adding more depth to that receiver room, and also playmaking ability, is going to be big for us. I'm excited about this weekend and continuing to grow with those guys and I'm looking for them to have another big-time weekend.
• You're always talking about trusting your eyes and trusting the throw, do you feel like that's needed in a bye week like that? I'm not saying you didn't trust them before, but do you feel your trust is growing in those guys?    No doubt. And I think in this offense where the slightest details matter, every angle of receiver can change based on what the defense gives us. Recognizing coverages mid-route is such a big thing in this offense. So I think that we're continuing to grow every day and like you said that trust is definitely huge and it's continuing to grow every day, every time that we practice.
• What are the challenges when you are losing those guys early within the receiving corps?   Obviously you've got to have a kind of who's up next mentality. First Cam Buckley went down, Jhamon Ausbon, Hezekiah Jones went down for some time, and then Caleb Chapman who was playing tremendous, especially came up big in the Florida game. So at times it's been hard, but I think it's given other guys opportunities to kind of showcase their skills and also some of those young guys have to grow up a lot quicker than they probably thought they would. You've seen some guys grow up I think during the bye week. Demond Demas I thought had a really, really good bye week. Dylan Wright had a really good bye week. Some of those other guys too. But getting Chase Lane back going, Kam Brown, and some of those other guys, Jalen Preston...so I definitely think the bye week came at a really good time for us.
• How good do you think this offense as a whole has played through four games and how much better can this unit still get?   I thought we've played really well. I think each week that we continue to critique ourselves and look back on the film, just how many plays were left on the field, and whether it's chemistry, or just lack of focus, or a missed throw, or a missed route by a couple of feet, that can change a whole entire game. I think we've played really well but we have so much more room to grow and a lot more potential. That's big for us. But it definitely starts in the work week, starting Monday and then throughout the week with everything physical on the field and then mentally off the field.