Fisher Meets Media at Weekly Press Conference
Nov 09, 2020 | Football
Head Coach Jimbo Fisher met the media on Monday at the Aggies' weekly press conference inside Kyle Field.
Select comments from Coach Fisher's press conference:
Opening Statement: We have paused our practice activities for the day. We will not practice, we will meet on Zoom with our players to watch the film, and do the things we have to do. We had a couple positive cases of Covid after we got back and tested (Sunday), and we suspended things for the protocols to make sure we do our contact tracing and all the things that go with it. We're retesting the whole team again today, then of course the protocols that go on during the week so we're in those processes now. We'll do everything by Zoom today and then we'll make accommodations based off the test results we get back and the things that are going on in the contact tracing.
South Carolina review: To the game, very proud of our team to go on the road at South Carolina. It's always been a very tough place to play, very hard place to play, and still was. Was a very physical game. I thought defensively we were outstanding in the game. Played really well up front against the run. They had a good back and good line that could run the football. Our defensive line, the front seven and even our safeties, everybody did a great job. Got them in third and longs, got off the field on third down, a bunch of three and outs. Got the ball back for us. Got two big turnovers in that game too which were huge.
South Carolina review: Offensively, very balanced. Loved our ability to run the football, ability to throw the football, convert on third downs at a very high efficiency rate. Got into the red zone and were able to score touchdowns. Scored on third downs in the red zone, which is very huge. Big plays by our skill guys in those regards. The O-line, we got good balance with Isaiah, throwing the football with Kellen, getting Achane in there. Tight ends did a good job. Receivers did a good job. Caught balls, big on third downs, everything.
South Carolina review: Kicking game was very sound. Punted the ball twice, good in the average. They never got a return. Kickoffs were good. He actually mis-hit a couple ones that we had to return and we did a great job of returning them. Punt return, nice did a nice job. Missed a PAT, which was very uncharacteristic, but Seth had a great night otherwise.
South Carolina review: Continued to get better. We're trying to get better as a football team. All three phases need to play together and keep developing in that regard. Get ready to go play at Tennessee this week.
Do you have any concern at all about whether or not they're going to start thinking this is too easy? You're always concerned. That's human nature, whether you are saying it or not, or they were reading it on social media, which I know is out there. That's human nature to be doing well and say, man, I can just relax for a second and take a break. That's how it sets in. You always are aware of that and you're always fighting that as a coach, no matter what, if you guys are praising us or not praising us, whatever it is. That's just human nature. So those are things that we constantly try to talk about and address with our team, very much so. You're always worried about that, but hopefully the majority this team will not allow that to happen.
As it pertains to the news here, what's it look like from this point? When do you feel like you'll have a better idea whether you'll be able to play in the end? As the days go on, the testing comes back and the contact tracing protocols come back. Today we're meeting, doing everything as if we would be here, we're just doing it on Zoom--which is one of the great things we've learned. So we can do the film, the video, but won't have the practice today. It was going to be a lighter practice day because we got back from such a long road trip, not getting back until three in the morning. We always have a good Monday practice but we cut back a little bit because of recovery right there. So we won't have that. But we'll have the mental preparation, and the film parts of that, and then we'll just wait until the protocols go through and we'll work with the SEC office to make choices as we go forward.
What is your initial scouting report is on Tennessee and what challenges do you anticipate that they present? Defensively, a big strong front. Guys can get the edge, guys can rush. 95 (Kivon Bennett) and 13 (Deandre Johnson), the backers, 11's (Henry To'o To'o) a really good player inside, 27 (Quavaris Crouch) is very physical. Hits you. Those guys are very natural. Secondary, corners can cover, 0 (Bryce Thompson), 5 (Kenneth George), 1 (Trevon Flowers) and 2 (Alontae Taylor) I mean, they all can play. 22 (Jaylen McCollough). They all cover well. Multiple coverages in the defense. Exotic blitz looks on third down. Bring it from different places. They do a really good job of mixing coverages and looks on secondary. Offensive line is physical, can run the football. Tight ends I like. (OC Jim) Chaney does a great job. RPO you. Quarterback can run. Backs are heavy. Punting game, I think they've punted eight times and had eight yards of returns. They're giving up one yard a return. The punt team has done a great job. They've got good skill guys returning. It's a very sound, good football team that's very physical.
What do you think about the new look to the SEC this year? Well here's the thing. If you study this league over time, there are certain teams that stay up, but there's always a rotation. There's too many good players, and every program has it's time to push and stay ahead. It's always going to be that way. There's too many good coaches, too much money invested, it's too important to other programs. There's too many players across this country that come play in this league. If you look at it over time it's always rotated back and forth. There's been time for everybody to have their moment and hopefully we're learning to push forward and we can continue to do that.
The college football playoff rankings are going to come out for the first time next week, do you think at all about that? No. And I say that because it's clutter to me. All I want to do is go prepare well to play well Tennessee, then do it again at Ole Miss. Because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter where you're at right now. If you're running a 100-meter dash, and at 60 meters--which we're six games in, we're 60% done--where you stand tells you alright, you might know what to do, but it's not permanent. You can you can increase or decrease based off your psychological disposition, your ability to compete, ability to prepare, all those things. You've got to learn to not worry about those things. It's like we tell our players. If you want the scoreboard to say what it does, ignore it. Go win the game, and win your space each and every play, and play your tail off if you want your record to be where you're relevant. Ignore the record at the end and worry about the next game and the next practice and the next play and do those things. That's not a cliche, I truly believe that's how you get to where you're going.
How are you getting the most out of your passing game? We say on the outside you don't have that one go-to receiver, so to speak, but you're spreading it out and you're still moving the ball. We do have...I think they're all go to guys. We're going to them in the right coverage in the right matchups, whether it's the backs, the tight ends, the receivers. We're going to them with the matchups in which we want, which we think we can win at. Everybody says you've got to throw to one guy, well, that's not always true. You can mix and match guys and I think the versatility of our guys, the intelligence of our guys to move around, and that we do have all five (positions). A lot of guys go to all the receivers because maybe they don't have tight ends that can catch it, or they don't have slots. That's just the facts of life. We'll get to our guys, we know who the big play guys are, but at the same time, we love distribution of the ball because it makes you hard to defend. It even helps your running game because they've got to defend them all, and then you can still run the football also.
You guys have done a really good job of managing the Covid situation, but you're not a physician, none of your assistants are physicians. How difficult is it I guess in terms of just dealing with a situation that's been unknown territory? It's extremely difficult, and not only for that for your staff, and for myself. I'm very aware of the things I've got to do and you've got to do it constantly. And listen, it can happen to you without you even knowing it. That's the thing about this thing. You can be safe as you can be in your protocols and the things that are going on, which I think are excellent. But it can just happen. That's the unfortunate thing about it.
Can you talk about Devon Achane coming in and contriubting and being a big part of the offense? Devon's been excellent. I felt very good about him for a long time. We've had to wait for the right time in terms of getting him in. I'll tell you the thing about him. Very quiet young man, learns extremely well, very hardworking, very conscientious, very talented. Can catch it, he can run, and thing you don't realize, he is strong. Everybody talks about his speed and his athleticism, that guy's a strong-body guy. He's a natural runner with the football and bringing him in gives you another guy you feel comfortable with being in the game. I'm gonna tell you what else I've been happy with. You watch him pass block. He knows it. He's getting on the right guys on the blitz, picking blitzes up, doing a heck of a job. So I'm very proud of him in those regards. He's becoming a complete back and that's very hard to do as a freshman.
