Press Conference Quotes: Jimbo Fisher
I’m very proud of our team. After coming off of a very big win for us and an important game against Alabama and being able to go on the road to a place, which I did not know, that had haunted A&M for a while in some tough road games up there. I guess Colorado did too and they almost got us up there, I didn’t know that history either. But our kids went up there and played a good game against a very good team. They came out of the blocks well, they played well on both side of the ball. They created turnovers, converted touchdowns. They got control of the football game and established it the rest of the day. I thought both fronts, offensive and defensive lines played extremely well in the game. For the most part throughout the entire game we were able to run the football on offense. And I thought our defensive run-stopping was excellent. I thought the front guys did an excellent job, for the most part, being physical, effecting the quarterback and of course they created turnovers on defense. We capitalized on offense, except on one of them we got a penalty on one of the drives and we missed a field goal. The defense gave up a big drive in the second half, which was disappointing, but at the same time on the next drive, what I love about momentum swings, the offense was very mature and we took long drives right back down. We established touchdown drives right after they scored. We were able to run the ball a lot at the end of the game and eat the clock. There is still a lot of room for improvement. Our kickoff coverage was excellent, on the ones that they returned we tackled inside the 15-yard line. There was a strong wind at times during that game, which effected the field goal big time. We haven’t had many balls returned with Caden [Davis] kicking, but we got those guys inside the 15, which was great to see. Punt returns, we didn’t get many because of the way they were punting it. It was disappointing we missed the field goals. I think the wind caught the first one, and then the second one the snap was a little low and threw the timing off. We have to get that cleaned up, that hasn’t happened and Seth [Small] is having an outstanding year and out snapper and everyone has too.Â
Defensively, I thought we did a nice job. We played some young guys. Offensively, we got the run game going. We still let some points out there and had some plays we could have made. Zach [Calzada] has a couple bad throws, but also, we had a couple drops. We had more drops in a couple series, which was uncharacteristic and we could have scored even more points. We are getting better, establishing the run and finding balance. We are understanding the momentum of the game.Â
Coming back home against South Carolina, they had a great win. For them to be able to come back at the end of the game was big. They are a tough opponent, their defensive numbers are outstanding. The guys inside are very good, the backers are solid, their corners are good and can run, their safeties can really hit and tackle. They are doing a really great job with their scheme on defense. On offense they return the leading rusher in the league. They are coming off of a big win, they are 4-3, doing a nice job. This is another important game and we are going to have to get out of the blocks quick. It’s great to be playing here, hopefully in front of a great crowd with the 12th Man and we’ll get a great environment and atmosphere going again for a great SEC game. It’s going to be very important to have a great week of practice and prepare well. We are going into our eighth week without an off week. Our guys are grinding and I love the mentality that we have. We have been practicing harder. If you look at our GPS numbers, our speed and endurance, all that is really growing. We are going to have to play a great game against South Carolina. Â
On speculation about the LSU head coaching position…
I'm going to say this right now, and I don't want...it's in October right now. I love being here. This is my...this is the job I want. I'm here. I've got a great contract. I have an unbelievable chancellor, have an unbelievable president, unbelievable AD. We're building something. We're recruiting great players. I really believe we're in the process of building something great. I plan on being here and fulfilling this contract and doing everything...my family has roots here. I've got ranches here. I hunt here. I love everything about this place. And I say that because listen, there's nothing going on. There is nothing happening there. And I don't want to be disrespectful to anybody else. I coached there. It was a great place. We won national championships. It is one of the best, you know, best places. It's a wonderful place. I love being at A&M and I plan on being at A&M here and fulfilling my whole contract. I love everything about this place. And let me tell you something else. Â The way this place has embraced me and my family, including our Foundation, the things that are going on with our foundation, the way that people have embraced it, the way people have done everything here in College Station. I love everything about the people here, the administration here and everybody in charge here and the people who run this organization. I love it here.
Since the Alabama game, I know you mentioned you wanted your team to move forward and approach things mentally the way they need to. What have you seen from them in the last week plus in how their mental approach has been in practice?
I think our details have been better. I think our urgency...not that they weren't, but it always can pick up. Good enough is never good enough. You always increase. But I see a larger number and more importantly from our young guys, because, as I said, we had some really young guys play early. They didn't know. I mean, just because you're talented, yes, because you can make plays, but playing championship winning football in this league is a different thing. And I can go make plays and do things, if that makes any sense. That's how important it is, every detail in practice, that every play in practice, that every step in practice, every hand placement in practice, it's creating a habit, good or bad. And when that pressure comes, your habits come straight to the surface. And I think our guys are learning how to practice that every week. You know, some guys, and I say this from high school, guys haven't been there. They've been so much better than everybody. They practice, but they don't have to. It wasn't a thing that they had to just kill themselves in practice. I'm saying that every day you've got to do that, especially when you're a young guy. And I see that from our young players. And our older guys are really pushing those young guys and the young guys are absorbing it. And I think our practices are getting better. I think we're getting better right now.
Your offensive line, have y'all got that now figured out? Do you have a a starting lineup and do you feel good about where you are?
I think we do. And I but I also think just like at receiver or running back or a tight end or at DB, certain matchups for guys may make us...depending on what we run that week or what we feature that week. And when you have young players like we do up there, sometimes going into a game plan, all right, we have to be able to run this. And that's something he does. Maybe we'll tweak a guy or move a guy. But we plan on hopefully staying with what we have. But we also have proven there's a lot of guys that can really help us win. So we're going to need them all the rest of the year. That answer your question? It's tough. I mean, I can't say that concretely, because, I mean, I don't know, 100 percent, how they continue to play. And if they're not getting the job done every week, you know, you make an adjustment. That's anywhere, not just there.
After the Alabama win you talked about Missouri potentially being a trap game. Do you look at South Carolina the same way?
Without a doubt. This this team has won. They're 4-3. They're on a winning streak. To come back and win a big game, for them to be able to come back like they did, they're growing the program. They'll come in here loose and being ready to play and compete against us. I mean, all games are trap games. You've got to understand the importance of your opponent's faceless, no matter when you play them. And I think that's when you start to become a program, that your practices don't reflect who you play, it reflects how you play. And that's the most important thing.
