Jimbo Fisher's opening statement and game film review:
After evaluating the film, give credit to a very good App State team. They played a very good game, deserved to win. We did not. We did not execute to the level we needed to execute to win the game. I'm very disappointed in how we played and how we did. We had opportunities to win the game, and should have played much better. We have to practice better, play better and execute at a higher level against a very good football team.
Defensively, I thought we did a really nice job in the game, as far as we kept them to 17 points. When you keep them to 17 points, you expect to win the game, do the things we need to do. There were times that we needed to get off the field in the second half, on some third downs I wish we could have maybe eaten some clock and really minimized the possessions in the game in that regard. But I think our defense played hard. They played physical. It was a hard-fought game, the way it went. A lot of 3rd-and-3s, 4th-and-1s, and they kept finding ways to convert and do things, but we fought and kept them out (of the end zone). We weren't able to create a turnover, but still, 17 points, did a really nice job in the game in that area. We've just got to get off the field a little bit more on some of those drives and win some more first-down battles--maybe make it 2nd-and-9, 3rd-and-7 a little bit more. But they hit some of those, too. Their third down percentage was really high, and that was the other thing that was a little disappointing. We'll get better. But I think they did good.
Offensively, we did not execute at a high enough level. We had eight possessions in the game and did not execute at a high enough level. Everybody took different turns. Could be a lineman, could be a receiver, could be a quarterback, could be a running back. Different things that happened in the game that set us behind the eight ball and we couldn't make it up. And, you know, we had two critical turnovers. One, we got stripped of a ball that would have been out. We ran a route a little bit deep, should have broke it off, was ready to throw it, didn't get it. And then later on we had a fumble on a good play, which we were in their territory on fourth. We've just got to tuck the ball away and keep it high and tight. And we'll do that and work on those fundamentals. But it gets back to fundamental things there and we did not do that. It was in those situations we've got to play a little bit better. Had opportunities in the game, but whether it was protection, dropped ball, or high throw, or didn't get the route right, things like that. We've got to execute better in the things that we've practiced and worked on. We've got to do better.
Special teams, thought we did a real nice job covering the kicks. The one kickoff they did return, we got them inside the 25. Did a nice job. Still like get a little more punt return room for Ainias on some things but they were in some short yardage fourth downs, when they punted some we were backed up. So we were in some more punt safes and not in returns as much. Of course Achane was outstanding with the return. Broke a hundred-yard return, a long return for a touchdown. Did a heck of a job. Really nice job. Got us in the game, kept us there. And then unfortunately the only thing, we had a chance for a field goal at the end and we didn't make it. Could have tied it up and got us in there. That was a disappointing thing. We've got to work on that and make sure we get that kick.
But we didn't play well enough, we're very disappointed. Have to get back out there right now fundamentally. We've got a very good Miami team coming in here that's going to get our attention very, very quickly, and does right now. We have to go play well, but more importantly, we've got to practice well so we can take those habits to the field and execute and do the things we need to do.
Week 3 Press Conference Notebook:
- Following Saturday's loss, Fisher told the media he knows his team can still have a very good season. When asked today where his confidence comes from, he said it is because he believes in his players and in what the program is doing. "I know we have good players. I know we have a good team. We've got good leadership within the team, and I think our guys play hard. They'll compete in a game, and they want to be good. They'll go out there, practice well and hopefully we can take it to the field."
- After two games, Fisher was asked if some of the issues can be fixed--he said yes, and it all comes from hard work and fundamentals and being able to take those things from the practice field to the game field regardless of the previous week's outcome. "Whether you're winning or losing, the thing I want folks to understand is (sometimes) when you win, you can feel real good and things still aren't very good. (When you lose), You can feel real bad and things aren't as bad. It still doesn't matter. It matters what you do daily, and be able to take that to the field each week. That's what we have to do. And I still believe we can do that. And I think our players do."
- Fisher was asked about the challenge of controlling a very strong Miami rushing attack, one that controlled time of possession in a 30-7 win over Southern Miss last week. "You've got to get guys in the box, tackle well in space and get them in third and long. But, their quarterback is very dynamic, their tight ends are very dynamic and their receivers can play. You're going to have to play a complete football game and get off the field (defensively.)" In addition, being able to sustain drives offensively will be huge as well. "We have to convert our third downs. We have to not shoot ourselves in the foot...and get behind the chains."
- Fisher was asked about comments earlier in the afternoon by Ainias Smith about some guys on the team not buying in as much as they should be: "What he's talking about is not 'bought in to what we're doing', it's just every detail of every practice rep. And when you talk about 'bought in'...(the difference in) when you say 'buying in' and when he says 'buying in' is...like how if you take 150 reps during practice. When you're a young guy, sometimes you think if I get it right couple times and I get it wrong once, it's okay. Buy in, for an older guy like (Ainias) who understands the difference, is that every play of every practice is like a game. And you learn how to practice. That's what bought in is. When you talk about bought in, it's not that they're fighting the program or they're fighting what we do. It's just that their ability to strain for long periods of time has to grow, and that every practice rep has got to be just like a game rep...The buy in is that every play in practice matters. It's not that I do it, but I do it perfectly. And if I don't, my mind is set in that. And young guys, sometimes they'll do it 3/4 of time, 2/3 of the time, 9/10 of the time. That's what he's talking about from buying in. We had a long conversation this morning about things, I always do with my team leaders, and that's what he's saying. We've got to get them to do it, so when they get to the game field, there's no other way to do it than that way.
Player Quotables:
- OL Layden Robinson on the confidence that the offensive line will get things going: "Oh, most definitely, I have confidence that we'll get right back on the horse. That's going to determine our character, how we get back up after we get knocked down. It's not always about how you are in the victories, it's how you are in the losses. So I feel like we've just got to attack this week as an offensive line, bear down, and make sure we're in each other's corners during these dark times. And just encourage each other to get better every day. That started yesterday, and that's going to continue today when we're in meetings and we're breaking it down with our coach. And that's going to continue today at practice. And let's see how we react today was we have to push each other to be better this this week in practice. The energy has to be up and also our communication. That's all on us as a whole offensive line group. We'll get that fixed."
- WR Ainias Smith on the importance of the quarterback making the right decisions and reads while running the offense: "It's very important, just because the quarterback is going to run the show...but at the end of the day, it's not just on him, you know what I'm saying? A lot of people have been blaming where happened on the QB and it's not all on him, it's on all of us. And we've got to take this loss together. The offensive line, the receivers, the running backs...everybody has just as high as a responsibility as the quarterback. So if everybody is not going hard and doing the right thing, then nobody is going to win.”
- DB Demani Richardson on lessons from Saturday and how to move on: “I feel like we could have played harder as a whole. I feel like they played harder than us at times, and we played harder than them at times. But I feel like we should do a better job at just playing hard. And that starts at practice, just going hard at practice every day...(As a leader,) I have to get guys to put App State behind them. It's one game. We lost it, we have to live and learn from it...we've just got to keep moving forward so we can keep getting better, so one game won't turn into two games, two into three.”
