aubiefifty 18,398 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 What Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said about SEC opener against Auburn, Bo Nix Posted Sep 16, 2019 By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com Auburn opens SEC play this weekend with a top-25 matchup on the road against Texas A&M. The eighth-ranked Tigers will take on the 17th-ranked Aggies at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Kyle Field, with the game airing on CBS. It will be the conference opener for both SEC West teams and a key early-season matchup. Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher met with the media for his weekly Monday press conference to preview the Auburn game. Here’s a look at what Fisher had to say about Gus Malzahn’s play-calling, preparing for Kevin Steele’s defense, his familiarity with freshman quarterback Bo Nix and more: JIMBO FISHER On overall thoughts of Auburn... “We got a very good opponent coming in. Auburn’s a top-10 football team in this country; very deserving when you watch the film. Offensively, Gus does a tremendous job, always does—shifts, motions, fly motions, eye violations and runs different ways and different formations, and then all of a sudden play-action, hit a trick play and boom, there’s a guy down the sideline, there’s a guy down the post, there’s a guy when you’re rotating and getting all your matches and keeping leverage on the football, screen games and quarterback run game. I mean, he does a tremendous job in how he does it. “Defensively, outstanding. The numbers have been that way for a long time. They’re as good of a defensive front as there probably is in college football. Their front is big, physical, strong. The linebackers are active. (They) play a lot of mixed coverages in the secondary, mix up man, mix up zone, very aggressive, don’t create a lot of separation. I remember last year over there, getting separation’s tough because these guys rush you and make the ball come out, so they don’t have to cover as long. I mean, they’re a really good group.” “Special teams, they’ve always had great return guys—very fast team, good skill guys who can cover and run. So, we’ll have our hands full. Got to play a great game. It’s an opening conference game. Those games are very important. It’s also an inter-divisional game, which makes that game even more important, and so if you want to have the goals and aspirations of where you want to go, we’re going to have to play. This is going to be one heck of a test for us, and I’m looking forward to watching our kids practice, prepare and get ready to play.” On the status of defensive back Elijah Blades and how Debione Renfro performed in his return… “Rotations, it allows you to—like I say, in today’s game, the more multitide of guys you got back there that can play the ball, that can play corner, that can play nickel, that can play dime because of personnel matchups and how you want to do it by game and by situation, and as they learn, and if you have injury, you got this, you got those guys, so getting (Renfro) back was huge. Great length, great size. I thought he played very well. He almost had a pick in the game but defended very well, tackled—had some really nice tackles, fit the run in support very well and those things, did a good job. Elijah should be ready to go, ready to practice and everything going into today.” On challenge of being a true freshman QB on the road in the SEC… “You have to play them. They’re going to do what they do. Their quarterback Bo Nix is an outstanding young man. I’ve known Bo for a long time, again, his father played for me and was one heck of a football player. Not only that, but as a competitor and as a football mind, he’s one of the best I’ve ever been associated with. His dad’s a winner, boy, I mean he’s a great coach—he’s coached in college, coached in high school—so he’ll have a lot of intangibles in his blood that some other freshmen may not, just from the experiences of being around those things. I mean, it’s obviously a tough test. We have to prepare like no matter what—that’s what they do with him, but he’s an outstanding player and he can beat you. He has a great arm, has great legs and is a very tough, competitive and smart young man. Again, hopefully we can play well against him.” On the importance of the SEC and divisional opener… “Well, I mean, you set a tone but you got to reset that tone each and every week. I mean, that’s the thing about it. It doesn’t matter; it’s just one game at a time. It’s a conference game, so it’s an important game, and it’s an inter-division game, so it’s an important game. It puts you in a great position if you can have success, but you have to practice and prepare to have success in what we do. Whether you win the game, you still have to line up and play the next week; it doesn’t matter. You got another conference game, another inter-divisional game and what goes on. I just take them one week at a time and none are bigger than others. The biggest one is the one in front of us, but it’s important that we have success, there’s no doubt.” On what he has seen from his offensive line ahead of matchup with Auburn’s front… “Well, it’s their whole defense. I mean, our guys—we’ve ran the ball, moved the ball. There’s things in the Clemson game we did extremely well. The missed assignments we had are just miscommunications on blocks, but we know—and what I see daily by who we’re blocking, we have a really good front, too. Our guys block our guys and move the football and do the things they do. Our front wins some, too. Listen, they’re going to win their battles, but we’re going to have to win our share of them. We’re going to have to be very tough in what we do, because they’re big and physical in how they fit. I’ve watched this, and it’s going to be one heck of a battle, because like I said, everybody who plays them it’s going to be a challenge—talking about Auburn.” On playing a player whose dad has played for him… “I believe so. You remind me how old I am; it makes me feel bad.” On if those kids play with something extra in those games… “I do, as far as—especially a coach, and on top of that but not only playing but Patrick is a coach, and his grandfather was a great high school coach in Alabama in Georgia, won state championships in places and coached some phenomenal player. Just hearing those things, and I know my own son and the conversations I have with my son—who’s highly, highly, he’s smarter than I ever dreamed of being; he knows more ball from just sitting around and listening, hearing, handling situations and doing things—I think it does make a difference, because I think it’s just something that you’re—it doesn’t help you athletically, but it does mentally and psychologically with how to deal things and deal with situations and what happens and what to expect. You know, some people think if you’re not around that’s a big deal, but some guys are just ‘nah, just do this,’ because they’ve heard coaches say it and how to handle it. I think that does help, I really do.” On if he knows the team’s offensive identity after three games… “I think we’re finding our identity as a team, not just offensively. I think defensively each and every week about who you play and how you play, that identity’s always going to be challenging. Our identity is we’re going to be balanced. We’re going to be physical up front, we’re going to run the football, we’re going to be multidimensional in personnel and formations, and be able to stretch the field and reach all parts of the field with getting the ball out quick, different things, screen game—but we’re going to stretch the field and throw it down. Our identity is never really going to change. What you’re learning is the personnel of how you have to do it and what each individual can and cannot do. Like you say, then you get some young guys who you’re still learning and you think you know, and part of that you got to put them in those situations to let them try it. You can either do it don’t as you go, because we’re playing so many—so many young guys.” On Kellen Mond’s performance last week and confidence heading into Auburn game… “No, I think his confidence was there. Just because you don’t play your best game, that doesn’t make an athlete’s confidence ever go. You question yourself on everything. I do as a coach—every call you make, everything you do. Then all of a sudden by Day 2, you know you can coach or you can play and do what you’re going to do. I think he played very well. I thought he played very efficiently and had a very good outing, but to say his confidence was ever gone, I don’t think it was ever gone. Sometimes a game just doesn’t go as well, sometimes you don’t make as good of a call. That’s ball. Watch Sunday afternoons, watch every Saturday, but he is—he has a short memory; I promise that. Quarterbacks and DBs have the shortest memory of all, because those are the most glaring places in which people know when you don’t do right, generally. I think he’ll be fine and is playing really well. He had a good week of practice and I think he will next week.” On the importance of an improved pass rush… “I think it is, and you got to be careful because when I say pass rush, you got to affect him but you can’t give him run lanes. Bo can run. He can move. He has really good feet. Young, athletic quarterbacks sometimes like to say—sometimes you’re giving them run lanes is the best friend you can give them, because then all of a sudden they can hit some things, get confidence; it’s like getting a foul shot or a breakaway layup for guys as scorers, you know what I’m saying? They get that confidence and get it going. I think we have to be very disciplined in how we do that. But you got to affect the quarterback; that’s No. 1.” On the status of defensive linemen Max Wright and Jayden Peevy… “Peevy should be practicing, should be good. He could’ve probably played in the game Saturday, and we had him on standby. He should be healthy and ready to go, just had a couple nicks and knacks, and we were able to hold him right there. Max is—Max is probably, I don’t know if he’ll practice today, but it’s a day-by-day situation.” On Auburn’s run game… “Their back is a really good player. Their tight ends and backs are physical up front.” On the matchup against Auburn’s run game… “It’s going to be physical. That’s going—the trenches on both sides is going to be a physical, knock ‘em, rock ‘em, sock ‘em game. It’s going to be who could help control that part. We’re going to have to be able to play the run and play the quarterback run, and then plus play their fly sweeps and all those things and keep the edges and keep what you know can weaken you inside. They do a great job with those things, so it’s going to be a huge challenge for our defense because of what they do. Like I said, Gus does a tremendous job on offense and how they do it. We’re going to have to be physical up front and plan on taking on blockers and we’re going to have to defeat blockers, there’s no doubt.” On if last year’s Auburn loss was the team’s toughest loss… “Man, they’re all tough. I’m not going to lie, I mean, they’re all tough. We had one, we thought we had a chance to be successful. That’s why there’s time on the clock: you got to play, and you got to make plays, and they made plays toward the end. We weren’t able to match that. We made them early, and they came out on top in a heck of a game. To say that was the most discouraging—they’re all tough. Out of the toughest losses, they’re all tough.” On matchups with Kevin Steele over the years and if this is his best defense… “He’s had some really good ones. He was at Clemson and different places that we’ve run into him, and Kevin’s a heck of a coach, has been around a long time. I mean, he’s very hard to prepare for, does a multitude of things that makes you be really sound in everything you do. He blitzes you, he plays man, he plays zone, moves the front—three-down front, four-down front, nickel packages, dime packages. I mean, he does a tremendous job.” On Texas A&M’s ability to get explosive plays… “Big plays—I’d say turnovers and big plays determine outcomes of games as much as anything anymore. You have third-down efficiency, red-zone efficiency, but you look at turnovers and big plays—we chart big plays, what we want and how we do them and scheme for them. We had plenty of opportunities against Clemson; there was no doubt. Whether we overthrew them or missed a block—there were three or four runs we should’ve come out, we were right there on the edge and we just missed them. I mean, go on the edge of the guy, don’t get him cut off, it’s coming out or we drop the ball. We had six drops of over 15 yards or more. All those are big plays, so you got to execute. No doubt, the tougher the competition, the harder it is to execute, but we have to do that, and we’re very capable; we do it against our people.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUApostle 7,840 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 5 minutes ago, aubiefifty said: On Auburn’s run game… “Their back is a really good player..." Jokes on you Jimbo, we have 6 starting backs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leglessdan 1,934 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 1 hour ago, AUDevil said: Jokes on you Jimbo, we have 6 starting backs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beenjammin 87 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Im a little worried about our injuries adding up. Any word on A&M injury reports? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerPAC 1,034 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 injuries may play a HUGE role for us. i hope not, but have the same fear. really hurts that Hall is probably not gonna play...good pash rusher. btw, where has nick coe been hiding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKEEL75 2,567 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 19 minutes ago, TigerPAC said: injuries may play a HUGE role for us. i hope not, but have the same fear. really hurts that Hall is probably not gonna play...good pash rusher. btw, where has nick coe been hiding? yeah I have wondered the same. I have really high hopes for Coe. That wrestling background should give him a great advantage. Or maybe it is doing the opposite. Are you supposed to stay engaged in wrestling. Maybe Coe has things a little backwards. Just kidding btw.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
around4ever 4,139 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 I read Jimbo's comments real fast so it actually sounded like him talking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubietiger14 147 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 dang we prob learned more about Auburn hearing it from Jimbo than Gus talking about Auburn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger 8,864 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 57 minutes ago, around4ever said: I read Jimbo's comments real fast so it actually sounded like him talking. lolol I thought I was the only one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUsince72 11,084 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 ....and during a hot-mic moment Jimbo was caught saying "you mean my measly little ACC team was able to beat the 2013 Auburn Tigers but my mighty SEC West conferenced Texas A&M Aggies couldn't beat the dysfunctional 2018 Auburn Kitties? Why'd I leave the ACC!? WHY!?!?!?!?" ...OK, I'm just kidding.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUght2win 7,122 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Didn't realize Jimbo was at AU when Pat was. Man, the storylines to Bo's first few games have been like a Hollywood script. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr82b4au 5,583 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 2 hours ago, around4ever said: I read Jimbo's comments real fast so it actually sounded like him talking. Hilarious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey 16,781 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 55 minutes ago, AUght2win said: Didn't realize Jimbo was at AU when Pat was. Man, the storylines to Bo's first few games have been like a Hollywood script. Jimbo was Terry Bowden's QB coach at Auburn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUcivE09 582 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 5 hours ago, aubiefifty said: “We got a very good opponent coming in. Auburn’s a top-10 football team in this country; very deserving when you watch the film. Offensively, Gus does a tremendous job, always does—shifts, motions, fly motions, eye violations I wonder if he is referring to the Cox pirouette? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUght2win 7,122 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 48 minutes ago, Mikey said: Jimbo was Terry Bowden's QB coach at Auburn. I knew that just thought he didn't come along til near the end of Terry's tenure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey 16,781 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Just now, AUght2win said: I knew that just thought he didn't come along til near the end of Terry's tenure. I think he was with Terry at Samford and came along with the initial change but I wouldn't bet a steak dinner on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slammer1 409 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 One thing I have n noticed over the years about Jimbo and his FSU background. The "fake punt". If people on here are old enough to remember Bobby Bowden was the master at the fake punt when you least expected it. I was screaming at the TV in 2013 in our National Championship game to watch out for the fake punt and sure enough FSU executed one to perfection and it costed us the National Championship. I just hope Gus remembers that as I am sure he does and we will be prepared for it.. WDE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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