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FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 17, 2015

Jimbo Fisher

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State - 41 Louisville - 21

JIMBO FISHER: I think you saw a tale of two halves in my opinion. I think you saw what a team can do in the first half when it's not totally focused or it presses itself, and obviously focus was the issue. I think it just pressed, wants to go out and show how it plays well so bad. In the second half when the team relaxes, it played up to its capability, and still have it. We had so many motion penalties, giving up 3rd and longs, not winning the field position battles, putting ourselves behind the 8-ball. We did that against a very good football team. That front seven on defense is really good. Skill guys on offense, quarterback, we have to get better. I mean, I'm excited how we competed in the game. I'm excited we had the poise to come back, but I'm not happy -- we've got to learn to put those things away. But we're getting there.

Again, we've just got to keep evolving. This team keeps evolving into what it does, we're a work in progress, learning every week, keep trying to take another part of the game, get a little better, on to the next week. Hopefully it's enough. Got to keep -- we've got to learn to trust the process. Don't get caught up in the results, don't get caught up in scoreboards, forget all those things, and just live in the moment, live and control what you can control and trust the process and what we've got, and we have guys that are still learning it, but I'm going to tell you what, they want to learn it. They're giving their heart and souls for what we're doing week in and week out. Our goal is keep continuing to evolve. I've said that all year. We've got to keep evolving. We've got to keep getting better each week. We've got to just keep progressing and game by game, we really are.

We can't let being good get in the way of trying to be elite, and what I mean by that is worrying about trying to do this -- just go play. Go play. I know that sounds crazy, but that's our only goal right now. That's all I care about. We're learning to take that off of ourselves and just play what I call mind free, heart full. Play for the guy beside you, see things, react and play, and don't worry about circumstances or try and do too good. You know what I'm saying? Guys want to do everything just perfect. You don't have to do it perfect, you're going to make a few mistakes, but you've got to play fast and go. But great team effort, way to come back. Put up a lot of points in the second half. Big time drives in the second half by the offense going out -- Dalvin made an incredible run to start things off. I mean, Dalvin, Dalvin. He just makes play after play, in the moment, chasing the ball. Everett really stepped up, took care of the football.

But I was proud of him. He made the plays when they were there but he threw the ball away when they weren't. He was in tough situations, scenarios. He wasn't perfect, left some things out there, but man, just those drives with poise and out-Manning the clock, the offense at the end when they scored, hit that big touchdown, take that drive all the way down, eating the clock with about four minutes to go, what was it, about, a six-, seven-minute drive, the last drive? I don't know exactly what it was. And we scored, finished it off with a touchdown, got up three scores. Extremely proud. I think the defense played real well, especially on the quarterback.

That guy, he never really beat us with his legs a lot in that game. We pressured him, got sacks, he made some scrambles, made some plays, but we got him on the ground a lot. They made a couple plays. He hit that last play. But good football team, I knew that going in, but we're still evolving and just very proud of them. Good win. Got to get back up and play Georgia Tech next week.

Q. What changed that second half on both offense and defense?
JIMBO FISHER: I told them, relax, control what you can control, just the play you're playing at the moment. Do your job. Do what I'm asked to do, do it for the guy beside me. I know that sounds crazy, but that's exactly what happened.

Q. At what point did you see the guys relax, after Dalvin's touchdown?
JIMBO FISHER: No, they just came back and made a big drive right there. I think we had -- again, we're having too many penalties, too many young, inexperienced -- motions, quarterback legs and things like that, but I didn't understand -- I saw them relax, but the intensity and the focus just going and being themselves that second half I just felt.

Q. What did you tell them at halftime?
JIMBO FISHER: That I was disappointed in the first half because it had nothing to do with the opponent -- I don't mean that in a bad way. They played a great game. They were part of it, a big reason, but it was us, silly penalties, self-inflicted wounds, and that I'm not mad at them, but I'm not happy with them, and they're selling themselves short because they don't have any clue how -- they don't respect how good they really are. They don't know how good they are. They're a really good team that if it goes and relaxes and plays can do what it wants to do.

I said, at the end of the day, I can motivate you, I can talk to you, I can give you all the words of encouragement. At the end of the day you've got to make your mind up and do it. On each play, I'm going to put my feet in the ground, I'm going to do what I'm coached to do, I'm going to remember what coach says to do, knowing the guy beside me is going to do it, and then I'm going to get back up and get in the huddle and do it again. It's that simple.

Q. How much did you come -- when Dalvin pulled off that pass interception in the second quarter, how close do you think he was to making a 2nd down?
JIMBO FISHER: I think he just got tight, and then when the trainer checked him, he said it was tight, but it wasn't even like last week. It wasn't even half as bad as last week.

Q. How is this different from the South Florida halftime when you told them to just relax?
JIMBO FISHER: Because you've got to start evolving. At the end of the day, you've got to have fun, you've got to be a kid, and sometimes you've got to grow up. This team is a really good team if it plays up to its capabilities every week and forgets about -- youth is not an excuse. There is no age limit to being good if you want to have the focus and the poise to go do what you want to do, you know what I'm saying? Sometimes you've got to kick them in the table, and it was time to kick them in the table.

Q. Kermit had another big day today, big chunk play there in the second half. What does he bring to your passing game right now?
JIMBO FISHER: He's running precise routes. He's blocking very well. And at the same time he gets that ball in his hands and he's getting north-south, and we're finding different ways to get him the ball. He's feeding off those other guys and they were worried about him, getting other guys open. He is a very dynamic guy, and he's really learning to be a football player, and he's still a long ways to go, but he's really learning to play football.

Q. Javien Elliott came in and had some nice plays. You gave him that scholarship before the season. What was it that pushed you to do that?
JIMBO FISHER: That guy's heart and soul was in it. He made plays. He hustled. You put him on that kickoff team, you go back and look at every kickoff every week, he's one of our top guys on special teams, making plays. Hey, we needed a player here, defense, we've got some guys hurt, guys injured, things going on, he played his tail off in practice, got ready, and I don't know if people in today's time, with as many people playing football, and the walk-ons in the old days, trying to get on the field at an elite level at a school like this with the way we recruit, to walk on here, to get a scholarship, and to go out and make plays on special teams and then go play with those guys on defense and make big plays in the game, help turn that thing around, I don't know if we really appreciate how hard and what that young man has done, what he has done and how big that is, how hard that is to do, especially on a team that has a lot of talented players. I'll tell you what, here's an example of I don't care. I'm just going to go play. Our teammates love him. Our team loves him.

Q. How is Trey Marshall?
JIMBO FISHER: I can't tell, we'll have to wait and see, but it didn't look good.

Q. He was so pressured in the second half. But still another game with no turnovers. Under the pressure he's under --
JIMBO FISHER: (Knocking on wood.)

Q. Just talk about that.
JIMBO FISHER: Well, he's playing aggressive football but smart football. If you put yourself in that frame of mind, everybody says, make plays. No, don't make plays, make the plays that are there. Don't foresee plays, don't try to force plays. If it's there, make it, if it isn't and we're not doing it, I'm just going to say so. If I get pressure, I throw it away. Don't be a hero. A hero is a guy who does his job and is consistent, and that's what he's learning to be.

He's respecting the game, not respecting the ball, but he's respecting the game. If you do things right, this game is going to reward you. Take shortcuts, it'll bite you right in the tail, and he's respecting the game. Playing the game, when it's there, he's taking, seeing it, and when he's missing, he's missing it safe zone. If not, throw it away.

Q. What did you like about his two touchdowns earlier? They were both kind of different. The one to Rudolph late and then the one to Kermit?
JIMBO FISHER: Well, we had a double move on the second one and we knew it was cover two, and we knew the safety got out but the backer got deep, so if he missed that one it's going to go out the back of the end zone, put it right where we get it, no one gets it, tremendous read, tremendous eyes, great play. And what was the other one?

Q. To Kermit.
JIMBO FISHER: Yeah, we had a play, they covered it. We had one, two, three, went through his progression, got rope scrambled -- we're learning to scramble with him. We had been doing it very poorly, by the way. Our backs, receivers and tight ends hadn't been doing a good job of scrambling. We've worked on that, and getting back in vision, too, and keeping plays alive. You give him an inch, now, Kermit, we forget, that's the fastest guy on the field.

Q. Were you upset with the 2nd down play in that drive?
JIMBO FISHER: Yeah. It was a missed signal is what caused it. We misinterpreted the signal. You guys -- I'm trying to be in a good mood.

Q. How has your team evolved?
JIMBO FISHER: Well, I think they start to trust the process in the game and I think they believe in each other and we take a lot of pride in that. Hopefully, but I think they just keep believing in each other and keep pushing. Again, we've got a great group of guys that won't quit and they fight themselves into a rhythm of how to play.

Q. It was 20-14 and you got two really aggressive defensive plays, Jalen Ramsey throwing the receiver out of bounds basically on the screen and then Derwin on the sack. Just the way the physicality of the defense started to bring --
JIMBO FISHER: They did. This team, it's got a feeling to compete, you know what I'm saying, and it will not back up. And that's what I'm proud of.

We've just got to do it a little more at times, but those two guys now, they set a tone, and Jalen sets that tone now. I don't know if I've ever been around a corner as physical as he is. I mean, some of the blocks -- he was beating blocks on the side, making tackles, and they got -- they feed off of him. Our guys feed off of him.

Q. Coach, Javien's pick, before you got to the sideline, the guys were mobbing him and knocked him over celebrating. When they see a guy who's a walk-on make a play like that, what does it do for the team?
JIMBO FISHER: The respect. That's what it's about. You go get respect by how you -- it's not your talent but how you go about your business, how you live your life, how you practice, how you worked hard, and those guys, they know how hard he worked to get there, and they appreciate it. There wasn't no jealousy in it at all. That was a big play.

Q. Louisville's first touchdown, it looked like there were a couple of blown coverages right after Trey left the game?
JIMBO FISHER: They did. It was two different guys on two different plays and just getting the communication. That happens. When that safety goes out and then Charlie got them fixed and we went back to it.

Q. The offensive line had a really bad series, and it looked like there were some heated emotions and it seemed like you were trying to calm things down. What were you telling the offensive line?
JIMBO FISHER: To forget everything else. And sometimes you get in a rut, you get like that, and they feel bad, because that group, nobody works harder. I mean, they are a great group of human beings. And I could just see in their eyes, and Trickett was, too, we all did, but sometimes as a head coach you've got to do it. You know what I'm saying? And you just saw in their eyes disappointment they were letting you down. But hey, forget all that, grow back up. And you can't go in a shell when you make a mistake because there are some young guys, and you can't do that. You've got to grow up, man, and the only way you're going to get out of this thing is go make the next play, and just explain that we ain't mad, and I get frustrated with them but I still love them, Coach Trickett loves them, we all love them. Let's just go back, take care of our business, play one play at a time. We love you. We ain't taking nobody out, and go do what we've got to do.

Q. What was it like having the highest paid graduate assistant on the sideline?
JIMBO FISHER: He ain't changed a lick. Get him back, Terrence Brooks, Devonta Freeman? Who else was there? Oh, Rodney, we forget how good a football player that guy was. Wow. Just to have those guys back -- I mean, just the memories, and that's what this whole thing is about. We talk about winning games and all that, but those relationships, and that knucklehead, Devonta, all those guys -- him and Devonta and those guys are special.

Q. How important are graduates to supporting your seniors?
JIMBO FISHER: I've been fortunate being a junior. They've still got two years left. Just proud of all those guys. Look at the success, Chris Thompson, what he's doing out there right now, Devonta Freeman, all the guys -- what KB was doing, just Rashad. I know Terrence Brooks, that whole group of guys, Telvin, a real athlete. You know he's starting for the Jaguars? You know he's the leading tackler in the NFL? At about 210 pounds playing middle linebacker.

Q. EJ?
JIMBO FISHER: EJ, there's another guy, I don't know how many people appreciate what he did for this program. You talk about the evolution of this program from where it was, you've got to remember that guy played the whole second half of the Notre Dame game with a broken leg. We were down 14-0, we came back and won it 18-14. I hope people appreciate how good a player he was and what he meant to this program. He took us to our first championship this year. But you know, just a quality human being. We can sit here and talk about how blessed we were to have those guys here in our program, and to have them back. I cheer for them every weekend. It's great to see them.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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