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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 22, 2016

Jimbo Fisher

Greensboro, North Carolina

JIMBO FISHER: Yes, again, very proud of our team going on the road at Syracuse. A young team learning to get better and better, played well on the road and got ahead, started fast, stayed ahead, finished the game, had a couple moments in there, very proud of the way we started both halves. Our defense I thought was outstanding in the game, playing no-huddle and adjusting to formations and pressuring the quarterback, creating turnovers, all the things they need to do offensively. Had a lot of big plays, had some turnovers very uncharacteristic to what we've been doing, and got to get those cleaned up.

But overall still a really good performance, and Deondre I thought played really well. One mistake, and ran the football, had balance. The young receivers and tight ends all played well. Our offensive line did better.

Kicking game, continuing to grow. Kickers kicked the ball pretty well. Got to cover a hair better on some things. On our punts we've got to get a little more air, but other than we're getting better. It's a football team that keeps growing and very proud of them and hopefully we can finish the month off the right way.

But we've got a very tough game against Florida, top-five defense scoring, overall defense, run the football take care of the ball. They're coming off a huge win down there at Baton Rouge and got a heck of a football team, so we're going to have to be ready. They'll be coming in here hot.

Questions?

Q. I'm curious your bigger picture opinion; I know you've had to answer some questions about potentially open jobs, and that comes up every year. Is there a better way to handle things when you've got sort of these jobs that are opening up long before the season is over and coaches with stuff still to play for being hounded about it? How is the best way of handling all that?
JIMBO FISHER: The best way to do it in my opinion is do your own job and handle those things as they come, but just do the job you're doing and do that. I mean, to answer your question, I know you're not asking just about me, you're asking in general about college football. I don't know. That would be something to research, but I don't know any other way that you can go about things like that as far as the procedures of the people who are doing the hiring. I don't know how else you could do it.

Q. Do you have to address anything with your players? Obviously players are going to see media reports and rumors and stuff that's out there. Do you address it with players?
JIMBO FISHER: No, our players, we're very open. If we have questions they can ask questions. I'm very happy at Florida State. I'm fully vested in Florida State and working my tail off to play a great Florida team. They know that every day in how we go about our business, and that's from the trust and relationship we have, not before this. It's all made before this because they understand your personality and what you're about and how you do things, and I'm always very open to anything they ask or do.

Q. You spoke on Syracuse in your opening address a little bit. Just what you can say about Dino Babers, and despite the fact that it was a lopsided win on your side, just what you can say about maybe the future and what you saw from his offense.
JIMBO FISHER: No, I mean, they're very dynamic. They're very tough to go against, multiformational, the speed, all those things. You can tell they know what they're doing. The kids are playing very hard, and Dino is going to do a great job. I think he's a good guy and a great coach.

Q. And as far as the competitiveness of this conference, just what you can take away from what the conference has become.
JIMBO FISHER: People don't say it, I think we're up there with anybody in America. I know we talk about the other ones, but this league and with us and Clemson and Louisville, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Miami, I mean, Syracuse, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Duke, Virginia, Virginia Tech. I mean, it's great football, man. It is great football, great coaches, tough places to play, great environments. I think it's as good as anywhere, I really do, and I've coached in some other leagues. This is a great league.

Q. When you look at Florida's defense on film, do they do certain things better than maybe most other teams you've played this year?
JIMBO FISHER: No doubt. I mean, they're a top-five scoring, top-five total defense. I mean, the leverage, the physicality, the intensity, the coverage, the press man, the coverages, mixing up zone, man, different blitzes. I mean, and got really good players. The backers are downhill guys, active, tackle in space, play in tight areas.

A lot of teams are more spread teams and play in space better and some are more physical. These guys do both. This is a really, really good football team.

Q. Talk about this rivalry that's been part of Florida State. People don't realize this is a very difficult rivalry down there. It's basically similar to the Miami rivalry.
JIMBO FISHER: Yeah, it's huge now. I mean, this is the old rivalry -- the rivalry that to a lot of folks has meant so much because in the heyday of getting Florida State on an even keel, it's the 19th time both teams have played. They're both in the top 15, and they've got great tradition, both teams. I mean, it's one of the great rivalries in all of college football and one you're very blessed to ever be a part of.

Q. And talk about Florida's run defense; last week they had that great stop at the goal line against LSU. Are they a tough defense to try to run on on Saturday?
JIMBO FISHER: Without a doubt. I mean, their front people are one of the tops in the country. Front people play the run extremely well. Linebackers are downhill. Safeties, their tackles, they're downhill physical guys, and they'll load the box on you, try to make you beat them over the top, tackle in space, play physical. They're a heck of a defense. Very well-coached and good players.

Q. Can you just speak to Deondre's progress this season and the way you've seen him grow over the course of the fall?
JIMBO FISHER: I think just game management things and understanding totally why everything is happening and feeling momentum of a game, when to make this read, when to make that. We give our quarterbacks a lot of freedom in decision making and a lot of that has to go with momentum, situation, time on the clock, game score. I mean, just really growing in what you can give him and letting him have the freedom to make reads or checks or do things, and then but truly understanding the whys of the game. He plays with great toughness, he has great physical skills, but quarterbacking is a true decision-making process, and not just about what play but what time, when to throw this route, when to throw that route. Same play call, different situation, how to handle that. Just watching his maturity and understanding that, which I think is one of the most critical things a quarterback can do.

Q. And how much has he matched kind of the play and the potential you saw on the recruiting trail?
JIMBO FISHER: Very much so. I'm extremely pleased. I mean, I can't ask for any more out of him than what he's doing and where he's going. But I will.

Q. You were talking earlier in the teleconference about the strength of the ACC and how good it is. The fact is this weekend we've got four ACC versus SEC matchups, and I know you're only focused on your game, but still, in the big picture, how significant is it that the ACC does it against a conference that's usually recognized as the strongest?
JIMBO FISHER: I think it's very important. That's how you do it. You want people to think that way about you, you've got to play well in those games. I think that's what this league has done the last three or four years. In those matchups, if I'm not mistaken, the ACC has more wins in those situations if I'm not mistaken. I may be off on that, but I don't think so, and I think the ACC has done that in a lot of dominant games.

Q. Is it broad-based enough -- the ACC is 3-2 right now against the SEC. Obviously there are four games this weekend. Is that enough to give us a serious snapshot?
JIMBO FISHER: I don't know why it wouldn't be. You're asking results, those are results. It should be, and it's not just a one-year thing, and that's not take anything away from the SEC; it's a great league, too, but I think we're right there in even keel. We're right there with them.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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