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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCEOctober 10, 2012Jimbo FisherJIMBO FISHER: We have practiced very well this week, have been very proud of our kids the way they've responded back to the adversity we faced as far as dropping the game at North Carolina State who played a great second half and came back in the ballgame. We did not execute as much as we wanted to, and we have to coach them a little better, and we have to play a little better on some things, and then we'll be okay. It's not anything that is a drastic measure, but it was a very hard‑fought, tough ballgame that we come down to the last play and North Carolina State was able to make. We had plenty of opportunities in the game to be successful and weren't. But we're moving on and we're looking forward to Boston College. There's a lot of football left to play. Very proud of our kids, they way they've responded. We've got great leadership on this team, and we're looking forward to playing a very good Boston College team here in Tallahassee this weekend. Questions? Q. What did NC State figure out about your defense or what did you learn from how they played you to kind of help your offense going forward? JIMBO FISHER: Well, I think what they did, second half they got momentum in the game, and I think they just got confidence as we had a couple opportunities on offense to score some points and we didn't, and then they got‑‑ I think they other thing, I think they got field position in the second half. The first half we had them pinned inside their own 20 four or five times and it was very tough as you play as a play caller. I think then as they got out and they got a few passes and the game got down they took more chances and then all of a sudden got some confidence from getting the ball out. Glennon did a tremendous job, their linemen did a nice job of getting open inside on some crossing routes and things, and they played a very good game, and the game went‑‑ like I say, the momentum of the game shifted and they got confidence and were able to push on and make the plays. Q. Were you shocked at all or surprised at all? Obviously the way you guys were playing on offense, to have that kind of‑‑ JIMBO FISHER: Yeah, I was, and because we had played a really good first half. We had scored four out of six drives. We dropped the ball on the first 3rd down that we had to kick a field goal and we had a bad snap down on a 3rd down‑‑ well, that wasn't in the red zone, that was about the 35‑yard line, the first drop on a square‑in, but then we'd had a bad snap down there where we had a chance to have another touchdown which hurt us, and we left them in the game a little bit, and then second half we felt very good about what we were doing. Just come out and had‑‑ like I said before, it was not any one person, and that's why I said we have to coach them up better at halftime, get them ready to play and be more fundamentally sound. And we have a guy here and a guy here and all of a sudden that's two or three drives, then the momentum of the game shifted and then got back in it, and that's‑‑ unfortunately that's the way ball goes, and they've got some good players. Q. Chris Thompson had another good game. I know you missed him last year when he was out. Can you talk about the dimension he adds to the offense just with his ability? JIMBO FISHER: Well, I mean, again, I think consistency which he brings, the leadership, not only just his running, which yeah, he's has great breakaway speed, he has great balance and body control, he's very strong as we know, and he catches the ball very well. All those things you can get him ‑‑ we had him in screens, we had him in different ways to get the ball, and he's one of the dynamic guys for our team. But also in the leadership role and when things do go awry or you need checks out there on the field and guys on blitzes and things like that, he's just such a rock. He's just such a stable, good human being and understands his role and is a total team player. He brings a lot of confidence to the other guys when he's on the field. Q. The leadership you're talking about, is that important a week after such a disappointing loss? JIMBO FISHER: Oh, yeah, most definitely, because Chris is a guy who had‑‑ like you said, the world goes on, and he's been through things and they follow his lead a lot. He's definitely one of our leaders and having that strong leadership is critical, and he's definitely one of them. Q. How do you‑‑ I don't know if you can gauge this about your team or not, but how do you personally react when virtually every person, every talking head and a lot of writers have essentially dismissed your National Championship chances at this point? JIMBO FISHER: We don't‑‑ I mean this beyond‑‑ it's not a cliché. I don't mean that. I think it's a focal point that you can't worry about. We shouldn't have been worried about them if we were even before that. You have to just play one game at a time. It's a 12‑game season, and as I say sometimes, as writers and people and fans and different people understand, you make it a three‑ or four‑game season, and it's not. It's a 12‑game season. Every game is very important, and I think we learned a valuable lesson. And hopefully‑‑ I thought we did. We played a great first half, just didn't finish the game. You know, you can't worry about that. There's a lot of ball to be played. You have to go out and you play ball and you have to get better as a team. You have to win the games that are in front of you and take care of your business, and then if those situations fall into place, they fall into place, and I mean that without‑‑ that's not coach talk, that's not cliché. That's the way you have to do it because there's too many distractions and too much clutter, and you have to do it that way. Q. Second half of the season what are the things that you're looking for your team to improve? JIMBO FISHER:  Well, I think we've got to get back to being able to‑‑ at the end of the game we weren't able to run the football in the last four minutes of the game, which that's been one of our strong points in the first part of the season. We have to make sure we can maintain and do that, keep throwing the football and creating the big plays and our pass protections; I think defensively keep working on our two‑minute defense a little bit when people get going like that; and on the punt team we've had two punts blocked which is so uncharacteristic. We have a tremendous special teams coach and we've been‑‑ we have great special teams but we've had that the last two weeks, and those are very critical, and we've got to get that fixed. Our kicking game, our kicker, Dustin is really kicking the ball really well now after a few little struggles in the beginning. I'm very proud of where he's come from, our young punter, and we just have to get better overall and just be more consistent and understand the consistency level which‑‑ you get a few young guys at a key position or two, how long a season is and how much preparation and how much of a grind it is. Q. I want to follow up, you guys play Boston College every year because they're in the division. Looking at them on film, how different are they with Doug Martin, with the offense he's installed this year, and what kind of offensive threat do they pose? JIMBO FISHER: They're throwing for 311 yards a game. Their back does a very nice job. He's big, he's physical, he can run the ball. Their linemen do a great job. They're much more explosive and much more consistent and they're putting a bunch of points on the board. I mean, he's done a very nice job. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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