‘We have to get better in all three phases,’ Jimbo Fisher speaks on Texas A&M’s preparation ahead of matchup with UL Monroe
In his weekly press conference with the media on Monday, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher echoed the need to get better in all three phases ahead of their Week 3 matchup with UL Monroe.
Though it’s been nearly 48 hours since the Aggies’ humbling 48-33 loss to Miami, the lessons learned from the defeat carry extra weight in what will be a pivotal week of preparation. From a lack of discipline when tackling in the open field, to the need for better efficiency on offense, there remain areas to address on both sides of the ball.
Much like the veteran leaders in Demani Richardson and Layden Robinson, Fisher echoed the same tune of confidence when speaking about the Aggies’ ability to bounce back. He highlighted the need for getting Ainias Smith more opportunities while being sharper in all facets of the game.
While taking the loss was tough, Fisher highlighted the maturity of the team as they look to learn from it moving forward.
Interestingly enough, he also gave a seal of approval, more or less, when speaking about defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin. Durkin’s playcalling and adjustments in Week 3 will surely be under a microscope following a porous display against Miami.
Below is Jimbo Fisher’s full weekly press conference from Monday, as well as notable highlights from his time speaking to the media.
Both sides of the ball has areas to address moving forward
“Disappointed that we didn’t get the results that we wanted. We had things on all three phases that we did well and things that we need to clean up.”
The offense proved to be a silver lining in Week 2
“Offensively, we moved the ball well and ran the ball efficiently… We scored some points and took advantage of some critical mistakes that they had.”
The run defense was solid, but A&M needs to better generate pressure
“Defensively, we played the run well… What they did a good job of was maxing up and getting good protection on the quarterback.”
Tackling in open space is surely one area of improvement
“We have to get better in all three phases and get some things cleaned up as we move forward.”
Expect Ainias Smith to get more looks moving forward
“We called a lot of balls to him. Whether it gets to him or the read, you want to get him touches. We’ll continue to get the ball in his hands, and we’ll continue to play them all because we have a good group of receivers.”
Buy or sell Jimbo's seal of approval for Durkin?
“D.J. (Durkin) is a very good coach that does a good job and knows what he’s doing.”
How this team responds will speak volumes about the trajectory of the season
“Maturity and recognition of what the problems were and then identifying them and correcting them. After the game, we were upset, and guys were upset, but I think we handled it well and maturely.”
It starts by taking it week-by-week
“Get back to practicing well and play well this week so we can go into conference play and play well when we get there.”
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