Texas A&M football has ripped off nine straight wins over Arkansas, and on Saturday, the seventh-ranked Ags will go for double digits against the Hogs. Ahead of a top-20 showdown, Jimbo Fisher, Leon O'Neal, Devon Achane and Nik Constantinou addressed the media.
The following are live, paraphrased notes from Jimbo Fisher’s Monday afternoon media availability.
- Proud of our team. Anytime you get a 34-0 win, it’s a good thing. The defense played very hard. I thought we did a great job defensively of containing and with limiting our eye violations. The guys tackled and covered well. It was great getting Myles Jones and McKinnley Jackson playing again. Offensively, we did some good things. We started fast. The issues are technique things and little things. We need to do ordinary things better than anyone else. We scored on four of our first six drives. We got the running game going in the second half. We had too many negative plays that we didn't have. You have to eliminate those self-inflicted wounds and negative plays. Zach Calzada, in his first start, was good and started hot. He forced a throw on that interception. I was proud of him. Jalen Wydermyer played solidly. Our receivers had some drops, but our young guys came in and played well. I thought Nik Constantinou was outstanding with all those punts inside the 20. I think he can play better. He's wired right. Unfortunately, Caden Davis had two kicks that he didn't hit, and we had a bad snap from Choate, which is extremely rare.
- Each week, you have to continue grinding and finding ways to get better. If you don't, you’ll wilt on the vine. We're not pleased, but we’re heading in the right direction.
- Blake Trainor started on the offensive line and proved he could do it. Reuben Fatheree got some snaps. We were happy with those young guys. We need them.
- Guys are consistently rolling out as juniors now, so you’re always playing young guys. You're seeing that across the country.
- The team we play this week is a very experienced team with fifth and sixth-year guys. They're running the football as well as anybody in the country. KJ Jefferson is making some big, long throws and can take off on the ground. Treylon Burks is phenomenal. The tailbacks are good. Defensively, it seems like their linebackers have been there eight years. Jalen Catalon is one of the best safeties in the country. They can use a three or four-down front. They're playing great football, and we know we'll have to play a great game.
- You have to keep playing. I practice good-on-good each week so that we can get that competition, and our offensive lineman can block good players. We do that 2-3 days a week. I truly believe blocking good players during the week helps you on the weekend. It helps you do it consistently.
- First step and hand placement are as important as anything you do on the offensive line. Sometimes we'd get on our edges but were a half-a-step loose. It was always a different guy each time. It was eye violations too. The more consistently they do it in practice, the better they'll do it in the games.
- Arkansas is playing very well. This is a rivalry game, and they do a great job of getting up for it. This team is very seasoned, and they're coached very well. We’re going to have our hands full. They’re No. 16 for a reason.
- You have to create space for guys like Devon Achane. Space is an easy thing to say but hard to create. We're going to have to be creative or physical. You can do it in different ways. Getting them in space allows different things to happen.
- I hope our team goes out and plays better. There are some things with negative plays and little things that could've been much cleaner. I want to play clean, and I want to execute in the proper way every time. You have to do what you're capable of doing, and we can execute better. That means coach better too.
- Jefferson gets the ball down the field. They use the play-action game too. His receivers are big and physical. He has a big body. He’s going to be a heck of a challenge, no doubt.
- The issues are very physical, but at the same time, it's things you've done and coached over and over and over. We need them to take it from the practice field to the game field. The issues are very technical. It's that last part before perfection that is the hardest part. We need to get to those parts. I know why these things are happening. We need to recognize things just a bit quicker. It's not a lot, but it can be a lot. That's what you need to do on the offensive line. That cohesiveness is something we need to get to.
- Luke Matthews is day-to-day. Keldrick Carper is day-to-day. Ainias Smith is the same, as far as I know. I haven't seen him since the game.
- You have to be physical. You have to be nasty, and you have to like it. We have those guys. They are nasty, in a good way. Football is a game of will, and Arkansas is doing a good job of imposing it.
- Whoever gives us the best chance to win will be who plays at quarterback when Haynes King comes back.