Rested and fresh after the bye week, the Fightin' Texas Aggies look to snap a two-game slide on Saturday as South Carolina comes to College Station. On Monday, Jimbo Fisher and Max Wright spoke to the media to preview the matchup with the Gamecocks.
The following are live, paraphrased notes from Jimbo Fisher’s Monday afternoon media availability:
- South Carolina this week. Had three good practices with fundamental work and execution. We worked on the scheme of upcoming opponents. South Carolina has lost a couple of tight games. Spencer Rattler can run it and spin it. Xavier Legette will be a first-round guy. Legette is a return guy. Defensively, they are athletic and long in the secondary. Really good football team, even though their record hasn't shown as much. We need to play well these next five games.
- Protection came late. There are three parts of protection. Protect the passer, get it out and make the right read. We have played four really good pass rushers in the past two weeks.
- These guys have been wonderful. This has been a greater leadership group. We gotta play five games.
- We look at everybody. Each position, we look at and we evaluate.
- Most everybody is back. Most guys healed up. A large, large, large portion of them will be healthy.
- You are also optimistic. We are still encouraged. We can have a heck of a year. South Carolina is hungry and talented. We are hungrier.
- Edgerrin Cooper’s eyes are looking at the right things. He is playing with more consistency. he has tons of ability. He is trusting himself. He can really run, and he likes to hit you.
- Taurean York can do everything and call everything, and that helps Cooper.
- Nik Constantinou has to hit it right. It comes down to technique. He had a good week this week.
- You have to know where Legette is at. You have to mix looks up. You can’t have him in a 1-on-1 situation. You want to keep guys on top.
- We have had things there in the second half. We have put things into practice where we will have a break and have set plays after the break. It’s been shocking.
- Execution is doing things at a high level consistently. It’s not the answer everyone wants.
- D.J. Durkin is a good coach, and he has done a really good job with those guys. Taurean has been awesome. Chris Russell Jr. came in the second half of Tennessee and played well.
- I would love to have all three of our receivers back full go. It would be the first time since the first game all three big receivers would be at full go. Noah Thomas practiced last week a ton, but getting him back would be huge.
- I wish I could watch the ALCS. All six games have been won by the road team?
- The hardest yards are the 3rd and 1’s and short yardage. A couple of things have been self-inflicted.
- You get frustrated and disappointed. Coach Bobby Bowden would always tell me to not get frustrated but to get disappointed so things will change. This game is bigger than anyone who has played or coached in it. It will bite you. Some pro coaches are struggling, and they are the best that have ever coached.
