Tag: Jimbo Fisher SEC Teleconference

Jimbo Fisher has provided a critical injury update regarding Aggies DE Enai White during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference

During Wednesday’s annual SEC Teleconference, Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher provided an important update regarding DE Enai White’s status.

On Wednesday, Texas A&M Football head coach Jimbo Fisher appeared on the weekly SEC Teleconference call to preview the Aggies’ early Saturday matchup vs. Ole Miss in Oxford (MS), as Fisher is looking to win his first SEC road game since, yes, the 2021 season.

The Aggies are facing a familiar foe in Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, who, by all accounts, has become somewhat of a villain in College Station after defeating A&M in Kyle Field 35-28, which included a brief moment of pure immaturity after Kiffin blatantly accused Aggie safety Bryce Anderson of faking an injury to stop the play clock.

When asked about Kiffin’s “fun” coaching style as an “offensive guru” of sorts ahead of the matchup, Fisher humorously answered as briefly as he could, stating,

“Yeah, he has always done a good job.”

Ahead of last Saturday’s win vs. South Carolina, Texas A&M rotational defensive end Enai White did not dress out and was seen walking with crutches on the sideline before kick-off, leading to Fisher’s confirmation that White will miss the rest of the regular season with an undisclosed lower-body injury.

Appearing in a total of five games this season, White totaled three tackles and one sack, and in a disappointing result, he is not eligible to redshirt this season due to eclipsing the four-game threshold. Still, he will likely be ready to return in 2024.

Texas A&M will now travel to Oxford (MS) to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 5, where the game will again air on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. CT.

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Jimbo Fisher previews Texas A&M’s Week 9 matchup vs. South Carolina during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference

During Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference, Jimbo Fisher discussed the Aggies’ offensive struggles while previewing the South Carolina matchup.

Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC) is fresh off their bye week after two consecutive SEC losses to Alabama and Tennessee, but if there’s any good news to be had, the Aggies will return to Kyle Field to face the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks (2-5, 1-4 SEC) on Saturday afternoon.

On Wednesday, head coach Jimbo Fisher made his weekly appearance on the SEC Teleconference to preview the matchup while shedding light on the Aggies’ recent offensive struggles; Fisher, of course, stated that most of the said issues were based on a consistent lack of yes, “execution.”

“We were up around 40 (points per game). We were playing really well. And we played well in the first halves. We just have not played well in the second half of these last two games. We’ve got to make sure we are executing the whole game. We had opportunities.

“And we’ve got to be more consistent. We’ve got to keep being physical on the offensive line. But we’ve got to also be efficient at the quarterback and skill positions, and play a full game. The last two games have been uncharacteristic.

“And I give credit to the two teams we played. We played really good football teams that do a good job on defense, too. But there were some opportunities there. We’ve just got to execute at a high level in critical moments. If we can get that done, we can get back on track.”

Texas A&M’s lack of second-half offensive adjustments, not simply a lack of effort, is the primary reason for the Aggies’ recent struggles in the running and passing game, combined with two of the worst offensive line performances we’ve witnessed all year. However, the Gamecocks’ defense allows 31.7 PPG, which currently ranks 114th in the country. If Fisher believes that the recent issues were due to facing competent defenses, the Aggies should move the ball at will this weekend… right?

On the other side, the Aggies stifling 10th-ranked defense, tied for first in sacks with 29, will likely once again dominate in the trenches, especially against an equally porous South Carolina O-line, but going back to the Gamecocks’ defense, Fisher knows that despite the poor metrics, defensive coordinator Clayton White has several playmakers.

“Up front, they are very good and physical inside. The guys can rush. The backers are very active. The backers are downhill and physical. Secondary, (Nick Emannwori) is a very active guy. Corners are long. They use their physicality.

“Their leading tackler on their whole defense (Jalon Kilgore) is a freshman, which is a safety. He is a good, young player. And they will bring pressure. They will bring pressure at you and constantly attack you, is what they are trying to do.”

Texas A&M will host South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 28, as kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. CT. and will air on ESPN.

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Texas A&M HC Jimbo Fisher discusses what Aggies QB Max Johnson needs to do to take the next step vs. Tennessee

During Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference, Aggies HC Jimbo Fisher discussed where QB Max Johnson needs to keep improving before facing Tennessee on the road.

Before Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 SEC) heads to Knoxville (TN) to take on the Tennessee Volunteers (4-1, 1-1 SEC), Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher made his weekly appearance during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference to discuss that he expects for Vols head coach Josh Heupel’s offense/defense, specifically the up and down plays of big-armed quarterback Joe Milton.

Knowing that Neyland Stadium will do its best to emulate Kyle Field’s impact on Alabama last weekend (nine false starts), the Vol’s defensive pass rush, ranked second in the country with 22 sacks on the year, will likely keep Fisher and his staff up at night going into Saturday’s afternoon kickoff.

While the Aggies possess an elite pass rush of their own, leading the country in sacks (26) and tackles for loss (57), earning a ranked SEC road win will start and end at the feet of quarterback Max Johnson, who was less than stellar last weekend in the 26-20 loss to the Crimson Tide. With no help from the offensive line in the second half, Johnson failed to survive the Tide’s blitz attack, pressured on 18 out of 36 of his dropback attempts (52.9%) while only completing 5/14 for 74 yards and one interception under pressure.

So, where can he improve ahead of the team’s biggest game of the season thus far? Fisher is adamant that Johnson can make a significant impact and continue improving:

“I think Max has a great understanding. He’s unbelievably competitive and stuff high character. And I think just as he feels comfortable in these situations, you get through your reads, and you get the ball out quicker and accurately. And I think that goes for any level of quarterback. You see that. And I always tell quarterbacks, too, where’s my outlet when they get in trouble? Where do I have to throw it away? I think that’s something, and that’s not just him. I think that’s any quarterback you have. You can always improve that.”

Despite the high-pressure rate, Johnson still made some key throws to move the chains, but as Fisher notes, he’ll need to improve getting the ball out quicker, but that’s a two-way street between a receiving core that failed to separate at a high rate last weekend.

“And the different rushes and what he is doing, he does a great job of recognizing where things are coming from, and I think if he feels more comfortable with the guys. He’s going to continue to get out even quicker and better. And he made some phenomenal plays the other day under duress and getting the ball out. So, just continuing those things and just when those being selective about where he gets the ball. Just don’t be afraid to distribute the ball. And when somebody’s open. We have some guys that can run and catch it deep, but they also can run with it. So I think he keeps growing in that, in that regard.”

Preparing for the crowd noise, more pressure in the pocket, and sporadic moments of joy/frustration, Texas A&M’s 2023 season is nowhere near complete. Still, to accomplish any one of their remaining goals, Max Johnson’s continued development will likely determine the final outcome week to week.

Texas A&M will travel to face the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 2:30 p.m. CT, inside Neyland Stadium (TV: CBS).

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Jimbo Fisher, Nick Saban preview Texas A&M vs. Alabama during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference

On Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference, Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban preview Alabama’s pivotal road trip to College Station to face Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon.

This a big one, folks. On Saturday, Oct. 7, Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC) will travel to College Station to face the surging Texas A&M Aggies (4-1, 2-0 SEC) in a potential battle for the SEC West, as both remain the only unbeaten SEC West teams as we enter Week 6.

On Wednesday, Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher and Alabama head coach Nick Saban spoke to the media during their annual SEC Teleconference, as Fisher remains just one of two former Saban assistants to defeat the future Hall of Fame coach, with his sole victory coming in 2021 after former Aggie kicker Seth Small hit a memorable game-winning field goal to seal the 41-38 victory.

Despite both head coaches’ admiration for their mutual success so far this season, this matchup is poised to be vastly different compared to years past, as on paper, a talent differential barely exists. While both teams rely on their borderline elite defenses, this battle will likely come down to the quarterback battle between Texas A&M signal-caller Max Johnson and Alabama duel-threat Jalen Milroe.

For the last time until the final whistle blows, here are Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban’s quotes during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference.

Jimbo Fisher confirms Conner Weigman’s injury status during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference call

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher provided his official update regarding QB Conner Weigman’s season-ending foot injury.

On Wednesday morning, multiple sources, including TexAgs co-owner Billy Liucci and Houston Chronicle writer Brent Zwerneman, revealed that Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman’s initial injury prognosis of a minor ankle sprain was much worse than we thought, as the second-year signal caller sustained a broken bone in his foot and will officially be sidelined for the remainder of the 2023 season.

As devastating as the news may be, one positive going forward has been the play of veteran backup quarterback Max Johnson, who, in relief of Conner Weigman, threw for two touchdowns in the second half to seal the 27-10 win over Auburn. In four seasons at LSU and Texas A&M, Johnson has 17 career starts, 4,627 passing yards, 42 passing touchdowns, and only seven interceptions from 2020-2023, recently explaining why he chose to stay with the Aggies despite Weigman winning the job last night.

“I love the coaches, love the players, I love this university and this is where I want to be.”

Just hours after the news dropped, Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher spoke to a portion of the media during his annual SEC Teleconference to describe the process of discovering Weigman’s current diagnosis.

“We thought everything was fine… They got a CAT scan, and it showed up with some things that they’ll have to go in and fix.”

“We hate to lose Conner for our football team and himself.”

As much of a gut punch as the news has been for every Texas A&M fan, I can safely say that Johnson is more than capable of leading the Aggie offense. Not just based on his production in the SEC but factoring in the strides he made in the offseason to enhance his vision, football IQ, accuracy, and ability to sustain drives with his feet is primarily why Fisher is so confident in the veteran southpaw.

“We’re blessed to have (Max Johnson) and feel very confident in him, and we’re going to keep right on pace.”

One crucial piece of information Fisher revealed during the call concerning the quarterback depth chart shakeup is that former Fresno State duel-threat sophomore Jaylen Henderson will now serve as the primary backup behind Johnson.

Texas A&M will now travel to AT&T Stadium to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m. CT., and air on the SEC Network.

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Texas A&M HC Jimbo Fisher provided several updates during his weekly SEC Teleconference

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher’s provided multiple injury updates while previewing Auburn during his weekly SEC Teleconference

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher provided multiple updates while previewing the Aggies’ matchup with the visiting Auburn Tigers on Saturday afternoon during his ten-minute SEC Teleconference with the media on Wednesday afternoon.

Within his opening statement, Fisher continued to praise sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman’s development after throwing for 337 yards and accounting for two touchdowns with an 86.2% completion rate against UL Monroe. At the same time, the Aggies’ up-and-down defense made strides ahead of SEC play.

“(Quarterback) Conner (Weigman) is growing, making decisions and distributing the ball to different players. We ran the ball very efficiently. Defensively, we played very well and tackled well. A dominant performance there defensively. Made some really good plays.

Fisher previewed Auburn’s predominate strengths, specifically the Peyton Thorne and Robby Ashford QB duo. They will likely share snaps to throw off the Aggies defense duo to their shared duel-threat ability. On the injury front, the day’s surprise came in the form of an Instagram update from Texas A&M junior safety Jardin Gilbert, who is apparently recovering from an injury after posting a photo lying in a hospital bed just four days after missing the UL Monroe game.

In his absence, sophomore safety Jacoby Matthews stepped up in a big way, recording four tackles against the Warhawks while displaying an impressive mix of pursuit speed and excellent vision in the backfield. Fisher noted his progress and playtime going forward.

“I thought he played very solid in the game. It is great to get him back in the mix. Jacoby is a big, long, athletic guy. He can play second level and third level. He tackles well, he covers and is athletic. Getting him back into the mix is huge for us in what we are doing.

“It gives us great depth, but also a great starter there who can play, run and is also a great special teams player. Jacoby has a tremendous future in the game. Just keep doing things right, playing and developing. He can be a really, really good football player.”

One lingering injury-related query surrounding the program has been the health of starting right tackle Reuben Fatheree II, who has yet to play this season as he is still recovering from his knee injury suffered during the spring season. Credit to GigEm247 beat writer Carter Karels for asking when he might be back to full strength, leading to Fisher’s encouraging response.

“I do not know. That will be up to his development on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis we are seeing. But he is practicing well, doing well, getting better each and every day and we will see as that goes.”

Fisher also touched on the development and interesting background of sophomore guard/center Mark Nabou and discussed how the Aggies offense will continue to evolve this season, which you can read here.

Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.

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