The Aggies currently riding their longest winning streak since 1998 and look to notch their 11th in a row when they face New Mexico on Saturday. Ahead of the contest, Jimbo Fisher, Antonio Johnson, Connor Choate and Nik Constantinou spoke to the media.
The following are live, paraphrased notes from Jimbo Fisher’s Monday afternoon media availability.
- In the game Saturday, I’m very proud of our team for how we’re able to persevere and overcome things that we’re not going very well. We know there are a lot of things we got to get fixed, but there were some really good things. The competitive nature and not giving up until the final whistle. It was a very physical football game, and they were a physical team. We raised our standards in the game. The defense was outstanding. They had the one good drive. We were able to stop them on another one, and they missed a field goal, fortunately. We had the other one where we stopped them on 4th-and-inches. On offense, we had our issues. We didn’t make some blocks early, and we took turns. We only average about 11 possession a game, but in this one, we got more because our defense was getting stops. You have to have more on offense. In the second half, we gave up 54 yards. We kept raising the bar defensively and encouraging the offense. Then you had a 10 play drive, a 13 play drive, and an 11 play drive. A lot of things we got to get fixed in all areas, and we have to coach better. To go put three drives together after struggling all day, that’s the urgency you need. We went all the way down and lost the ball going into the end zone. We responded with a touchdown drive. That's perseverance. We were making contested throws, catches and blocks. It's understanding how to win. We got to get those things fixed. Nik was outstanding, averaging 49-yards per punt. I thought we covered kickoffs great. We were close on kickoff returns, one block away.
- We got to throw it better and protect it better at times. We need to play cleaner football. The defense is the strength of our team.
- Haynes King had a crack in his lower leg that they've fixed. It went as well as it could. Timeline, I'm not a doctor, so I’ll say that it’ll heal when it heals. We still have a good quarterback in Zach Calzada.
- I thought Isaiah Spiller was outstanding in the game. He made plays in the game. His leadership and his whole demeanor in how he's affecting guys on the sidelines is amazing. I’m extremely proud of him, and he made the big play to win the game.
- Eli Stowers has always taken reps at quarterback, and Blake Bost will get some reps too. He has been very good and had scholarship offers at a number of schools. He was playing so well that we felt comfortable making the move with Stowers.
- We’ll still stay similar on offense. The concept of what we do and how we do things will stay close to how they are.
- Layden Robinson was our lineman of the week. He was banged up. We'll give him a bit of a rest, but he should be good to go. He had a great game.
- Congratulations to Jayden Peevy, the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, and Antonio Johnson, who had a hell of a game, and Isaiah Spiller, who was our offensive player of the week.
- We still feel we can be great on both sides of the ball. Is the defense the leadership on this team? No doubt.
- In the second half, the defense was dominant. We cleaned some stuff up from our first game, cleaning up those "leaky" yards. I think they realized the game had to turn up, and that might be a wake-up call for them. Teams try to pick and choose when they take a break, but I think they need to be intense all the time. We got to learn to start that way, be that way and play that way.
- McKinnley Jackson will be back this week.
- The quarterbacks kept raising each other's games during camp, playing well each day. That's the first true game time that Zach has had. He got put in the fire real quick when he wasn't ready for it. They schemed us very well.
- The confidence in Calzada on the sideline was really good. He'd come over and tell me what was going on. You have to be quick but don't hurry. The more he played, the more it slowed down and the more plays he made.
- Colorado got in gaps, played physically and stopped the run. Sometimes we’d be on a block, hold it and fall off at the end. Our strain to their strain, our hat to their hat, our technique to their technique. Our guys played physically. There was some miscommunication with the young linemen. We got to clean those details up.
- I don't think there is ever a benefit when your quarterback goes down, but it's nice to have two good ones. New Mexico is 2-0, and they are a pain in the tail. They are very multiple and diverse up front.
- New Mexico is going to be a very good opponent, and we’ll have to play very well.
- The hardest thing to do is be the backup quarterback. Other backups get to play. Backup quarterback, you usually don’t. You know what you’re going into, and maybe there will be tweaks to plays that he likes better. With practice this week, I think he'll have a great mindset.
- He knows one thing: They were struggling offensively as bad as anybody has, but we can turn it up and lead his team down the field and have a game-winning throw on third down. You never know what a guy has until he faces adversity. He had more adversity in one game than I've ever seen in my life. Until you do it, there is some doubt. He has done it, and now that he has, hopefully, he can go play very well.
- My dad always told me to remember that winners win. There is a certain trait that winners have where they’ll always come back. Now, I wish we wouldn't have to come back like that. We haven’t won championships or done anything yet. Still, to be able to persevere and do what we've done lately is a great thing. Hopefully, the culture we’re establishing here is establishing that.
- This is no tune-up. This is a game. Have you been following the games across the country last two weeks? We have to bring our A game and play our physical brand of football. That's what I'm looking for.
- Field position is a war. It’s the unspoken thing until it's needed, and it was needed on that day. Nik was huge, and he keeps getting better and better. He's as hard of a worker as anybody on our football team.
- Calzada has a strong arm, but he's a passer and is learning how to be a passer. As you get more knowledge of what's going on, you get better. Sometimes a guy with a great arm is late with his reads. You'll start to see him being able to pass the football and not just throwing the football. He can get the ball to all parts of the field.
- Colorado's front seven was very physical. They were a good football team up front.
- I haven't asked our young offensive linemen if they were caught off guard. Hopefully, it was a wake-up call. I keep trying to warn them that it's going to get tougher and tougher as you go. That's part of growing up, and hopefully, now they know.
