What Jimbo Fisher said about Jalen Milroe, Alabama defense
Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher was the ninth head coach to join the SEC football coaches weekly media teleconference on Wednesday. During his 10-minute window with reporters, Fisher was asked a number of questions about No. 11 Alabama. Below is everything he said about the Crimson Tide ahead of the Week 6 SEC West matchup in College Station, Texas.
“Alabama, as I say, has no weaknesses. They’re a tremendous football team. They’re coached very well by arguably the best that’s ever done it in what he’s done. I’ve sat in those meetings. I know how detailed he is, I know how meticulous he is and how he goes about it. He’ll have his team ready to play, there’s no doubt. They’re a big, physical team on both lines of scrimmage. Their D-lines and O-lines are huge and physical. Their O-line, they’ve got a young tackle, but man, he played great against Mississippi State, and Latham’s phenomenal. Their inside guys are physical. The backs, McClellan and Roydell, can really run that football, can catch it, three-down guys. Milroe is getting better and better. He’s scrambling, keeping his head up, making plays on the scramble, and of course, when he does take off, it’s a different level. He’s as good an athlete on their football team, and that’s not knocking anybody else. The guy’s phenomenal. Great speed. Bond, Burton and all the receivers can catch the football. Niblack, the tight end, all those guys are averaging 18, 19, 20, 21 yards a catch. They get the ball down the field with great shots and are able to run the football, and the tight ends are physical.
“Defensively, great front. Dallas Turner can rush like heck. Forty-one is a physical guy inside, can rush and be physical. Ninety-two is great. The ‘backers – and if one ‘backer gets hurt, the other comes in and makes 14 tackles. They just keep replacing guys, great experience. In the secondary, two corners that are good as you’re going to play. Kool-Aid and Terrion Arnold are physical, they’re athletic, and Kool-Aid is also the punt returner, great in that regard. The young safety, Downs, is outstanding, can cover, hit. Six, the transfer from UAB, is really good. And Malachi Moore, all he does is play great football, gets them lined up and makes play after play after play. They’re sound all the way through, especially their punter and kicker maybe as good as there is in the country. They don’t miss and they hit it a mile. They kick it out of the end zone, where they want to. The return game is very good. We’re going to have to play a great football game. They’re a great team, they’re a physical team, they’re a competitive team and very well-coached. They’ll have them ready to go.”
Fisher on Zach Calzada’s performance against Alabama in 2021…
“I think playing with great consistency in the game, and that’s what it has … Alabama – and I say it anytime you play these teams, you always hear me say we’ve got to fight for inches and we’ve got to eliminate their inches – they don’t give you things. And if you give them opportunities, man, they capitalize on them. Most big games, or any game, are lost not won. When you make a mistake, people are so consistent in what they do they take advantage of your mistakes, and that’s one of the things he did in that game, he allowed us to stay ahead of the chains and play well. We played really well in the first half and I remember we got in lull, and then he made a heck of a drive, made a couple really good plays and we made some plays around him on that drive to tie it up. And then he got his knee hurt and then I remember the toughness and competitiveness he stayed in the game and competed with that allowed us to go down and get the field goal, that’s what I remember. But the thing he did was play with great consistency and he got the ball to the playmakers he had and he competed at a high level.”
Fisher on using the same plan to contain KJ Jefferson on Jalen Milroe…
“Well, I can’t tell you that (laughs). Look, quarterbacks that are dual-threat guys that can throw it and run it, you have to have great perception and discipline about where you are in the game and the pocket when you’re rushing. You can’t get way above them. You can’t get on two different levels. If you’re supposed to be in a B or an A gap, you can’t just loop and give up an extra yard and a half of width in the pocket because these guys are – and he’s a little different. KJ hurts you. This guy, when he takes off, man, you may never catch him. This guy can really run and make plays, but he’s doing a great job of scrambling with his eyes up and making plays, too. I think you have to be multiple in your looks because the blocking schemes can adjust to that. So I think the different looks you have to give him, the different ways you have to come at him, but the whole thing is you still have to keep him in the pocket as far as when you rush him and not give him an outlet where he can step up and take off. You’ve got to get to him and do it, but you can’t just do it recklessly.”
Fisher on if this is as good of an Alabama defense as he’s seen…
“It looks like all of them. I mean, they’re always, always good. And I say that out of respect because they can affect you on all three levels. The ‘backers can run and tackle and play in space. They’ve got rush guys up front. They play the run extremely well. And their secondary guys can not only tackle you, blitz you and get to you but then they can cover you and make plays on the ball. They’re in all three levels, whether it’s defensive line, linebackers and whether nickels or dimes when they got in the game and they’re in their dime rabbits and all that stuff, and in the secondary, they’re as good as there is and they play great football.”
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