What Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said about Tennessee on Wednesday

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher made his weekly appearance on the SEC Coaches Teleconference on Wednesday, looking forward to Texas A&M’s game at No. 19 Tennessee on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, CBS) at Neyland Stadium:

Opening Statement on Tennessee

“Josh (Heupel) has done a great job with those guys. Offensely, of course, they’ve set the tempo by how fast they go and what they do on offense, but they really run the football really well. They got three backs that really run the football. The quarterback, Joe Milton, is a big physical guy that can throw the ball extremely far down the field. Accurate, can run, can scramble off in the blinds, doing a good job. Squirrel (White), the receiver, does an excellent job, man. He’s physical for a guy his size. He’s got great acceleration, great top-end speed. Players at 9 (Ramel Keyton) and 1 (Dont’e Thornton), also big, lanky receivers and they get the ball to him. They know how to play. 

“And do a great job defensively. Very physical up front with Omari (Thomas). Those guys up front get great penetration, great physicality … 27 (James Pearce) and 30 (Roman Harrison) on the edge can really rush. (Tyler Baron is) a really good player. Two linebackers, (Aaron) Beasley, 6, is outstanding all over the field. (Elijah) Herring, 44, does a great job. Nickel (Tamarion McDonald) is very active. Five, corner, Kamal (Hadden) does a really good (job), he’s a good player. One (Gabe Jeudy-Lally), the experienced player. (Jaylen) McCollough has played for a long time and really is always in the right place, making the right play. (Wesley) Walker does a good job, very sound.

“Kicking game. they got a kicker from Australia (Jackson Ross) that can kick it right footed or left footed and makes it very tough. And it’s rugby (kicks) and he’s only had a few returns. Kickoff guy kicks it out (of the end zone), does a great job. (Charles Campbell is) accurate in his field goals. They got really good return people, so I mean, they do a great job and they’re playing at home and they play really well at home. They play well everywhere, but they play really well at home and you gotta deal with crowd noise and all those things. We’ll be planning for that. 

“So we’ve got a tremendous opponent and tremendous challenge this week. And hopefully our guys will look forward. Have had a good week of practice so far. We had a good one yesterday, good holiday Monday. So gotta have that to get forward.”

Tennessee and Texas A&M combining to average 19 tackles for loss per game, if the two defenses are similar in how they get after the quarterback

“It’s always usually your front people have to be difference makers, guys that can change the game. And both sides have those guys. Their front is very good at penetrating. They get upfield. The tackles get off the ball, the ends can rush. So I mean, it’s gotta start there. Then the backers are active and they’re the second leading guys who make (the tackles for loss) and they can fill (gaps) and fit when they blitz. So I think from that aspect, they’re very similar in that regard with the types of players and things that are going on.”

Preparing for the arm strength of Tennessee’s Joe Milton this week in practice

“There’s very few guys, again, that’s very hard (to prepare for). So you gotta try to get your scout team guys, or when you’re doing good on good with your guys, trying to make sure you do it. And you can build drills in to where they make them run farther. And you may have like cover up here and you have a quarterback throwing to a guy that’s 20 yards down the field, and let them get an extra 20 where they’re still throwing at 40, but you have already ran 60. You gotta get used to seeing the ball in that time. And not many guys can throw it that far. So in your mechanism, as a DB, sometimes they get 50, 55, 60 yards, you’re going, okay, I gotta be here. And then the ball keeps going another 10 or 12 yards. It’s very tough and it’s different.”

Texas A&M’s defense leading the SEC in sacks (26.0) and tackles for loss (57.0)

“I think we have good front people and then our backers are active and they’re very fast and we blitz them. But they also read their triggers, getting downhill. But it all starts up front and then when your backers are coming and fitting those gaps. And when they blitz, they blitz. But our guys up front, from McKinnley (Jackson) to Shemar (Turner), Shemar Stewart, (Fadill) Diggs has gotten a lot of those guys, Isaiah Raikes. Walter Nolan has been outstanding, his ability to pass rush and take on blockers and shed. And of course our backers are being active and popping the guys. And it’s just a good group. And then they’re playing very well together.

And the thing I like, I could say they’re doing a great job in discipline of keeping guys in the pocket as they’re making those sacks.”

What he’s seen from Tennessee’s run game on film

“I mean, you see all their speed and quickness, but man, you don’t realize they’re 210, 212, 215. Very good size and strength. Break tackles, very elusive, but also physical, hard to get on the ground. Got great burst acceleration, which I think everybody talks about top-end, flat speed. I think burst and acceleration for a back is even over that. I mean, the initial burst acceleration that you do a lot more of that, they do a good job of that and they catch the ball well, they block well.”

What Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson needs to do to take the next step against Tennessee

“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 just get the ball out quicker and accurate. And I think that goes for any level of quarterback. You see that. And I always tell quarterbacks too, when they get in trouble, where’s my outlet? 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.

“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 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 as he just keeps growing in that, in that regard.”