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In seven seasons at Florida State, head coach Jimbo Fisher has preached day in and day out about the importance of restoring the Seminoles to the nationally feared powerhouse they once were. And his 71-16 record during that span -- to go along with a national title and four ACC Championships -- proves he's done just that.
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But the 2016 season is clearly a different animal, and a 3-2 start (including 0-2 in the ACC) is not what anyone had in mind. Especially not Fisher, who showed up to his Monday press conference understandably agitated and defensive following Saturday's soul-stealing loss to North Carolina, which kicked a 54-yard field goal as time expired to upset the then-No. 12 ranked Seminoles on their home field.
As a result, Florida State, which started the season ranked No. 4, dropped all the way to No. 23 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll released Sunday. Fisher likely received that news while he was breaking down the film from that loss, which featured one heck of an offensive effort by the Seminoles and one stinker of an effort by the defense.
To compound that frustration, Florida State is now -- dating back to 2015 -- a very un-Florida-State-like 5-5 in its last 10 games.
And it begged one constant question Monday: Are the Seminoles regressing?
"No. We ain't used to losing, ain't going to get used to it," Fisher said. "We're going to try to get better."
But can that rapid an improvement happen midseason? With only a week of practice in between? And with a showdown looking at rival and unbeaten No. 10 Miami (4-0, 1-0) just a few days away?
"Yes," Fisher answered emphatically.
Fisher pointed to the 2011 season at Florida State -- and also several from when he was an assistant at LSU -- where a team faced adversity but managed to finish strong. In one case, the 2004 Tigers were 3-2 in early October but went on to win the SEC title. And in the case of the 2011 team at Florida State, the Seminoles sat 2-3 in mid-October, but they finished the season 7-1, including a bowl game win against Notre Dame.
"(The) 2011 team -- we came out with all those young players on offense, couldn't move the ball," Fisher said. "Then (we won seven of our last eight) and that actually propelled us to 2012 and 2013 and the (successful) seasons we did have.
"Coming off a disappointing loss (on Saturday) to North Carolina. Again, there's parts of our team we have to get fixed. A lot of areas we have to fix and get better."
What needs fixing most isn't a mystery right now.
The unit, under third-year defensive coordinator Charles Kelly, is one of the worst -- statistically -- in the nation, ranking 125th in yards allowed per play (6.98) out of 128 total FBS programs. It's also ranked 105th in scoring defense, allowing an average of 35.4 points a game -- including 135 points in its last three games.
But Fisher said Monday that Kelly was not in jeopardy of being replaced now or any time this season. Firing a coach midseason, after all, is not something Fisher has done during his seven years at the helm. And when asked how Kelly was dealing with all the criticism from fans and media about Florida State's defense, Fisher replied: "To what? Nothing's going on. He's up there coaching his tail off and going to work every day."
And when specifically asked if Kelly would still be calling all the defensive plays against Miami this week, Fisher gave a one-word response -- "Yes" -- before looking for the next question, which was: Given its struggles, would Fisher be more involved with the defense going forward?
"I will. We'll have to look and evaluate and make sure all the schemes and everything we do and the players understand what we want. We'll be involved and support those guys and make sure they're doing the right things." Fisher said. "(But you need to ask), 'What can I help you do? Tell me how I can help you. What will make you prepare better? What will make you see it better? What can we do better? You've got to give them a voice, too.
"As a head coach, you want to do that. I meet with them every day. As a head coach, it's your job to evaluate all the players. I love defensive football. I've always said that. You're never great until you have a great defense. That's where the foundation of all programs are."
OK, so now that the adage -- "Defense wins championships" --- has been confirmed, time to move on to Miami, which is an ideal team bounce-back team for Florida State.
On paper, at least.
Florida State is 6-0 against the Hurricanes under Fisher since he took over in 2010, including a 29-24 victory last year in Tallahassee. But even Fisher knows that Miami -- with new head coach Mark Richt and returning star quarterback Brad Kaaya -- is quite a bit better this year than any year Florida State has faced them during that unbeaten run.
"Miami is a very good team. They're undefeated. Playing very well. They're 4-0. Dynamic on offense, playmakers at receiver, quarterback, and running back. Very physical," Fisher said Monday. "Defensively, (Miami defensive coordinator) Manny (Diaz) does a great job with the defense, and what (head coach) Mark (Richt) does with the offense. A lot of blitz packages. A lot of different looks. A lot of things they do. It will be a home game. They have a great environment. Very sound on special teams. We need to perform at a very high level to have a chance to have success.
"And that's what our goal is and that's what our intentions are."
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
--RB Dalvin Cook -- It's a shame all the talk after the North Carolina loss -- a defeat that was a career-long 54-yard field goal away from being a win -- overshadowed the performance last Saturday of Cook. He rushed for 140 yards, scored three times and also hauled in six passes for 106 more yards. Cook, as he made it known after the game in some of his comments to the media, felt like he did his part on offense -- and he'll have to keep doing it Saturday when he returns to his hometown of Miami, where he played high school football at Miami Central. Cook currently leads the nation in yards from scrimmage (921 yards) and is second in FBS in yards from scrimmage per game (184.2). He also leads the team in touchdowns with seven, and last year he torched the Hurricanes for 222 yards and two TDs. And with Florida State likely out of the running for any sort of ACC or national title at this point, the lone accolade left to win for the program is the Heisman Trophy. Cook is still seen as a Heisman hopeful, so expect Florida State to feed him the ball a lot the rest of the season.
--DB DeMarcus Walker -- He was Florida State's veteran defense leader when the season started, but he really had the weight put on his shoulders when star defensive back Derwin James went out with a cartilage tear. But Walker's impassioned prediction he made in a speech after the 63-20 Louisville loss -- in which he promised Seminole fans would "see a different team" -- hasn't reached fruition. Florida State has one of the worst defenses, statistically, in the nation and is coming off a loss in which they gave up 35 points or more for the third straight game. Yes, he has done his part -- Walker is tied for second on the team in tackles and leads the ACC in sacks with 6 1/2 -- but Florida State needs his emotional leadership more than anything right now. How Walker is able to rally the defense this week in practice -- and then whether he can transfer that motivation over to the game against Miami on Saturday -- could define how the rest of the 2016 goes.
--K Ricky Aguayo -- Oh, what a difference a week makes. Aguayo went from being the leading field goal kicker in the ACC, going 11 of 12 through four games, to tumbling down the charts after missing three FGs -- all in the first quarter -- against North Carolina last week. Florida State lost that game, 37-35, so the misses were huge, and it's something the freshman kicker needs to get corrected this week, especially before a game against Miami -- a place where the Seminoles are famous for kicking woes. The good news? Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher says he could see, after watching the film, what Aguayo did wrong. "We looked at the tape, and his plant foot was too close on those kicks. His toe was turned in. It was all a technical thing," Fisher said. "After the game, we were able to look at it. He'd been lights out. He'd been kicking the ball really well. We'll fix that and go back."
