'Got To Be Better!' Texas A&M Aggies Coach Jimbo Fisher Focused on Better Coaching vs. Tennessee

Texas A&M Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher took the blame for his team's second-half meltdown against Alabama, and is focused on being a better coach to avoid a similar result in Week 7 against Tennessee on the road.

Texas A&M Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher has always been big on the small things.

The inches. Whether that's taken literally — as in coming up short on a fourth down conversion — or metaphorically, that is, to get beat by small mental mistakes, Fisher makes sure to preach "finding the inches" to his team week in and week out. 

Against Alabama, that ended up being the case, but Fisher took the fall for that.

“I blame myself," the veteran coach said. "We have to prepare them better. As long as there is love and caring for each other, you’re going to come back and play hard and do what you have to do.”

Fisher detailed the Aggies' gameplan heading into their annual showdown against Alabama during a recent interview at Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q Wednesday ... and in short, he said they did accomplish their goal.

Sep 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher before the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Arkansas Razorbacks at AT&T Stadium / © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

"We held them to 20 yards rushing," Fisher said Wednesday. "They had some passing yards, but the things we needed to take away were the running game and the quarterback's room,  and we did." 

But despite taking away the run, the inches came back to bite the Aggies, who lost after taking a halftime lead. And Fisher is determined to "better coach" his team to avoid a similar situation in Knoxville Saturday against the Tennessee Volunteers. 

"When you play good people, they make you make plays," Fisher said. "We had opportunities, but we've got to get better. We've got to coach them up better and give them a better chance."

By first-half standards, the Aggies got the job done. By second-half standards, they crashed and burned —something they've also focused on this season — so to beat Tennessee, they'll need to keep things going for the entirety of the game. 

Tennessee sits in second in the SEC in rushing yards, while graduate quarterback Joe Milton III has put up impressive stats through the air, leaving the Aggies with a test on defense. That'll be where a lot of Texas A&M's attention lies — and if it's successful, things could end up in their favor. They have the talent, and Fisher knows it.

But if it comes down to coaching, Fisher could be in for another long day if the Aggies' shortcomings truly do land on him.