Players still staying positive with just two games left in disappointing season, says defensive lineman Landon Jackson and wide receiver Andrew Armstrong after practice Tuesday for Saturday's game with Florida international.
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00:00 >> I guess for both y'all, I mean, you've been playing all these SEC teams and
00:05 now you're playing FIU and your big favorite.
00:08 What's the mindset when you go from playing SEC teams to maybe some
00:12 of the teams you're playing earlier in the non-conference?
00:16 >> Our biggest goal this week is really to, I mean,
00:19 get a big time win for our fan base.
00:21 I mean, these smaller schools in the past two years we have had trouble with and
00:26 I think it's cuz just our focus hasn't been right.
00:30 So I mean, our biggest thing this week is really to be focused and
00:33 locked in all practice and really get a big time win for our fan base.
00:37 >> Like he said, going into this game, playing SEC teams that we've been playing,
00:42 this team is no different.
00:43 I don't look at them different.
00:45 Like I said, I come from a smaller school.
00:46 So I know his players and like I said, those lower levels that are really great
00:50 players and can make a difference in the game, no matter what level you're at.
00:53 So I'm gonna go in this game and I hope the team go into the game.
00:56 We're gonna go into the game thinking, no,
00:59 this is another big great team we're playing and no,
01:02 nothing gonna change from that.
01:04 >> And you guys play on TV every week.
01:06 This is a big deal for FIU to be on ESPN.
01:10 You and Andrew, you alluded to it.
01:12 You came from a smaller school.
01:14 From that perspective, from a small school perspective,
01:17 kinda how excited do you think FIU is for this opportunity?
01:20 It's kind of a nothing to lose.
01:22 Everybody expect, nobody's expecting them to win.
01:25 So they can kinda come in and just let it all hang out.
01:27 Kinda from your perspective from previous, your previous school,
01:30 just what's the attitude of a team like FIU, do you think?
01:34 >> Man, I just know for a fact when I was at Commerce,
01:37 my biggest goal was to play, I wanted to play Alabama.
01:40 I knew for a fact we weren't gonna win.
01:42 I wanted to play all the SEC teams.
01:44 I knew for a fact we wasn't gonna win.
01:46 But it's just you going out there and just playing against those teams that you
01:50 probably watched when you were younger and things like that.
01:53 So I know they're gonna come here with a lot of fight,
01:55 a lot of enthusiasm to go out here and dominate.
01:57 >> Okay, thanks guys.
01:59 >> Courtney.
02:02 >> Yeah, this is just a quick question for both of you guys.
02:04 We saw Jacoby get some action on Saturday's game.
02:08 And I just wonder from each of your perspectives,
02:11 maybe Andrew can go first and then Landon.
02:13 Just what is he like?
02:14 What have you seen from him as a player and then also as a teammate?
02:17 >> Man, Jacoby, when he's on the field, he's very down in, locked in.
02:21 Y'all seen him throw the ball, he can throw the ball like no other.
02:24 He got one of the strongest arms I've seen.
02:27 He's the leader.
02:28 When he gets on the field, if you don't know where you're at,
02:31 he can help you line you up.
02:32 If you don't forget to play, you look at him, he'll tell you to play,
02:35 things like that.
02:35 So he's just fitting in and
02:39 just being Jacoby Criswell, being the player that he is.
02:42 >> Yeah, no, I mean, he's a great teammate, great guy to be around.
02:46 And really just brings a positive mindset every day to work.
02:51 So I mean, great guy, love him to death.
02:53 And I mean, great quarterback.
02:55 >> Thank you guys.
02:57 >> Great.
02:59 >> Yeah, Landon, you guys as a defense probably, I mean, 36,
03:05 37 great quarters out of all the ones that you played.
03:09 What happened against Florida?
03:10 Was it just they got up by 21 real quick and kind of able to do everything?
03:14 And what was the reaction from Coach Teewill about how to get
03:21 you guys back playing the way you were before the Auburn game?
03:24 >> Yeah, I mean, we really, I feel like it's more so on the players.
03:29 We kinda, we came into our unit meeting and
03:33 Coach Teewill said, I mean, told us everything that he did wrong.
03:37 And I mean, knew that he did wrong.
03:39 And then he just showed us certain plays in practice.
03:43 And the same play being called in the game.
03:45 And I mean, we weren't executing the play, to be honest.
03:47 Like we just, I mean, weren't playing our style of football.
03:51 We weren't wrapping up.
03:52 I mean, our tackling was by far the worst it's been all year that game.
03:55 So that's our biggest thing stressing.
03:58 When we're thudding in practice to really thud up and wrap the guy up.
04:01 And that's something we did not do.
04:03 There was a lot of plays where we got him stopped on the one,
04:06 two yard line and didn't get him down.
04:08 So that was a big thing that we just didn't really do great on in practice.
04:13 And I mean, just a lot of mental errors that game.
04:16 So I mean, just the all around bad game.
04:18 I guess a lot of our defensive guys didn't really have the right mindset going
04:22 in that game.
04:23 That's something that we're definitely getting changed and
04:26 working on every day in meetings practice.
04:28 And I mean, our focus level has been phenomenal these past few days.
04:31 So I mean, ready to see us go out there and get to work against FIU this week.
04:36 >> Why do you think maybe they didn't have the right mindset?
04:38 I mean, it just seems like there's everything to play for in that game.
04:42 >> Yeah, no, I mean, I can only tell you for myself.
04:45 So I mean, I went in there with the right head ready to work.
04:47 But I mean, it just didn't look like our style of football, to be honest,
04:51 just from what I've seen on film and that's just something we got to get cleaned up.
04:56 >> For both of you guys, there's been a lot of outside noise, obviously,
04:59 a lot of people talking about Coach Pittman and stuff.
05:02 What is his message to Ben, to you guys?
05:04 Probably not to listen to what I just said, but
05:07 what's his message been to you guys and
05:09 how has he talked to you about getting the ship righted for these last couple games?
05:15 >> Man, really just, I mean, we got to battle adversity.
05:18 We've been doing it all year, we got to keep fighting.
05:21 You can't ever give up, cuz that's whenever you let the media and
05:25 the talk win, is when you give up and just let it take you over.
05:29 So my biggest thing I do is I stay off social media whenever times get tough and
05:33 everything, cuz I mean, all it does is just puts negative things in your brain
05:37 that, I mean, the more and more you see negative things,
05:39 you start to believe those negative things.
05:41 That's something I try not listening to.
05:44 And I mean, and Coach Pitt's message to us is, I mean, he still loves us.
05:47 He's still giving us his all.
05:49 So I mean, I'm still gonna give him my all.
05:51 >> Just like Landon said, Coach Pitt comes in there every day.
05:56 No matter what's going on in the media, he comes in there and
06:00 make sure that we're good as players on and off the field.
06:03 Make sure that whatever the media is saying about us or
06:06 saying about a certain player or saying about a certain coach or things like that,
06:09 don't let that affect us.
06:11 And just knock all the noise out and just come out here and
06:14 ready to play football each week.
06:16 >> Thanks, guys, appreciate it.
06:18 >> Tom, close us out.
06:20 >> Yeah, Landon, question about what FIU's doing offensively, freshman,
06:24 quarterback, and they look like they have a smaller line than what y'all have gone
06:27 against.
06:28 >> Yeah, I mean, their line is a little bit smaller.
06:32 Their left tackle, I feel like is a pretty talented O-lineman, though.
06:35 I mean, he's 6'9" wider.
06:37 I mean, he's I think 290, but he's still 6'9", has great length.
06:41 Biggest thing is just use our strength to our advantage, and
06:45 really just try dominating the game.
06:47 >> Andrew, on the offensive side of the ball, what do you see out of them?
06:50 What do y'all need to do to kind of get your motors back going?
06:54 >> Just go out there and execute.
06:56 There was plenty of times last game we didn't execute on things.
06:58 Getting good on third downs, it was like one for, I don't know what we were, for
07:04 the third down, but it's almost impossible for you to win a game like that when
07:08 you're not converting on third downs and things like that,
07:11 not doing good on first downs.
07:12 So I think that's our main focus is to do better on first downs,
07:17 second downs, third downs, so we can get another set of downs and
07:21 keep the field moving, and let our defense not be on the field as much.
07:24 >> Was it surprising to you that all that momentum that you had in the Florida game
07:28 that you didn't carry it over offensively against Auburn?
07:31 >> I mean, I knew it was gonna be some bumps and bruises for that game,
07:35 like to start off because last game, Coach Guy, that was his first time, so
07:40 they probably weren't really gonna know a lot of what we were gonna do and
07:43 things like that.
07:44 So this game, I'm pretty sure they watched him and things like that, but
07:47 I feel like we had a great game plan going in.
07:49 We just, like I said, we just didn't execute as a team.
07:54 >> It was good to see you back on the field Saturday after that fall
07:57 in the end zone.
07:58 Did you see how close you came to holding onto that ball?
08:01 I mean, how you doing?
08:03 >> I'm doing good, yeah, I'm doing great.
08:05 I was just happy to get up and walk off myself and just be there for the team.
08:12 Congratulate them on the win, run on the field with them and things like that.
08:15 So yeah, I'm cool with that.
08:17 >> Is there a sense in the locker room that you guys might be playing this game for
08:20 Coach Pittman these last two games, Landon?
08:22 >> No, we gotta treat every game the same.
08:27 Biggest thing in the locker room is, I mean, season's not over.
08:30 We still got this game in Missouri left and we gotta prove a point.
08:36 And I mean, just show them the team we are and continue to fight and
08:40 keep working hard.
08:41 >> Andrew, any thoughts on that?
08:42 >> You say the question again?
08:47 >> Well, I mean, there's just a lot of speculation out there.
08:51 Do y'all feel like maybe you're playing for Coach Pittman these last two games?
08:56 >> I mean, like Landon said, we're just gonna go out there and
08:57 play football regardless.
08:58 No matter what it is, we could have been 0 and 9 right now, 0 and 10.
09:03 Like I said, we love football.
09:05 So we're gonna go out there and play football no matter what, if it's practice.
09:09 I mean, we're just gonna play football regardless, if it's for somebody or
09:12 if it isn't, so.