Jimbo Fisher Call-In Show updates/takeaways: North Carolina week

With a home showdown against the North Carolina Tar Heels just three days away, Jimbo Fisher returned once again to his weekly call-in show, fielding questions on a variety of subjects. Here are some major takeaways from what Fisher said on the show:

Defensive injury report

The Florida State defense has suffered a number of bumps, bruises, and injuries so far this season, causing a number of consistent starters to miss time or be limited. Much ado has been made about some of those players getting back into action against UNC as a boost to a defense that has struggled with consistency. On the show, Fisher shared some good news for Florida State fans, stating that he expects safety Trey Marshall, who left the USF game with an injury, and Derrick Nnadi, who was limited against the Bulls, to play against North Carolina. Furthermore, Fisher shared that sophomore defensive end Josh Sweat returned to practice today although his timetable for return is a bit longer that that of Marshall and Nnadi.

UNC rush defense

One caller pointed out the fact that North Carolina has allowed upwards of 200 yards per game so far this season, asking if this stat was misleading or if UNC’s rush defense is exploitable. Fisher was quick to defend the Tarheels’ rush defense, saying that their number of rush yards allowed has been influenced heavily by matchups with Georgia, who relied heavily on Nick Chubb while integrating a true freshman QB, and Pitt, who used a heavy ground dose of 2014 ACC Player of the Year James Connor. Furthermore, Fisher praised North Carolina by stating that most teams run the ball so much on them because their secondary is among the best in the country.

Offensive line continuity/consistency

A late question on the show came from a member of the studio audience who inquired on how it is possible to efficiently balance the depth on Florida State’s offensive line while maintaining continuity and consistency in the unit. Fisher started by saying that it was a very good question before replying that a lot of that work is done in fall camp. He went on to say that with the constant injuries which occur on the offensive line, as evidenced by Florida State starting four different offensive line groupings in the first four games, the depth that the Seminoles have is a necessity. However, he assured the questioner that the players all get enough reps in practice together and there is enough rotation that the sheer number of linemen has no effect on the unit’s continuity.

For a full rundown on the questions asked of Fisher at Wednesday’s show, check the comments section at the bottom of the page.