Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher used Auburn's offense as an example Monday of what is wrong with college football.
Asked during his regular-schedule press conference, "Why are offenses across the country having so much success?" Fisher referred to illegal men down field on run-pass options.
The former SEC assistant coach, who has had stops at LSU and Auburn, went on an 8-minute rant about the problems facing college defenses.
"The rules are bent for them," Fisher said of offenses. "It's illegal. What you do now on offense is illegal. It should never be a part of football, and I'm an offensive guy. When you can have linemen go 3 yards down the field and it is a pass, something is wrong with that.
"It gives false key reads, and guys are running the ball."
Fisher pointed to one team as a prime example: Auburn.
"It cost Alabama a national championship," Fisher said, referring to the 2013 Iron Bowl, which featured the infamous Kick Six.
"Nick is a guy who does a lot of things other people aren't willing to do."
In the memorable game, then-quarterback Nick Marshall -who appeared ready to take off and scramble – stopped just before the line of scrimmage, freezing Alabama defenders and finding wide open receiver Sammie Coates for a 39-yard touchdown with just 32 seconds remaining.
"When we played Auburn for the national championship, they had a lineman 7 yards down the field on the pass to tie it up before the Kick 6. It would've never been there. It should've been illegal.
"Last year when (Auburn) played Ole Miss, they had a guy 6 yards down the field."
Fisher went on to explain the change in dynamic in the college football game because of the running quarterback.
Florida State's defense has struggled the most so far this season, putting more pressure on the entire team.
The Seminoles rank No. 11 out of 14 ACC teams in total defense, with FSU allowing 438 yards per game. That's the highest average since 2009, Bobby Bowden's final season as head coach.
"You have to go back to work with a passion, a purpose, and a drive and get it done."
"Quarterback runs in college football are always going to change the game of football," Fisher explained. "Now, can you keep a quarterback healthy? Do you have enough of them? It changes the whole dynamic of what you do on defense. ... It used to be when a lineman was downfield when a pass was thrown, it is an illegal man down field. Now, they can be up to 3 yards down field. Now, you're a safety and you read an unblocked guy. You're supposed to read the unblocked lineman. And that is coming off the line and hitting that guy on the run. He's 3 yards off the line.
"What's your trigger to do? Come make a play. But now the quarterback can pull back and throw the football and it's not illegal."
Fisher's comments about linemen down field start at 31:20 on the video below, while he talks about Alabama at 33:40.
Florida State (3-2, 0-2 ACC) is two days removed from losing a heartbreaker to North Carolina, with the Tar Heels nailing a game-winning, 54-yard field goal as time expired Saturday. It handed the Seminoles their first 0-2 start in ACC play since 2011. While the attention has turned to Saturday's rivalry showdown with No. 10 Miami (4-0, 2-0), there are still some residual concerns carried over from this most recent loss.
Fisher took exception to assumptions made from comments by players like Dalvin Cook that the recent struggles have led to a locker room that's divided — that offensive and defensive players are pointing fingers at each other — something he flat-out denied.
"We win as a team and we lose as a team," Fisher said. "We're not pointing fingers."
Asked during his regular-schedule press conference, "Why are offenses across the country having so much success?" Fisher referred to illegal men down field on run-pass options.
The former SEC assistant coach, who has had stops at LSU and Auburn, went on an 8-minute rant about the problems facing college defenses.
"The rules are bent for them," Fisher said of offenses. "It's illegal. What you do now on offense is illegal. It should never be a part of football, and I'm an offensive guy. When you can have linemen go 3 yards down the field and it is a pass, something is wrong with that.
"It gives false key reads, and guys are running the ball."
Fisher pointed to one team as a prime example: Auburn.
"It cost Alabama a national championship," Fisher said, referring to the 2013 Iron Bowl, which featured the infamous Kick Six.
"Nick is a guy who does a lot of things other people aren't willing to do."
In the memorable game, then-quarterback Nick Marshall -who appeared ready to take off and scramble – stopped just before the line of scrimmage, freezing Alabama defenders and finding wide open receiver Sammie Coates for a 39-yard touchdown with just 32 seconds remaining.
"When we played Auburn for the national championship, they had a lineman 7 yards down the field on the pass to tie it up before the Kick 6. It would've never been there. It should've been illegal.
"Last year when (Auburn) played Ole Miss, they had a guy 6 yards down the field."
Fisher went on to explain the change in dynamic in the college football game because of the running quarterback.
Florida State's defense has struggled the most so far this season, putting more pressure on the entire team.
The Seminoles rank No. 11 out of 14 ACC teams in total defense, with FSU allowing 438 yards per game. That's the highest average since 2009, Bobby Bowden's final season as head coach.
"You have to go back to work with a passion, a purpose, and a drive and get it done."
"Quarterback runs in college football are always going to change the game of football," Fisher explained. "Now, can you keep a quarterback healthy? Do you have enough of them? It changes the whole dynamic of what you do on defense. ... It used to be when a lineman was downfield when a pass was thrown, it is an illegal man down field. Now, they can be up to 3 yards down field. Now, you're a safety and you read an unblocked guy. You're supposed to read the unblocked lineman. And that is coming off the line and hitting that guy on the run. He's 3 yards off the line.
"What's your trigger to do? Come make a play. But now the quarterback can pull back and throw the football and it's not illegal."
Fisher's comments about linemen down field start at 31:20 on the video below, while he talks about Alabama at 33:40.
Florida State (3-2, 0-2 ACC) is two days removed from losing a heartbreaker to North Carolina, with the Tar Heels nailing a game-winning, 54-yard field goal as time expired Saturday. It handed the Seminoles their first 0-2 start in ACC play since 2011. While the attention has turned to Saturday's rivalry showdown with No. 10 Miami (4-0, 2-0), there are still some residual concerns carried over from this most recent loss.
Fisher took exception to assumptions made from comments by players like Dalvin Cook that the recent struggles have led to a locker room that's divided — that offensive and defensive players are pointing fingers at each other — something he flat-out denied.
"We win as a team and we lose as a team," Fisher said. "We're not pointing fingers."
