Florida State 38, Duke 20
Q. Braden, can you talk about the second half and second half, what you guys were able to do against Duke's offense, especially the running game?
BRADEN FISKE: Yeah, I think we went to the locker room, we just made a commitment and said, no more, we're not going to let no more points on the board. That's kudos to the effort from all the guys on the team. I mean, we knew we had to step up. The first half isn't who we were. Like I said, we made a commitment to be better, and it showed. We got more hats to the ball, and we just played a better second half.
Q. Jaheim, neither of you guys have been here that long. This is your first season here, but what have you seen from this team, and what do you feel like this team has in a game like this where you're trailing pretty much into the fourth quarter the whole game, to be as resilient as you guys are?
JAHEIM BELL: I feel like everybody on this team got some type of fight in them. Everybody on this team has made a commitment. Since I've been here, I've seen seen how hard we work. When I came in, I knew this was the right fit for me when I came in, just watching how these guys work. That's the type of guy I am, and I filled in well with this group.
Q. Braden, you've played three home games already with Southern Miss, Virginia Tech and Syracuse, but I have to imagine it wasn't quite like tonight. As a kid in his first year of this kind of football, what was that crowd like for you tonight? What was that experience like?
BRADEN FISKE: Yeah, I think the atmosphere showed itself. It was unbelievable for me. I feel like I say it every time I talk to you guys. It gets better and better that I get to experience this.
I couldn't agree more with what he said. I feel like it was a perfect fit. I feel like we brought the right guys in, we do the right things, and it's starting to pay off on the field.
It's great for the community, great for college football, and I couldn't be more thankful to be a part of it for my last year. It's just an awesome experience overall. Just really, really thankful.
Q. Braden, can you walk us through the goal-line stand and what that moment says about this defense in particular?
BRADEN FISKE: The one there was it the end of the third quarter there? Well, I mean, it was kind of my fault that they got that deep down in there with the facemask. But luckily we just -- like I said, I think it was kind of the same mentality we went into the second half with, like no more points, we cannot let it happen, we cannot let the score happen there. Every guy on the defense was saying that. It was like, no more points here.
When you have 11 guys that are on the same page and have the same mindset, really good things happen, and yeah, I couldn't be more proud of the guys out there that we made that stop. It was huge, huge for us.
Q. Braden, there was a lot of talk coming into this game about their offensive line and how experienced they are, and it looked like it was a good test for you guys, but did you guys feel like you wore them down a little bit with your depth as the game went on?
BRADEN FISKE: Yeah, I mean, kudos to them. That was a veteran group. They played physical. That was probably one of the more physical O-lines that we've played all year. They were coming after us early on, and we had to fight back.
I think having depth and being able to rotate guys and getting fresh bodies in there helps a lot, but I think it was more so the mentality that we came with. The second half -- we said, we're committed to stopping this. This is not who we are.
But to your point, yes, getting fresh bodies in there made a huge difference, and I think we were able to wear them down at some point, yeah.
Q. Jaheim, I feel like obviously a lot of guys to pay attention to on this offense between you and Jordan, Trey, Johnny, Keion. For the first two touchdowns tonight to be Caziah and then Deuce on the kick return, what's that say about how many weapons and how fun is it to be part of an offense that has so many weapons?
JAHEIM BELL: We've got a very elite offense. When the defensive coordinator comes in and they've got to scout us, they really don't know who to look at because you never know who in this offense, they can go. I always say anybody in this offense can go at any moment, and like I said when I first got here, you can't double everybody.
I just feel like our offense is very elite.
Q. Jaheim, you had the most catches tonight, 53 yards, 10 targets. How did the game really open up for you tonight at receiver?
JAHEIM BELL: Just through the week, I prepared like a pro. I was meeting with my coach every day just on the things that I had to lock in on, and it showed today. I feel like I played a great game, and I just want to thank my coach for helping me get prepared for it.
Q. Jaheim, where were you -- I assume you're standing on the sideline ready to go on the field when Deuce gets the kickoff. When do you know, oh, yeah, he's gone? When are you saying to yourself -- because he's one of the fastest dudes in the country. What's that like to watch, and what was your reaction when you saw it?
JAHEIM BELL: It was crazy. I know none of y'all don't know this, but that's my cousin.
I was very proud when he did that. I knew he was gone after he broke that little shoe lace, ankle tackle, I knew he was going in. But he did kind of scare me when he first caught it and he stumbled. I thought it was going to get bad.
But he stayed toes down and got up out of that, and I couldn't be more proud.
Q. Braden, you're on kick return, right?
BRADEN FISKE: For that play I was, yeah.
Q. You talk about the right players being here and this coaching staff, they are so sold out to having a good solid special teams unit. What does it mean to you guys to be able to perform, and how important is it to capitalize on those moments?
BRADEN FISKE: That's probably one of the cooler things here is the emphasis on special teams. The stats show they are. I believe we're No. 1 in the country in special teams. That's a huge part to the preparation that goes into it.
Having your head coach basically running the special teams meeting and JP. They do a really good job.
No, I think it's awesome. It's huge for the game. That was a huge spark for us in that game. We needed that. What that did taking us into the second half was huge, and what that does going forward and the weapons that we have to put back there, the opportunities are going to be there to make plays like that. We've just got to keep capitalizing on them.
Q. Braden, on that halftime conversation among the defense, was that more led by the coaches or the players, anybody in particular?
BRADEN FISKE: Yeah, it was the coaches, but Fabien was really the one that stood up in the locker room. He made a statement of this isn't who we are and let's turn this around. Everybody was on board, but it was mainly he stood up and he took charge, and kudos to him. He's a great leader for us, and he stepped up in the moment, and I think we really all fell in line from that. Yeah, the second half spoke for itself.
Q. Jaheim, I feel like that was one of the first times we got to see Jordan take over a game with his legs in that fourth quarter. On top of everything else he does, for him to do that, what's it like to get to be a part of that, watch that, and just what's he been like embracing all the new guys, kind of assembling this offense together as the quarterback, just the leader of this offense?
JAHEIM BELL: Jordan is a pro. He's a prime example of what a pro is. Ever since I came here, I just see how hard he works. To be a quarterback, he really uses his legs like if he was a running back.
On that touchdown that he had down there in the end zone, down on the goal line when I got the block for him, I told him right before the play, I got you. I got you, bro. We snuck the ball, ran that play, I picked up that block in the end zone for him. I was just so happy. I felt like I scored. That's how I feel about all these guys on offense when they have success. I feel like I did it.
I really love this offense for sure.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports