Florida State 58, Northern Alabama 13
Q. The response from the team when Jordan was hurt, what does he mean to you guys? How difficult was it to see that transpire the way it did?
JARRIAN JONES: I wouldn't say it was difficult to respond, but that's our leader. That's our guy. That's my brother. I don't know how to -- that's Trav, man. Ain't nothing in the world we won't do for him.
To see him go through that and while he was on the ground just saying, I'm good, I'm good, like, that's him. That's J. Trav. We just had to come back and finish it for J. Trav. I knew what J. Trav would have wanted us to do. I know how he would have felt in the moment. That's really all I have to say about that.
DENNIS BRIGGS: Just to go off what he said, J. Trav is our guy. We have his back, and that's really just the message in the locker room. We're forever going to have his back.
Q. Jarrian, for yourself, last game in Doak, you create two take-aways. Create a touchdown off that first take-away you have. What did it mean for you to go out and play that best game that you put on paper in that stadium?
JARRIAN JONES: It was hard being out there. With it being my last one, Florida State really made me a man. I feel like I went through my hardest trials and tribulations here. It was just a blessing to be out there to have a packed crowd on senior night. That was big. I'm forever indebted to Florida State and forever will be a Nole.
Q. You mentioned Jordan Travis told you on the field he was good, he was good, but did you guys have to say -- do you have a message for him, or did you have a message for Tate to get him going after that?
JARRIAN JONES: I don't really want to talk about J. Trav no more. I don't really want to talk about that for real.
There was no message to Tate. We don't need you to go be J. Trav. We need you to go be Tate.
Q. Can you talk about the way the defense kind of rallied when the offense needed a little bit help early in the game? I guess you guys have done that all season, but how did you feel like the defense played early in the game?
DENNIS BRIGGS: I just feel like we came together. We always have our rough patches, but we're a brotherhood at the end of the day. As a brotherhood, we love each other, and we just continue to love each other and continue to fight and continue to fight for our offense no matter what happens.
As we go out on the field, we play for one another and just continue to attack.
Q. For both of you again, the response for Quindarrius's touchdown, to see the joy of the team at the end of that, what does that say about where you are at culturally, and for the true freshman to fight and make the play at the end of the game, what did that mean?
JARRIAN JONES: Just seeing Q make the play because I'm in the DB room with Q, so I see how hard he works, and I also see the struggles.
I know how bad he wants it, so just to see him be able to make that play and just see some success, I feel like that's going to be able to build on his confidence for the rest of what he has in store.
That was big. Like I said, that's our brother. Q is our brother, so to see him make a play in that moment, that was just big for us.
Q. For both of you guys, early on in the game they were showing weird formations, weird looks. What kind of adjustments did you guys have to make to counteract that?
JARRIAN JONES: I mean, we just have to stick to our rules. We just have to make plays. That's really what it is.
If your eyes are in the right spot, you play your keys, I mean, no trick play is going to get you. In the beginning, I mean, we were kind of all over the place in a sense. Once we settled down and just read our keys and stuff, that was kind of what it was.
DENNIS BRIGGS: That's the biggest thing, just settling down and just making sure we're aware of everything that's going on the field, keying off of things, and just making sure we're in the right spot.
Q. For both of y'all, how does it feel playing in front of that 2013 National Champion team, especially with how elite that defense was?
DENNIS BRIGGS: It's surreal because growing up I watched that game, the National Championship Game with my dad that night. Just seeing how dominant that team was and being able to come here to Florida State and put on this uniform, to put on this logo, it means so much. To have them be able to be present and to watch us definitely means a lot.
JARRIAN JONES: I didn't really watch Florida State, for real (smiling). I just didn't really watch. Since I've been here and read the history on it and went back and seen that defense, now, that's how you play defense. That 2013 team, that's how you play defense. Just being able to play in front of some legends, that's big. That was big.
Q. You guys both have dealt with injuries throughout your careers. Tonight, aside from Jordan, you guys had some other guys not be able to play or deal with injuries. What's the mindset of this team in terms of how they rallied when you weren't available and how you guys were going to rally now if other guys aren't available?
JARRIAN JONES: I mean, it's just the culture. What we believe in is responding to adversity. Regardless of what happens, we have to respond. Regardless if this guy can't go, this guy can't go, this guy can't go, we just have to respond.
That just goes to show like it's the brotherhood that we have. Anybody gets hurt, we believe that the next guy can go in and get the job done, so that's kind of what that is.
DENNIS BRIGGS: Again, just to go off what he said, that's our culture here. One man goes down; the next man up. It's always been like that no matter what it is. Your opportunity is always waiting for you.
Q. Jarrian, I remember after the Florida game last year, your passion about I mean let me talk about the type of playmaker you knew you were and your confidence in that. I'm sure you never lost that confidence but showing the type of playmaker you can be on this defense?
JARRIAN JONES: I know about me. I know what's up with me. So I didn't need nobody else to believe in anything else I had going on. With the highs or lows, I didn't need nobody to be there for me because I know what I got in me and I know what it is with me. That's kind of what it is.
I really didn't need no motivation speeches or nothing. I know what's up with me. Anybody feel different about it, they just get up with me.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports