FLORIDA STATE
Fisher not backing down
Florida State Coach Jimbo Fisher said Monday he has “not one bit” of regret for his participation in a postgame verbal altercation with a fan and continued to offer strong support for his coaching staff despite a disappointing 2-4 start to the 2017 season.
Fisher spoke two days after a 31-28 defeat to Louisville at Doak Campbell Stadium.
“No, not one bit, because I don’t expect that out of our fans in our stadium,” Fisher said when asked during his weekly news conference before FSU prepares for its road game at Boston College (4-4, 2-3 ACC) on Friday night. “We’re walking off the field, and I’m walking off the field. And I’m looking at the hurt and watching our kids cry. And I look at the coaches, and how hurt they were. And coaches’ kids are standing right there by the tunnel, and listening to that guy. …
“I understand [fans are] hurt. … But to hear one of our fans reaching over and saying that, about our coaches in front of their own kids, and in front of their own players, I don’t [regret it] one bit. That doesn’t belong there.”
FLORIDA
McElwain: Threats made
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Coach Jim McElwain said Monday that Florida players and some of their families have received death threats amid the team’s struggles.
McElwain made the revelation when responding to a question about whether the team deserves credit for staying competitive despite missing more than 20 scholarship players because of injuries and suspensions.
“It’s really one of those deals that really is a pretty good testament to what’s going on out there nationally,” he said.
“A lot of angry people. In in this business, we’re the ones they take the shots at and that’s the way it is.”
McElwain is 22-11 in three seasons in Gainesville. The Gators (3-3, 3-2 SEC) have lost two in a row as they prepare to play third-ranked Georgia (7-0, 4-0) in nearby Jacksonville on Saturday. Florida opened as a 14½-point underdog.
McElwain declined to say whether he personally received death threats. He added that he has not contacted police.
When pressed for details, he said, “Let’s move.”
IOWA STATE
Cyclones crack Top 25
AMES, Iowa — A week after 23rd-ranked Iowa State struggled to beat Army at home in September 2005, it quietly slipped out of the Top 25.
Few knew then that it would take a dozen years — and three different head coaches — for the Cyclones to finally return to the national rankings.
Iowa State (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) sneaked back to the Top 25 on Sunday at No. 25 on the strength of three consecutive victories, including victories at Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
The surprising Cyclones return home on Saturday to face No. 4 TCU (7-0, 4-0) in a highly anticipated game that many see as another measuring stick in how far Iowa State has come. Second-year coach Matt Campbell on Monday tried to downplay the hype that has suddenly surrounded the Cyclones.
“I think it is what it is,” Campbell said about landing a spot in the rankings. “The reality of it is that’s what makes college football really hard, and that’s why people don’t stay in that poll because they do react to it. … It’s great for the school, but the guys between these walls and this staff, I think, could (not) care less about it.”