Florida State defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett met with the media on Wednesday morning. And even four days later, he seems confused about a couple of penalties his defensive backs were called for in the 47-28 loss at N.C. State on Saturday.
He was asked what the Seminoles' defensive backs could do differently, specifically technique-wise, to avoid the pass-interference penalties they were called for against the Wolfpack.
"You tell me," Barnett said. "They're looking back for the ball. They're right on them. They're looking back for the ball, trying to make a play. That's what you tell them to do, you know what I mean? As long as you're not grabbing and holding and anything like that. We'll keep working it. We'll keep talking to the refs about how we need to improve on that technique.
"But you want to be in position, in phase, look back for the ball and try to make a play on the ball."
That's exactly what Stanford Samuels III thought he did on a play in the second half against the Wolfpack. He was covering the N.C. State receiver down the right sideline, looked back and deflected the ball away at the last moment.
If anything, it looked as if the Wolfpack wideout pushed Samuels away from the ball.
Even still, he was called for the penalty. N.C. State scored a touchdown moments later.
After another questionable pass interference call. This one on freshman Asante Samuel.
"Some calls are in the air based on how the ref sees it," Samuels said. "Our coaches didn't think those calls were pass interference. Basically none of them in that game. We've just got to keep playing and play through them."
In total, Florida State was called for three pass interference penalties on Saturday.
North Carolina State was called for zero, even though a helpless cornerback was obviously holding Tamorrion Terry's arm on a deep pass in the fourth quarter.
On Monday, FSU head coach Willie Taggart was asked about the pass interference calls against N.C. State.
"I'm not going to get fined," he said with a smirk.
He then was asked what they can do to improve technique on the passes down the sidelines.
"I think there's a lot of different ways guys defensive back coaches teach to play that when you're playing man coverage," Taggart said. "Some guys teach leaning into the receiver and turning back and looking for the ball, some guys play through the hand when the receiver goes up and plays through his hand to get the ball out.
"There's a lot of different techniques. We can be better at it, we practice it all the time, we because we know that's something we do a lot. So and those things are going to happen when you're playing man coverage, it's a judgment call and again you just ... yeah."
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