Florida State coordinators Alex Atkins, Adam Fuller and John Papuchis discuss the bye week practices, using the next few nights to go recruiting and more. We have added some quotes from the coordinators' interviews.

On FSU's success in the run game vs. Clemson, the No. 2 run defense:

"Those guys went out there and competed. We got into a situation where we fell behind and we couldn’t run it like we wanted to throughout the course of the game. But we were able to get some chunks in the first couple of drives that got us going."

Is it a feel-good week based on the run game production:

"Not too much feel good going on in my room anytime the result doesn’t dictate the standard. It’s just, ‘Are we operating the way we need to operate?’ We fully expect to go out there and block. I thought we would. I believed we would. We just didn’t do it consistently enough to maintain focus in the game."

On growth in the run game:

"We just got to keep building. As we go, it should be getting better each game no matter the opponent. We should start being more consistent as these guys build more continuity. We’re starting to get the same guys on the field, the same guys playing, it should start to improve as they’re playing together in the same five."

Six OL that he feels good about, adding a younger lineman to the mix:

"That goes on practice. Who shows up that is deserving of that place. We got some guys, some young guys that are really, really starting to come along. Julian (Armella), he's steady working. Jaylen Early, steady working, improving. (Bryson) Estes, guys are steady working and improving. But it has to be consistent. Everybody has a good week, everybody has a good day in practice. Are you having a good three weeks in practice? Then I can see, 'Now, he's ready for a challenge.' Then usually I challenge him more. It's easy to function without responsibility. When you're in practice, it's not up to you whether we're going to win the game. Your practice is a little bit different than the guy, like Rob Scott, and if he comes out there and messes up twice, that's the end of the game. They have to feel that sense of responsibility while they are in practice."

On his review of Clemson game film:

"We uncharacteristically gave up some big plays, which is something we’ve been good at. We gave up one miscommunication, poor execution on the touchdown pass, we misfit one big run that we had been fitting right all night. And then the trick play after the big kickoff return, just got our eyes caught up in the wrong spot. Good play by them, not executed by us. Those were things that obviously can’t happen. A few of those third downs are critical that we got to make sure we do a better job."

On the challenges of how a defense reacts to sudden change (an offense's turnover):

"It’s just educating them that momentum is as big as the next play. You want to have a team where the special teams feeds off the defense, the defense feeds off the offense, the offense feeds off the special teams. I think that’s when good teams arrive. But there’s been some cases that sometimes one side has to pick the other side up, whether it be on a sudden change of if we are able to score and the (opposing) offense goes down and answers it. Emotionally, we got to stabilize a little bit in those moments."

On FSU's lack of takeaways (the defense has just eight in seven games)

"If you pursue the ball and you tackle well, usually the takeaways will come. We had one strip sack on Pat that the ball was loose and the guy grabbed back hold of the ball. You’d like to have that one. But we try to play as tight coverage as you can. Usually on the tips and the overthrows we’ll be able to get some picks and have some one-on-one plays. I believe if we do chase the ball the right way, we tackle the ball aggressively those takeaways will come."

On Clemson's long kick return

"The kick placement was solid. The ball drifted a little bit on him but that shouldn’t have been a factor. Good hang time on the kick. They ran field return, which we anticipated them going into it. At the end of the day, good returner, pretty well blocked on their end. We had an opportunity to tackle at a couple of different spots. … Shipley was a guy that you’re concerned about from a kick return perspective. Just like with us when we have Trey back there, you have a big back that breaks tackles. You got to get guys on the ground when you have your opportunity. We had our opportunity, we didn’t get it done. It was obviously a really negative way to start the half."

How close is Mycah Pittman to breaking a punt return?

"Pretty close. That’s four games in a row I feel like we’ve had explosive return opportunities. This last game, he’s up to the punter. We don’t have a hat or a blocker for the punter. is real close. Guys are doing a good job blocking for him. Mycah is a really good returner but I don’t care who you are back there if you don’t have people doing a good job blocking you don’t have a chance."

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