Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher might have cost his team a chance to win Saturday night against Clemson. Livid about a bad call on a Dalvin Cook run following a Clemson touchdown that cut the FSU lead to just two pionts, he earned a 15-yard penalty yelling at the officiating crew (watch here).
The penalty killed any chance the Seminoles had to steal the momentum back at that critical point in the game. They ended up punting away, which resulted in Clemson going up by one on a field goal on its next offensive possession en route to a narrow 37-34 win.
After the game, Fisher’s ire had not abated one little bit. He attacked the officiating crew with some character-assassinating comments.
“It was ridiculous,” Fisher said, per Jared Shanker of ESPN. “It was not a chop, it was a not chop. I will tell you what: You hold coaches accountable, you hold players accountable, hold the damn officials accountable. It is garbage, and then to call another penalty on the sideline is even more garbage. It’s cowardly, gutless and wrong.”
He also made it clear he had no qualms about being fined for his attack.
“They can take it, fine it, do whatever they want to do with that. That’s a fact. Look at the film. It’s ridiculous that they do that. That was a huge call in the game. Now, still had chances to win the game after that [but] that was ridiculous and the guy wasn’t even in position to make the call.”
To be fair, Fisher had every right to be upset about the call, which was absolutely not correct. Fullback Freddie Stevenson in no way, shape or form chopped the defender on the play in question.
That said, it’s the coach’s responsibility to stay cool under pressure. Sure, be mad. Make your point. But there is a line that cannot be crossed. Fisher crossed it during the game and then again after it, and we have no doubt he’ll face a stiff fine.
Fisher deserved the 15-yard penalty for his unabated attack following the bad call. The fact that he doesn’t want to take responsibility for his actions is, to quote the head coach, “garbage.”