Jimbo still whining on ESPN.com.

Oct 31, 2016, 4:37 PM

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/17938079/florida-state-seminoles-jimbo-fisher-wants-tougher-penalties-hitting-quarterbacks

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher wants stiffer penalties for late hits on quarterbacks in light of the blows that Deondre Francois has taken the past few weeks.

"I say this all the time: I think we got to do a better job -- I'm not talking about just in here but in college football -- of protecting the quarterback when they're vulnerable making throws and taking shots," Fisher said Monday. "I think we have to do a better of job of really emphasizing like they do in pro football.

"Late hits need to be really, really scrutinized and maybe even more severe punishments to stop people, like we throw guys out of games for head shots. If you're going to do that and you want to protect [players] and the integrity of the game, make those penalties very severe for hitting [quarterbacks] late."

Fisher's comments come as Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and his coach Ron Rivera say the NFL is missing late hits on the star.

Fisher was upset Saturday night that there was not a call on a Clemson defender for targeting Francois in the fourth quarter. Fisher, who with Florida State was fined $20,000 for criticizing ACC officials, said he believed the Clemson player hit Francois in the midsection with the crown of his helmet. After the game, he called the replay official "bad" for not buzzing the officials so the hit could be reviewed.

Francois was helped off the field and missed the next play. The redshirt freshman quarterback is "banged and bruised" with an ailing shoulder and neck, but Fisher said Monday that Francois is "fine." Florida State will play at NC State on Saturday.

Three weeks ago against Miami, Fisher was also upset about what he thought were several late hits on Francois, who also had to leave that game before returning.

"A couple in my opinion [against Clemson] and in other games have been very late. The worst ones he took in a couple of the other games he should have never been touched," Fisher said Monday. "So how do you coach against that? [Officials] got to call it."

Stopping short of asking for ejections, Fisher said he'd like a "severe" penalty for late hits without elaborating. He said that if the NCAA and the rules committee want to prioritize player safety, quarterbacks should be viewed the same as players at other positions that are considered defenseless in certain situations.

"I don't know if it's an ejection, but I just think a severe penalty," he said, "especially as much as you throw the football today. In the old days you didn't throw the football, didn't have the number of throws and the body types and the different things going on defense with the blitzes and all the big bodies on defense like you do now."

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