Natalie Pierre

USA TODAY Sports

Jimbo Fisher blamed himself and the Florida State football equipment staff for the awkward moment on Saturday night when suspended star Jameis Winston arrived on Bobby Bowden Field in full uniform ahead of the top-ranked Seminoles' game against Clemson.

"That was a miscommunication between us and the locker room (equipment staff), with the late-night suspension," said Fisher, Monday afternoon during his weekly news conference. "He was scheduled to dress the next day and his stuff was put out in the locker when he went in to dress. He assumed that he was going to dress and do warm-ups and went out."

After media members received a late-night email from Florida State on Friday, announcing that Winston's original half-game suspension would be extended to the full game, citing a "continuing investigation," more questions were raised about the quarterback's suspension when he took the field for pregame warm-ups with his uniform on.

"I never saw it. It got miscommunicated," said Fisher, who was visibly upset Saturday night when he first saw Winston in his uniform before the game. "From our part, we should have never had the things in the locker, and that's exactly what happened. When we saw it, (we) corrected it. He was great about it.

"He went in, came back out and did what he was asked to do. That's what happened with that situation. That was our fault internally for the miscommunication. We were making adjustments and moving around and that was one part that slipped through the cracks of getting that communication down to the locker room people and equipment people about putting his uniform out."

After serving his suspension for making "offensive and vulgar" comments on the FSU campus, Winston is back to being the Seminoles' starting quarterback. During his Monday news conference, Fisher was asked if the reigning Heisman Trophy-winner's actions have affected his ability to lead his team.

"No. They love him," Fisher said. "... They see how hard he works, how he prepares, how diligent he is with them at times. So it has not affected (his ability to lead them)."

With quarterback Sean Maguire starting the first game of his career, FSU needed overtime to beat Clemson 23-17 for the program's 19th consecutive win.

Natalie Pierre writes for The Tallahassee Democrat