Dave Doeren: "We're Not Going to Hold Back"
NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media Friday afternoon ahead of the Wolfpack's opening-week matchup versus Connecticut.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Doeren’s press conference.
Opening Statement
I’m excited to get the season started with this staff and group of players. As a head coach, I’ve been a part of a lot of staffs, and each one of them is special in its own way. This is the most experienced staff I’ve coached on, and I’ve learned a lot being around some of these guys. There’s 340-plus years between us in this sport, so there’s a lot of experiences we can use with each other. It’s a group that cares a lot about each other, likes to have fun together, and does things for the right reasons. I’m very fortunate to have the staff that I do. It’s a team that has 40 new faces, going back to January when we started this season, two new coaches, and several off-the-field personnel changes as well. Fall camp has really been different. It’s one of building chemistry, the sweat equity, the experiences that you have, the storytelling that goes on in the nightly meetings, discovery, for us as a staff, seeing what these new guys can do and how it gels together, and competition. There are several position groups that are still competing. Even though there’s a depth chart, there’s still competition going on. We see our depth charts as fluid. They’re not picked for the first game and remain unchanged the rest of the season. They will change. There will be competitive things that happen when we get under the lights and under the pressure of the season.
It was a lot different than last year’s fall camp. Last year, we had a lot of players back. We knew what kind of questions there were going to be. It’s fun for me to have a different year that way, see the team respond, and work together. I do believe this team has a huge chip on its shoulder. There’s a lot to prove for a lot of players, guys who’ve waited their turns. One of the things that happens with this Covid rule where kids get extra seasons is you get to see the Isaiah Moore's and the Grant Gibson’s and guys have extra years, but you don’t get to see who was waiting to play behind them who’s maybe in their third or fourth year that’s worked really hard. Now, you get to see Jaylon Scott at outside linebacker who’s had a great training camp. [You get to see] Devon Betty. You get to see Anthony Carter at guard, players who have waited their turns. I’m excited for those guys. They haven’t heard a lot about themselves publicly, so I feel like they’ve got something to prove. Porter Rooks has really had a great training camp for us. He's a guy who played behind Thayer Thomas for a long time, and now he wants to go out there and show what he can do. It’s been fun to watch as a head coach. We’ve practiced a lot, like every team has in the country, from bowl prep all the way through the offseason program, into spring practices and now fall camp. Everybody’s ready to compete against someone else at this point. I’m excited we get to do it sooner than later with a Thursday kick. It’s the first opportunity, first leg of the journey. It’s a long season. A million, million things happen, and it really happens quickly. It’s three months of calendar time, and I look at is as dog years, so it’s multiplied by seven when you talk about the number of things that happen as a coach.
When you look at our first opponent, UConn, they’re one of the most improved teams last year in the country. We played them early in the season, and they had a pretty stacked schedule early and didn’t do well when you’re in the first year of your tenure as a head coach. The thing you saw with Coach [Jim] Mora’s team is they got better and better and better. They ended up getting hot, beating Boston College, beating Liberty, qualifying for a bowl game, and playing Marshall in their bowl game. I have a lot of respect for Jim Mora as a head coach with his upbringing in the NFL with his father and what he did collegiately as a head coach prior. He’s done a nice job, and he has a lot of players back on their roster. Offensively, they have really good tailbacks. Both guys are productive on film. I know a lot of these guys are changing jersey numbers as you look at them, but last year [Victor Rosa] and [Devontae Houston] are the two returners at tailback, and both of those guys are really good players for them. They’re definitely a team that wants to run the football. Their offensive line returns three of their starters, really four if you look at the rotation they had at times. They have a quarterback [Joseph Fagnano], similar to us, that transferred in with their offensive coordinator [Nick Charlton]. The offensive coordinator came from Maine, and now they have a QB that came from Maine that played under him. He’ll have the ability to help their offense grow, probably faster than somebody that wasn’t in it prior. They do a lot of formations, a lot of motions, a lot of eye candy, and a lot of misdirection. They do a nice job with their formations, condensing and expanding, and making your defense use the rules. We’ll have to be very disciplined on defense. We’ll have to have great eye discipline with all the different movements that happen in the backfield and motion with the receivers.
On defense, they have 10 starters back and a really impressive front four on their D-line. They’ve got two three-year starters on their defensive line and two two-year starters. Their ends are long guys. They’re heavy inside, 297 and 306. Both ends are 6-4 and 6-6. They’re impressive-looking guys up front. Their nose tackle, [Jelani Stafford], is a very active player. I enjoy watching him play. Their middle linebacker is a four-year starter, a returning leader and captain. Their safeties are both returning starters, [Malik Dixon-Williams] and [Durante Jones]. Both corners have played a ton of football for them. We get a team that’s going to be a lot different than the team we played a year ago which is good. It’s going a great opportunity to go on the road and have a road trip. It’s been really hot down here, so we look forward to flying up there in what sounds like 50-degree weather. It’ll be a nice break for our guys. Today, I looked at the temperature on my app, and it just had a cactus. Like, that’s hot when it says cactus hot. We’re excited to get up into the Northeast for a game.
For us as a team, I’ve always felt like games are often lost as much as they’re won, so a lot of our focus has been there. To be a team that wants to win the conference championship, it starts with premium execution and eliminating preventable mistakes. It’s really, really important for this team with 40 new guys and a new offensive coordinator to really focus on eliminating things that we can, making our systems as easy as possible for our guys where they can play really fast. It still goes back to us focusing on winning the turnover margins and explosive game battles, minimizing our pre- and post-snap penalties, making routine plays routine, and playing complementary football with our special teams. I’m excited about our special teams with the way they came out of camp.
With our depth charts, I’m excited to see our offensive line play. They’ve done a nice job with Coach [Garett] Tujague, learning a new system. There’s a lot of improvement we’ve seen with these guys. They all played, for the most part, last year. Anthony Belton returns with a lot of playing time at left tackle. Tim McKay has a lot of time at right tackle. Dylan McMahon looked really good at center; I’m excited about how he’s playing right now. Anthony Carter and Derrick Eason are at guard, and we’ll get Lyndon Cooper back. He had an injury during training camp, so we’ll have him back after the first game. We have six guys who have played a lot of football on the O-line. When you look at the backups, there are guys who have played as well. I’m excited about the progress of some of those players. At quarterback, Brennan [Armstrong] is in a good space, a really good headspace. He’s having fun. He’s confident. He’s excited to play a game. I’m looking forward to seeing him compete in a game. We protect the quarterbacks in practice; you don’t really get to see him as a runner that way. We’re looking forward to see that part of his game. Our backfield is probably one of the biggest strengths on our team when you look at the depth that we have there, the rotation that we’ll be able to have, and how Coach [Robert] Anae likes to use multiple backs, give them roles, and create things for those guys. I’m excited to see those guys. Kendrick Raphael, the freshman, is the one you haven’t seen; you’ll get a chance to see him as well. Chris Toudle, Trent Pennix, and Javonte Vereen are rotating at tight end. The receiving group is probably the area where we had the biggest questions, not on ability but on who would step up. Keyon [Lesane] had a great camp; we expected him to. Obviously, you saw he was voted captain. Julian Gray has really had a great training camp for us. We look forward to see him take the next step with Terrell Timmons. Those two guys are neck and neck, playing really good football in practice on one side, and on the other outside position with Keyon and Bradley Rozner. I feel like we’ve got a good rotation outside. There will be a lot of guys getting time inside. Between [Kevin Concepcion], Rooks, and Jalen Coit, those three guys have made a lot of plays. Coach Anae and his offensive staff have done a nice job going through the spring pretty vanilla, getting a chance to see what the guys can do, putting the foot on them over the summer on where he wants to see improvement, getting into training camp, really expanding this thing, and giving guys areas where they can grow in.
On the defensive side, Coach [Tony] Gibson and his staff have great continuity. Tony does a tremendous job. Even though we’ve lost several good players, there’s a lot of excitement. Each group is a little different. Our D-line has good experience back with Savion [Jackson], Davin [Vann], C.J. Clark, and Travali [Price], and then there’s some newcomers. Brandon Cleveland played some for us last year as a freshman, and he’s really improved. With transfers Red Hibbler and Noah Potter, we’ve added to our depth there. At linebacker, we all know Payton Wilson’s story. We’re excited for Payton. We’re looking forward to watching Payton play. Jaylon Scott, Devon Betty, and Caden Fordham really had a good camp. We’re looking for a rotation there. The back end, it’s the same way: Jakeen Harris, Devan Boykin, and Robert Kennedy starting with Bishop Fitzgerald, Sean Brown, Darius [Edmundson] and Cecil [Powell] being able to play. The two corners, both Shy [Battle] and Aydan [White], had really good camps. Terrenté Hinton has come on; we’re excited about him. Brandon Cisse, a true freshman, will play and have an impact in our defense as well. The way Tony does it, he likes the rotation. He likes to get guys in and let the guys get rest so they can play fast. With the tempo offenses we face and the increase in snaps, I think that’s really important.
Lastly, the specialists, as I announced earlier: Brayden Narveson is our placekicker, [Joe] Shimko returns as our long snapper, and Caden Noonkester’s really had a good camp at punter. I’m excited for him. Collin Smith will continue to handle our kickoffs. Jalen Coit takes over as our punt returner, and Julian Gray returns as our kickoff returner.
On evaluating how much has been retained upon the first game…
It’s a hard question to answer without the first game being played. We expect the first game to elevate some guys and maybe not some guys. Some guys are gamers. We’ve got to get into the game and feel that out a little bit over there. Coach Anae’s done a nice job of putting a lot on them, saying, “Here’s what looks best,” and paring back to get ready for the game. In training camp, we get the whole thing in. When we get to game one, game two, game three, each game has its thing that that whole package isn’t ready for. It’s just the things we want to put in there that look best.
On Powell staying with the program…
I’m glad he’s back out there. It’s been a long journey for him, missing two seasons consecutively with an injury. Any time you return from an injury, especially one that kept him out that long, there are a lot of mental hurdles you have to clear, not just physical: the first time you hit somebody, the first time you tackle somebody, the first time you fall on the ground a certain way. It’s a series of things, and now he’s going to have a game. We’re excited for Cecil. Anytime these guys go through that — and he’s gone through that for 24 months — we’re happy for him to get the green light to come back and play.
On Vann…
Davin’s playing at a really high level. He’s grown a lot, not just as a player but as a person. He’ll tell you that’s why he’s such a good defensive player: he’s got a huge, huge attitude when he plays the game. Sometimes, those things are hard for these guys to control. I think he’s learned how to use the energy. Sometimes, guys waste that. When Bradley Chubb was here, that was probably the biggest gain he had: learning how to use the fire that was within him and not burn it on things that don’t matter. Davin’s really gained a ton of maturity that way and has great respect in our program. He’s one of the hardest working guys we have. I’m looking for big things from him.
On the transfers…
Starting with [Kennedy], Robert’s super consistent. You’d have thought he’d been here a long time with the way he’s practiced in the spring and fall. He understands, learns quickly, applies learning, and doesn’t repeat mistakes. He’s a gifted player to begin with, but he’s a really, really good learner in the classroom and plays consistently as a player. As a coach, that’s what you want. You want to know what a guy’s going to be like everyday. He’s really fit in nicely and added depth and experience to a position we needed, losing two guys in that room. Bradley Rozner’s probably a story for someone in here to do on him with seven years of college football now. I would think that’s a pretty interesting piece for someone to write on him. I told him this yesterday: I’m super impressed with him, not because he’s a tall guy that can run and catch, but he comes in a week before training camp, doesn’t know a player on our team, doesn’t know a coach on our staff, never been to Raleigh in his life, and he gets into training camp, learns the offense, gets to know his offense, and gets to know his coaches. There’s a lot more to do with that, but he’s just consistent everyday. He catches the ball well. He’s still learning as he goes, but it’s impressive to see what he’s done in such a short period of time. Dacari [Collins] is really talented. We’re trying to get him healthy. He’s had some different, small muscular things happen with a strain here and a strain there. We had a really good window in the middle of camp where we got to get a glimpse. I think, when we get him where he can consistently practice, he can have an impact. We’re still trying to get him there, but he’s seen a big change from the spring to the fall which is his day-to-day. We’re excited about his growth.
On how deep into the playbook he intends to go versus the Huskies…
We’re not going to hold back. The thing with Coach Anae’s offense is there are going to be things that he doesn’t do, but he’s not holding back. He’s going to do the things that he thinks are the best for UConn. The things you’ll see later will be because they were better for that opponent. This isn’t a team where we’re going to try and be vanilla to win the game. We’re going to go up there and play to win. Coaches are being instructed that way, and as you build your season, you have to look at your tendencies and change up your own self-scout for the teams coming up.
On playing the Wolfpack’s biggest challenge in terms of travel being a blessing…
I hadn’t thought about it, but probably. The guys are rested right now, and it’s Thursday, so we get a couple of extra days. We’re probably not going to get back from this one until three in the morning, so it’ll be nice to not have to play seven days later. It’s a tough turnaround, so we’ll be able to give the players that Friday off so they can catch up on sleep, and then we’ll get back to it on Saturday to prepare for the next one.
On what keeps him going…
To me, this is part of my family. I owe it to the family to give them everything I have, and that’s what I try to do. I don’t ask anything of me that I don’t ask of them. My goal is to try to be better at what I do for them, and I ask them to do the same in return for us: to be the best version of yourself everyday, knowing that you’re going to make mistakes, learn from them, own them, and be better the next days. I coach because I love helping people get better. That’s my why in this business. I enjoy seeing young people go somewhere where they maybe hadn’t gone without my assistance or a coach’s assistance that I hire. In that case, the competitiveness and camaraderie keeps you young. It also makes you old because some of those guys wear you out. It’s great being a part of a college football program and having the impact you can have. I think we use our platform well here, not just as coaches, but our players do a really nice job in the community here as well.
On his goals for the year…
The goals are never going to change. We want to be the best version of us that we can be. We want to win every game. We want to be conference champions. That’s where every team starts the season. Once you put that out there, it’s “How do we win the first game?” We’ve got to be 1-0 to be wherever we want to be at the end. Everything’s about UConn and ourselves right now. I’ve always felt like the biggest opponent is your own team. That’s why a lot of the things we talk about are complementary when it comes to winning.
On cross-training offensive linemen…
We’ve been pretty healthy on the O-line. [Cooper] has been the only one we’ve had to deal with… well, I guess two. There’s Dawson [Jaramillo] as well. We’ve had to train a lot of guys how to snap. Sean Hill has done a great job picking the piece up for us with Dawson being out. You see Kamen Smith’s played guard and tackle. Matt McCabe’s played guard and tackle. There is some versatility that way for us. One of the young players, Rico [Jackson], has been trained at guard and tackle. As an offensive line coach, all those guys know it’s about your best five. You’ve got to constantly work that. Lyndon Cooper, when he’s back next week, can play center and guard. It’ll be good to get him back as well.
On the importance of bringing in true freshmen in the spring…
It’s hard if you’re not here, not just because you’re not going to know the offense or defense as well, but to play with the guys that are this much older or faster than you, it’s hard to walk on that field without seeing it through spring ball. Spring ball’s an eye-opener for these freshmen. Workouts are hard, too — don’t get me wrong — but when they get on that grass with guys who are 21, 22, 23 years old who can really play, it’s a lot different than high school. They come out of it like, “Man, I’ve got a lot to work on, a lot more than I thought.” It gives them that summer to focus on where they were short coming out of the spring whereas the guys who don’t get here until summer missed that opportunity to know where their weaknesses are. It’s a growing trend. With the exception of private-school guys you recruit, most of the public-school kids you recruit now are trying to get out early.
On Kamen Smith…
He’s super athletic. He’s big, strong, and agile. He’s a really quick learner. I’m super impressed with him coming in. He’s physical. When he starts knowing what to do all the time, he’ll be really physical then. As a player, when you’re thinking, you’re not playing as fast as you can. Sometimes, you see it like in the one-on-ones where he doesn’t have to think about all the stuff going on. He’s really, really gifted that way. He plays with that demeanor that we love.
On the junior college transfers…
The junior colleges have been great for us. We’ve done a great job identifying our needs. Not that we don’t look in the portal, but getting guys out of the junior college, usually they have two or three years, so you can still develop them a little bit more. They come in very thankful. For those of you that haven’t been to a junior college, most of them are places that don’t have much. There’s very little for them from an everything standpoint: food, nutrition, having a dietician in the program, athletic trainers that can tape your ankles even, being able to get ice after practice. Coming here, they’re so thankful. That’s a nice thing, as a coach, to see. A lot of the kids that come in now from high school, it’s not always that way. There’s an entitlement, really, in our world that’s in a different place. To have those grateful, thankful guys coming in, it’s kind of cool to see that. The three guys we brought in are doing great. Anthony Belton was a junior college player as well. Over the years, not that we’re going to sign 10 a year, but we get two or three a year, and they’ve really helped our program, and we’ve been able to help them. You’ve seen Darius Edmundson and his improvement after coming from Louisburg. One of our more improved guys in training camp with Darius. I think Bishop Fitzgerald and Terrenté Hinton are both going to be really good players this year.
On the new starters on special teams…
Coach [Todd] Goebbel and Jackson White who’s our analyst over there did a nice job creating scenarios for training camp. It was a tight competition. We changed holders a couple of times to make sure that the kickers had the chance to work with both. Joe Shimko, as we all know, is one of the best, so working with him makes that part of it easy. Caden, being here over time and knowing what it used to look like with the last group, has an idea of what to do. Our last two punters [A.J. Cole, III and Trenton Gill], as you know, are NFL starters, so there’s been a lineage and a standard that that room expects. I feel good about it. Brayden transferred in as one of the more accurate kickers in college football. He has a pedigree. He’s been there and done that. It’s a little different, maybe, than normal when you’re replacing a Groza Award winner. I’m excited to have someone like that. Collin Smith has gotten a lot better. He’s a good kickoff guy, but we feel good about him as a backup if we’d need him. Kanoah Vinesett, one of the young kickers we brought in last year, is going to be really good in the future. He’s got a really smooth swing. That room is in a really good spot right now. We’ve just got to get under the lights and go play.
On gambling on fourth-and-one…
It’s not a gamble if you look at the odds. The odds are actually better that you’re going to score if you go for it on fourth-and-one than not, in some cases. It’s about winning the game at the end of the day. I told the team this: I like going for it on fourth-and-one. To me, you ought to be able to get it on fourth-and-one. It puts that kind of personality out there with your offensive line, your backs, quarterback, tight ends, sometimes even your receivers if you have a tight formation. We’ll continue to be aggressive when it’s smart. I’m not going to do it in a situation that could hurt our defense, but I think there are calculated risks where the odds are in your favor and it’s smart to do it.
On what stood out about Coit’s punt returning…
Jalen Coit’s a natural. He’s got good hands. He gets his body underneath it, judges the ball well, tracks the ball well. He’s quick, elusive, has great change-of-direction. As a decision-maker, he’s shown us that he knows what to do, when to fair-catch it, when not to do something that could hurt the team. Sometimes, you get weird bounces. He’s consistent. He’s been here a while, so we’ve been able to watch him over time, knowing that, even last year or the year before, if something happened to Thayer [Thomas], he was ready.