Dave Doeren: "It's a Wide-Open Race"
NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media Wednesday afternoon ahead of the Wolfpack's ACC opener versus Virginia Friday evening.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Doeren’s interview.
On the Virginia rivalry…
It’s not much of a rivalry when you never play each other. It's great to play other teams in the league. It’s not just UVa, but all the teams in the Atlantic and Coastal are now getting to play each other more, so I think that's great for our league. It's great for our players, especially our regional players. We have several players from the state of Virginia, and so very rarely do they get to cross over against guys they grew up with, a lot of their kids from their neighborhoods, high school teams, and conferences that they grew up and played with that are on rosters for UVa and Virginia Tech and so on. It's great to get these games for our fans, too. They're drivable games. They’re excited to get more variety in the schedule.
On how the Wolfpack handled the quick turnaround for Friday’s game…
Really good. I'm proud of them. The guys did a good job. They understood. I think, with this team, as long as you tell them what's coming, they handle it well. We broke the schedule down to them a couple of weeks ago so they'd have some lead time on the short week and how we were going to do it. I think it was harder on coaches than the players because we had to turn around early. We lost a day of prep film-wise, so we had to be here a lot more for early mornings and late nights. That's the way it is, but the guys did a great job.
On Brennan Armstrong informing his teammates about defensive players on Virginia’s roster…
I'm sure he had some insight. I've told a lot of people: him and Coach [Garett] Tujague were just there. They have what they know about these guys, but they've also, in last yea,r developed as players some. They're probably better versions of what they were when those guys left. I'm sure they are. They've worked hard. That stuff helps a little bit in your preparation. Once you get out there and start playing the game, I'm not sure it'll matter, though.
On the VMI win building the team’s confidence…
Guys that make plays go backwards. [Versus] Notre Dame, there were some guys that had some drops. Then the next game, you see them bounce back, catch the football, and do some things. That's going to help those two guys. It's across the board. It's not just VMI. I think it's practice, too. Every time a guy goes out there and makes a play, it builds his confidence. In a game, [it’s] even more so because the lights are on, the TV and all those things that come with it.
On the depth in the running back room…
The running back position is one that takes a lot of hits. It's not just the runs that they get hit on. They're special teams guys. They're in protection like linemen. They're taking on guys sometimes a lot bigger than them. They have a rotation that keeps them fresh. I think having roles for the guys gives them each opportunities to be a part of the game plan and help us win games.
On Jalen Coit’s punt returning…
He's a difference maker back there. I'm really proud of him, for one. He showed us in the spring and in fall camp that he was a very, very trusted ball catcher as a punt returner, but until it's live, you don't know how they're going to handle that exposure to the bullets or missiles running down at you, whatever you call them. In the first game, you could see he was a little hesitant. Then Notre Dame, man, he did a great job in the rain with really good players coming after him. That has springboarded him one more week. Our return game in both phases, kickoff return with Julian [Gray] and punt return with Jalen — has been very, very productive.
On the improvements in team communication…
Football is 11 guys doing something at once, so when all 11 are on the same page, they have a chance to be successful. There are some plays on both sides of the ball that require communication after they get the call, whether it's a check or an audible on offense or terminology on defense based on back sets or tight end locations that can change things. We have to be really good communicators if we want to play elite football.
How the veteran players aided communication last year…
[It was prevalent with the linebackers] and safeties. Cyrus [Fagan] and Tanner [Ingle] were veteran guys that can make checks in the secondary. Then, you lose Drake [Thomas] and Isaiah [Moore]. There are a lot more on newer players. Their voice, their command presence has to be different than it's been.
On the team culture helping players stay after waiting years for their turn…
I think it's the proof in the pudding. When guys are willing — Jaylon Scott is another guy that's done that — it means a lot. [It means] that they love being here. To me, that's my job: to create an environment for our coaches to work in our players to play in and for us to be a family. If guys are sticking around even when it's not what they want it to be, that says a lot about how they're treated, the type of leadership they have in the position rooms, and the way Dantonio Burnette runs our strength program. That's meaningful that guys are willing to do that in an age that it doesn't happen very often.
On starting conference play…
We're excited. It’s a wide-open race. Some teams have already had conference games, so they're up or down in the league, but now everything starts for us. We've put a lot of time in and a lot of investment. We're excited to get on the road and go play our first game in the league.
On Dylan McMahon…
It's day-to-day for him. He's mentally doing good. Everyday, his range of motion is getting better. I said my press conference last year, he had something. They thought he'd be out for weeks and he was back in three days. I don't think you can count him out. He's really tough.
On playing on Fridays…
I'm not excited about it. For me, Friday nights are for high school football. I have a son that I don't get to see play two weeks in a row. From a recruiting standpoint, we don't get to recruit on a Friday night for two weeks. I understand the value of their coverage. That part of it is great for our program. I'd rather play on Thursday night, if I had my pick, so that we could still use Friday nights accordingly for recruiting and I can go to watch my son play. Again, I understand; it's about dollars. We need to make money in our conference. All conferences are doing it. We have our two weeks back to back. We're going to make most of them. We're going to get on national television and do the best we can to win games.