VIDEO + QUOTES: Dave Doeren's Weekly Quotebook
NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media via Zoom Monday evening to discuss the Wolfpack's 24-21 win over Virginia as well as its upcoming matchup versus Louisville.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Doeren’s press conference.
Opening Statement
Well, let's start with a recap of the win over Virginia. It's always great to get a win on the road, especially a conference win at that. We found a way to overcome an inspired team. They had a good crowd, good crowd noise. We definitely had to deal with some injuries that, fortunately for us, aren't long term but definitely played a part in the game. We battled and found a way to win. I think Tony Elliott's doing a nice job there. They played hard. They had a good plan. We had to play in the rain, so there were a lot of things going on. With all that, I think there's a lot of things that we did well, and obviously there's always things you have to do better. Offensively, I love the way that we finished the first half. I thought that was a huge drive to get that score and then to be able to score at the end of the third quarter and score again, obviously, to win the game. We were 100 percent in the red zone. I thought we caught the football better offensively and in some tough conditions at that. Some negatives: playing on the road in the rain for [Lyndon Cooper], first time as a center in that situation, I thought he did a really good job snapping the football, but there were some things on the line of scrimmage that he can do better and will. It was a great experience for him. But there were some good pressures and blind stunts and movements, and it wasn't that schematically they were doing anything. I think for us, fundamentally, we need to be better at picking up some of those things like our footwork and our eyes where we fell short. I thought Brennan [Armstrong] did a good job getting out of some things and helping us with his legs, but [we want] to make it easier on him. We fell short of our goal scoring-wise. The one drive where we threw the pick definitely was a drive we could have got points on, and that would have helped quite a bit in that game. Defensively, I thought we did a really good job against their run game. We held their tailbacks to less than three yards per carry. The D-line, I thought, did a tremendous job of penetrating, disrupting, playing the backside cut blocks that they run with their stretch scheme, and set in edges. Caden Fordham, I thought him and Payton [Wilson] were very active at linebacker. I thought C.J. Clark played his best game of the year to date. We were good on third down. We had two really critical interceptions, both exceptional plays. The tip-back from Bishop Fitzgerald and then the effort diving interception on that play by Sean Brown was a tremendous play, and then Aydan White's play down in the red zone — they caught us in a three-deep zone blitz and ran four verticals, a great play call by them — Robert Kennedy did a great job rerouting the second receiver, and Aydan was able to overlap and intercept the ball. That was a huge play in the game. Then, the fourth down stop was another big play for us, so really three turnovers there that helped our team. I thought our eye discipline improved quite a bit; it's an area that we focused on a lot after the Notre Dame game. Sean Brown played his best game. I thought he was really good in this football game. There was one sudden change opportunity where we turned the ball over offensively, and our defense three-and-outed them, so we responded well. Negatives, we missed too many tackles. We gave up too many explosives because of that. We’ve got to be better in that area, obviously, getting ready for an explosive team. I thought [Anthony Colandrea] did some really good things on the run and made some plays with his legs. Their two longest runs were him on QB draws, and he did some good things scrambling around the receivers for Virginia. Along with him scrambling, he created some plays, and we’ve got to be better there against a running quarterback to be able to stay in coverage in the right areas. Our special teams, again, we're a difference. Our punter, Caden Noonkester, punted 50 yards net. He flipped the field multiple times in that game which was huge. I thought Julian Gray, our returner on that last kickoff return, was exceptional, outrunning three unblocked guys to the field to get us out to the 50. Then to see Brayden [Narveson] make the game winner — not that I didn't expect him to make it — but sometimes when you have a situation like that where a ball is blocked, even though it was an illegal play, mentally for him to be strong enough just to come right back and drill that kick, that was awesome to see. I’m really proud of what those guys put on tape. Now, we get to come home and be in Raleigh for a while. We’re excited about that, and we have the chance to play a really good team in Louisville. I know it came out on social media today, but it's a blackout. We’re going to have our black jerseys on and our fans in a night game on Friday night. Hopefully, we'll have a game without rain, and we’ll really need the crowd behind us in this one. We’re going up against the top offense in the ACC; they lead the ACC in scoring offense, rushing offense, and passing offense, so it’s a great challenge. The 12th man is real; when our crowd is behind us, it's helpful. It's a dominant thing. There's a reason that we had such a streak going at one time, and our night games, particularly our Friday night games, have been special evenings. We’re looking forward to having a wild, rowdy crowd that is doing the right things for our football team and making life hard on the opponent. That crowd noise is huge. We're excited to get back in Carter-Finley stadium and also to have Coach Bill Cowher, having his name put up on the Ring of Honor in our stadium. It’s a great opportunity for us to recognize a great Wolfpack alum that's obviously a Hall of Fame coach and Super Bowl champion coach. He’s been a tremendous mentor to me, so I’m very proud to get to be a part of that experience, get to visit with Coach again, and have him present with his family and loved ones for this game. I think it's awesome that that Boo [Coorigan] and the administration is honoring him in such a way because, ever since I've been here, he's just been such an incredible guy to me for no reason other than he loves NC State. I'm just really happy that we're getting a chance to have them here and put his name up there on that. It’s definitely something that means a lot to our program.
On Dylan McMahon and Devan Boykin’s status...
It's day to day. They’re both getting better. Devan's actually doing a lot better than expected, and so there's a long shot, but there's a chance he'll play. I have to put those out when I get the information I get, so things do change. Dylan's doing a lot better. I just saw him upstairs watching film, so it's not a long term thing. It's just how fast their bodies allow them to get back, and they're both doing well, not as well as we help them to be, but a lot better than they could be.
On optimizing the wide receiver rotation...
With Coach [Robert] Anae as this thing goes, I think I've said this statement a million times: it’s evolving. K.C. [Concepcion], obviously, has been the most consistent playmaker. I do know there's an emphasis and trying to spread the ball around more. At the end of the day, Brennan is going to throw it to the guys that are open, and they've got to make catches and do things with it. Keyon Lesane and Julian Gray are two guys that make plays when they get the ball, and we're finding ways to do that. Two games ago, Julian, in the slot some, had an explosive play down the seam on one of the third downs. As this offense grows and these guys learn more and more, you'll see that, but again, it's in progress, I think that's the best way to say it. You've got some guys that are trying to get in different spots on the field with Coach Anae's system, and I think there's just chemistry that's growing and growing as this thing goes.
On maintaining defensive supremacy in an offensively tilted college football landscape…
No, I I agree with what you're saying. It is hard, and Coach [Tony] Gibson, that side of the ball, and that staff have done a great job. The kids we've recruited play really hard. They're completely invested and bought in. There’s an edge to them. There's an attitude to them. They like challenges too. I think they're really excited to play this Louisville offense because of what they've done. They've got good scheme. They’ve got good players. They play fast. Games like this as a defense, it's a challenge, and it's also exciting to go out there with that opportunity to do something other teams haven't done well. In college football, you can't touch people much anymore and get away with it. The pass interference part of the game, even in the NFL level, is very hard with the way things are being called, and the RPO game is what it is. Our kids have embraced what they are. They’re aggressive. They're not going to let the offense dictate to them. They're going to dictate. They’re going to get on the field and be the aggressor. I like that. I think we're doing the best that we can to make sure that, as a defense, we're not allowing someone else to tell us, “This is how you're going to play.” We’re going to play aggressive. Our guys have to play within the rules, obviously, but you learn how to do that over time. You learn what the refs will allow you to do and not allow you to do, and most of the time, you can play that way. Sometimes, the refs will get a little bit on the flag-happy side of things, but most of the time, as long as you're doing what they tell you you can do, you can play with that aggressive attitude and do the right things.
On Anthony Belton...
Last week, I thought was his best game. He finished blocks the way I would’ve hope that he could with his ability. He's very gifted. He tries really hard to improve each week. He does a really good job studying film. He understands the opponent . He’ll have a challenge this week — both tackles will — to the field. [Ashton Gillotte] is a really good football player. Anthony has really helped our football team. He's gotten better, and to his credit when he hasn't succeeded, he takes it to heart. He looks at it. He understands where he can improve, and he goes to work at it.
On Red Hibbler...
Red's what we were hoping he'd be. He’s a really good pass rusher. He's a little different size wise. He's kind of a hybrid guy, but man, has he got a good get-off. He can bend. He's got super long arms. His ability to pass-rush in our dime package and to impact the game that way, he's probably playing 10 to 15 snaps a game, but he has 3-1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles already in the season. He's a tough kid. He doesn't say a whole lot. He just shows up and works really hard, and he's got a knack for it. I'm glad he's here. That's what we needed. When we lost Daniel Joseph a few years ago, I felt like that was an area of our defense that can improve. Really he and Levi [Jones] that year, we had two pretty good pass rushers. Getting Red in this last recruiting class was what we were hoping he would be, and so far, so good.
On what paring down the playbook looks like...
As we looked at it — you guys asked me questions 10 minutes after I walk out of a locker room like I'm supposed to have the game memorized at every position, and sometimes you're not right in those settings — to me watching the film, our mistakes aren't in the fact that we have to narrow it down. We have to be better fundamentally. It’s going back to your fundamentals. As an offensive lineman, it’s getting your first step and your second step in the ground, playing with independent feet, your hand placement, your eyes, where we're pointing, and protections. It’s just little, basic things. On one play, a guy does right, the next play, he doesn’t, and he gets exposed. It’s fundamental focused, and that's really where the emphasis is. It's not necessarily paring it down as much as it is honing our technique and our fundamentals. That's the biggest area. Some of our position groups, I thought our receivers improved in those areas. As blockers, whether it's running backs or tight ends or O-linemen, I think we can be better. I know we can be better in those areas. It doesn't matter what the plays you call; if you're not using good fundamentals and technique as blockers, it's not going to be a successful play. That's been the area emphasis, and that's kind of where we're putting all of our eggs right now.
On the lineage of NC State football and his contributions to its legacy...
As a human being really, we talk about the dash in our program: your birthday, the dash, and then whatever that date is you expire. That dash is your legacy. That's what you stood for. It’s what you left. It's what you leave behind. Obviously, Coach Cowher has left a tremendous legacy in coaching, as a player here, as a two-sport athlete, as a mentor in the coaching profession, and now as an announcer that has a tremendous job. He’s so respected and looked up to in the profession and amongst peers, and people that don't know him, just seeing what he's done and what he meant for the Steelers organization. As far as me, I guess, that's not my job to do that. My job is to do the best that I can. When I don't do exactly what I want, when I fail is to learn from my failures, just keep grinding, and keep pushing, and I feel like I've done that here. We've evolved, we've improved, we've been consistent, we've graduated a lot of players, we've made an impact in our community, we play tough, hard-nosed football, we don't quit in games, and those are things I'm proud of. There are other things that are unaccomplished here yet, and those are the things I want to continue to strive for. What my legacy will be here, time will tell, but one thing I am proud of is the culture we've created, the consistency that we have, what we stand for, the reputation that we have in the profession and in the state, and the way that we treat our players. Those are the things that are meaningful to me, and that's really all I can control. How people look at me from the outside, I don't really know, but I'm going to do the best I can to represent the school that I love and do everything I can to help it achieve to the highest level that I can.
On Louisville’s offense…
I's a tall order. [Jawhar Jordan] took a return back for a touchdown on us last year. He's a dynamic player as a runner, as a returner, and as a ball catcher. [Jack Plummer] was tremendous down the field last week, you know, Coach [Brian] Brohm has got a good scheme. He’s got good talent in the receiving corps. There’s multiple guys that they get the ball to. Obviously, [Jamari Thrash] is having a special year so far for them. We've played against several of these guys, so we know the talent that's there. It wasn't an empty cover by any means. There’s good skill on that football team. [Bryan Hudson] and [Michael Gonzalez and Renato Brown] are tough. The accuracy that the quarterback threw the ball downfield with is the biggest thing. They’re an explosive play offense, and they have explosive players. They'll take shots, so you've got to do a good job of staying on top and defending the balls. Then, you have to pressure the quarterback and not just with blitzes. You have to do different things to make it hard for him after the snap and not just let them know everything that you're in [before the snap]. It's going to be that kind of game. It's a really good offense with good players and a good coach. That's the challenge you love, as coaches and as players. We get to go up against that and see if we can do our part to make it hard on him. We’ll see if he can handle pressure, if he can handle the skies, if he can handle post snap movement. Then, we've got to win one-on-ones, and there's going to be a bunch of them whether it's pass rush or it's one-on-one and coverage. We've got to make plays, and at the end of the day, the team that makes the most plays is going to have the best day, so that's the challenge you have, and that's just the defensive side of the ball we're talking about. I’ve seen Coach [Jeff] Brohm for a while. Obviously, I didn't coach against him when he was at Purdue, but I've watched his teams over the years. He’s a really good offensive coach.
On the additional pressure on the secondary...
That depends on the defensive call. As a corner or nickel or safety, if we're man-to-man, then yeah, they're on islands. Sometimes, they'll have help over the top. Sometimes, they won't. Those are the kind of kids we recruit, though. They want that. I think good DB's look forward to the opportunity to be on an island. That's the challenge they want. For us, we're not going to put them on it all day long. We’re going to mix it and change it up enough where it's not, “Here they are one-on-one" for 65 plays or 80 plays. We’re going to make them earn it. Sometimes, you roll the corners up and play help with your safety. Sometimes, you buzz a backer out underneath and bail a corner. There’s different techniques that you can do to take some of the stress off of those guys. It's not every down one-on one-football, and that's what you have to do, in my opinion, and that's why I switched from the 4-2-5 to the 3-3-5. I felt like this defense allows you to do that in the secondary more and still stop the run, to rotate coverage, to disguise coverage, to bring pressures, and when you're playing a team that has a dynamic wideouts, be able to give help when needed. So far, it's been great for us, and I think the biggest thing is just the execution within what's going on this week. It's no different than any other offense you play. You’ve got to know what their strengths are, and we're going to know theirs well by the end of the week, and we’ve got to go out and execute.
On the offensive line going against Louisville’s defense...
[Louisville has] changed a lot. They were very aggressive last year: a ton of man coverage, a ton of pressure. They were very disruptive, created lots of turnovers last year in their defense. They're playing really sound right now. I’m not going to say they're basic. They're not. They do different things and change coverages, and they do have some pressures. Their kids are playing good technique. [Jarvis Brownlee and Quincy Riley] are good players. They feel confident about them out there. You can see that in what they're asking them to do. We ask our offensive line, to answer your question, to be physical every week. That's a staple of our program. We don't say, “Hey guys, this week, take it easy on them. Let's not have any pancakes.” It's not how we coach. Some weeks, you do better than other weeks. For our guys, it's about fundamentals. I said it already, and I'll say it again: it doesn't matter if they blitz 60 times or five times; it's going to be about our fundamentals, our hat placement, our pad level, our hands, our feet and the demeanor that we want to play with. That will never change. We just need to do a better job of getting the results.
On the tight ends...
Thankfully, Trent Pennix is healthy now, and he's playing more. We’re trying to get him more involved in what we're doing. His play count's gone up each week of the season. We're trying to find ways to involve him in what we're doing. You know, Chris Toudle was playing quite a bit early on and had a setback health wise, and now he's back with us in practice. It hasn't been a very productive position yet in the past game. Trent missed almost all of training camp. Chris played two games and then was hurt, and now Trent’s back. It's kind of early to really give you a true assessment. I think right now, it's been inconsistent because of injury more than anything. We’ve used Jacarrius Peak as a tight end quite a bit as a blocker, and he's done a great job. When he's gone in, it's been very physical at the point of attack. Robert's just looking for creative ways to continue to use that position right now.
On the team’s intangibles...
They’re a fun group to coach. They are. They come to practice with great attitudes. They work hard. They're intentional about improving, and I'm I'm seeing that, and I think that's the one thing that excites me about this team. We played a really good Notre Dame team in the second week and didn't play the way that we were capable of. We learned a lot in that game. We're sitting here 3-1, and I'm excited about it. I’d love for this team to get a little bit healthier. That's one thing, and the good news is they're not season-ending things other than [Jakeen Harris’]. We need to get some more of these dudes back out there. The attitude, the effort, and the individual improvements within the roster have been noticeable, and those things excite me quite a bit. That's what you want; you want to get better each week individually so that you can get better collectively. Our special teams has been very, very good. We lost the Groza winner [Chris Dunn] at kicker, as you guys know, and [we have] a second year punter, first year holder, and some things have really transpired there. Both our returners [Gray and Jalen Coit] are doing some great things. Those were big question marks going into the year, and so those are some things that have jumped out as a positive. That's kind of where we're at.
On utilizing two punt returners versus Virginia...
We've practiced two returners all year. We just hadn't used it yet, and the weather was windy and rain, so we felt like it was a smart thing to do to make sure the ball wasn't hitting the ground, rolling all over the place back there. It was more about the field, the wind, and rainy weather conditions than it was anything. We trust both those guys as punt returners, and obviously it allows us to have an extra hat back there too. If they kick it to one or the other, the other guy can get the party started on the return, and in case there's someone that gets beat coming down the field, you have an extra guy back there to be his personal protector.