Todd Goebbel: "Make It Hard For Me To Take You Back Out"
NC State running backs coach and special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel met with the media to discuss Tennessee, his position group's play in the opening game, and much more.
NOTE: Click on the video above to watch the interview.
You’ve been revamped in the last six months. What does that sound like to work with these new guys?
Yeah, the gentlemen that are here, from Jordan Waters to Hollywood to Kendrick Raphael, the unsung heroes, Demarcus Jones II and Jordan Poole, they're talented. They're talented, but what's more important is they're better people.
They work together, they bonded quickly, you know, Waters and Hollywood integrating into the room, Kendrick coming back bigger, stronger, faster, Demarcus Jones II taking a leadership role, and Jordan Poole being the utility guy. I think we have a good blend and they all kind of feed off each other. You saw it in game one, when one goes out, the other one goes in, and to be quite honest, we feel confident no matter who we put out there, we're not going to miss a step.
So I'm excited about that.
What did you guys see as the difference between Jordan's first three quarters versus the fourth quarter?
Just taking what I give them. Anytime you.. first game, new place, whether you're a freshman or a fifth year guy, you've got kind of internal pressure that you want to do something amazing.
And the biggest thing, the best thing he did is he went back to being him and being himself, which is a really good football player, a great teammate, a good person. That calmed him down.
I was excited to see him come out the second half and execute the way he did. He had some good runs in the first half, too. You know, so that was good and fun to see.
What goes into finding Kanoah (Vinesett) or Caden (Noonkester) as a walk-on coming out of high school?
Well, I think it starts with Coach White. Jackson White has done a really good job. He's kind of behind the scenes, and he deals with our specialists, and him and I have known each other... I've actually coached him. That's how old I am. We collaborate and what we look for... of course, talent's one thing, talent.
But the biggest thing we look for, and we've been pretty spoiled here as specialists, is when the lights get bright, they get calm. Probably the greatest asset to Kanoah is when the lights get bright, he gets calmer. You know, I think it's been stated and quoted that I call him the Fred Couples of kicking. No matter if it's a 50-yarder or a 30-yarder, he's very smooth, which leads to the same leg swing each time.
Just the consistency, whether it's our long snappers, whether it's Caden Noonkester, or whether it's Kanoah, the good thing about them is they keep calm within the noise, and that's all they get to deal with throughout the game when they're called upon.
You talked about Hollywood integrating well into the group. How does his explosiveness add another facet to this running back room?
All three backs that go out there have explosiveness.
He has kind of a unique skill set, but when you put a running back room together, everyone wants to get thunder and lightning, but I just want three dudes that have a tremendous skill set, whether it's catching the ball. The biggest thing is blitz pick up, which they're really all good at. Kendrick, as a freshman last year, was tremendous at it.
So they're all three willing to put their faces on people, and when they're handed the ball, you know, they have the ability to house it, which is nice.
On Hollywood Smothers being a kickoff returner…
Hollywood, that's something I found out when we recruited him, that he has that type of ability.
As you guys said, he's explosive, but he also has tremendous vision. That's what Zonovan had back in the day, is he not only had power and speed, but he had vision, and Hollywood has a natural instinct to find open holes when it's not blocked perfectly.
I'm excited to see where he goes with this. He just kind of got his first start and confidence will build within, and we're excited.
When you evaluate a running back, what are some of the traits you look for?
Lower body power, vision, twitch, and the ability to take his face on somebody when they blitz.
Where's the growth potential for this unit this week and then throughout the rest of the season?
I think the biggest thing is, is one sticking together with three backs and they all want the ball. We all know that. That's just human nature.
So continue to stick together and feed off each other, and when you get your opportunities, make the most of it.
The last thing I'll say about the group in regards to what we're looking for is bring your own blockers. Our offensive line is really good, but at the end of the day, we're gonna be running on safeties and corners. And the good ones, they make them miss and they make extra yards after contact. So that yards after contact is what I'm challenging those guys with is when the first guy hits you, it doesn't matter, four or more, and that's our goal.
On balancing snaps between running backs…
I don't think there's any predetermined number.
Jordan starts, Hollywood and Kendrick are both guys that are more than formidable guys that can go in there. They should be... they are starters in my mind... all three bring a huge, huge potential to our offense.
So I've just told them all, no matter if you get 25 plays or 50 plays or 10 plays, your resume is your film. So go put good stuff on film... make it hard for me to take you back out.