NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media for the final time prior to this weekend's matchup against Miami.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.
Opening statement...
That was great, it was needed. Definitely gave the guys a chance to heal up and got a head start on our opponent. Different, obviously, than bye week number one, where you're looking at seven games and trying to really break yourself down with only two games following that. You're not going to have the same type of information come out of those two weeks.
So it was really more about how healthy we can get and get ready for, not just this game, but knowing our next game is a short-week game. We felt like we really had to rest our guys as much as we could and get them back, and it worked. I mean, we've had some really good practices coming out of the bye week. I thought the guys really ran around well.
But you had some good momentum, too, after the victory. How'd that balance out?
Well, I mean, it's great to have that feeling going into a bye. Losing is terrible, and as a coach, you don't sleep very good. When you go into a bye week after a loss, it's a long time before you get a chance to take that taste out of your mouth, and it's the opposite. And what you've got to guard against is complacency that can come from that?
And it's the first thing I talk to the guys about. Like, we have to understand what it took to get that win and to be able to repeat something like that. And it's even harder on the road, when you go on the road and play a top-ranked team like we are in their environment. You've got to be even more dialed in.
And so, we've been really guarded against the attaboy syndrome, I guess you'd call it, trying to get these guys to understand, hey, enjoy the win for a couple of days because we have a bye, but then once we started our Miami prep, that's over. We've got to flush it just like you do a loss.
Have you talked to the team about bowl eligibility in the extended season?
No, they know what our record is. We're just trying to win a game.
What have you seen from Tristan in the past two weeks?
Yeah, he's gotten a lot better. Several of our freshmen have really improved throughout the year. And Tristan's one of them. I'm proud of him. He's become a great communicator. That was something he wasn't when he got here. He was pretty shy about making loud calls on the field. Now he's in charge of things back there. And I always look at safeties like the sheriff. Like, they've got to be the ones that're barking commands and getting people to do the right thing in the building. And that's one of his responsibilities. And he and Asaad have done a nice job in that area.
Ke’Von has gotten better and better throughout the year for us as a true freshman. Caden, Gordon, man, his last three weeks of practice, getting better and better. Gerritt Kemp, getting better and better. And so, really excited about it, even though they're not playing as much in games because we've already played Caden in four, just the growth. These guys are taking the developmental periods that they have in the practice and getting better in practice and building for us so that we know what they can be moving forward.
With that said, the four games, do you have a lot of decisions to make on kids that you might want to redshirt, possibly?
They're pretty much made at this point. Yeah, I mean, there are kids that we've played for, and they're done until hopefully we have postseason. Spike’s already played more than four. Farrow's played more than four. And so there are some guys who have already had that discussion.
You looked at Tristan and Asaad, two young guys in the secondary. What does that just say about the safety room that two of those guys can step into the key roles and play pretty well?
Yeah, I think Coach Warren deserves a lot of credit and how he's gotten these guys to grow through his time here. And then those young men deserve the credit, too. Asaad Brown has done a tremendous job being versatile. Played nickel, played strong, played free. We can plug him into any one of those spots.
And that wasn't where it started, back in January. It was just, hey, learn the nickel position and let's compete and see who our starting nickel's going to be. And then when it became Jackson, it started in training camp. I said, Asaad, learn strong safety, so that you know both of those spots. And then Jackson gets hurt, he becomes our starting nickel. Jackson comes back, and then we have other injuries, and he becomes our starting strong in three.
And so I'm really proud of him. I think that's a lot. And when you look at today's college offenses and how many formations and styles of play, drop back quarterback one week, running quarterback the next, tempo team this week, formation, motion, shift, like there's a lot going on for DB. And to be able to play three spots in your first year as a true starter says a lot about his football IQ.
It feels like Kenny Soares has also settled into his role. How important is it for him and Kaden and the rest of those guys in the linebacker room to really be working together and feel confident in their specific spots?
Yeah, I agree. I think, since Kenny's moved from our JACK position to WILL, it's taken him some time to get off the ball every down, linebacker. And last week was probably the biggest test. That offense, a lot of window dressing, a lot of plus-one runs, and where fits are so critical, and getting off blocks and tackling.
And he and Caden both played really well last week. And so it's good to see that, with Sean Brown out and AJ Richardson out. It's been a two-man deal in there, and those guys have really been durable and tough. And, the tandem and how they play off each other are important. There's a good relationship between those two guys.
You guys don't play Syracuse, but I'm sure you've seen a lot of their film in the last three games. Does that help when you're comparing teams you're about to play to the same team you're seeing in film?
It can. I honestly wish we'd see some other people, because schematically we're not like them on defense. And so, to be able to see someone play before you that's more similar, because everyone offensively, with the exception of the QB run game at Georgia Tech, is pretty similar when you look at formations and tailback runs and pass concepts. So, I would rather see other teams that play similar schemes to us than the same team that doesn't.
You guys ran the ball really well against Georgia Tech. How important will that be this weekend?
Yeah, and it's a test. I mean, they're giving up 88 yards a game, so one of the top rushing defenses in college football. And because of their front, those D-line men are really good players. Their defensive coordinator adds one to the box quite a bit with five-man pressures, and they're going to try to plus one you. They understand.
You can see he understands how to target run blitzes, and he's done a good job schematically with his guys. Their free safety and nickel tackle really well in the box. So, to answer your question, it's going to be critical to not be one-dimensional, and some of it's going to be ugly. You just have to keep the plays from being negative yardage plays. Sometimes a one- or a two-yard run is good, and eventually those can become more and more if you have sustained drives and can get guys tired on the other side of the football.
Closing statement...
I do want to thank our fan base. This has just come out. We just sold out our next two games, Florida State and Carolina. So, it's three straight years. We've had every single home game sold out, and it says a lot about how much you care about this school, this football team, our program, our players, our staff.
And so, I just want to thank our fan base for that. It means a lot to have that kind of environment to play in and for our players to be a part of and for recruiting. We could show up, and it's a packed house, and it's meaningful. I mean, it leaves a major impression on the guys that we're recruiting. So, thank you, guys. Go pack.
