NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media to discuss the 41-31 win against Appalachian State.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the full press conference!
Opening statement...
Yeah, proud of our guys. Really proud of our players and staff. It was the hardest finish of a football game I've been a part of in my career a week ago, and this team just battled all week.
With a lot of negativity outside of our program, they just insulated themselves and blocked the noise. I'm proud of them for that. The staff did a good job putting together a good game plan.
We knew App was going to be a tough game. Offensively, they're a really good football team. Very skilled. Their quarterback does a good job, and I knew they wouldn't quit. It's a proud program.
Everything this week's been about finishing, for obvious reasons. We had a lead, had a chance to put them away, and turned the football over. They score on the onside kick, they get it, and they're right back in the game. And so we needed to finish, and we did.
Nine-play drive. Very physical drive, running the football. Defense goes out, four-and-outs them. Offense goes down, kicks a field goal. I'm really proud of the way the guys competed today.
That was our core value this week: to compete at the highest level possible for as long as it takes. Proud of those guys for doing it.
Duke obviously stood out, which means the line, tight ends, and receivers did a great job blocking for him. CJ was very efficient and very effective, and I liked the way the guys fought. A lot of guys were part of it.
I think Kanoah Vinesett did a great job for us today, not just with PATs and field goals. He wasn't expected to be our kickoff guy this season, yet he kicked every single kickoff into the end zone. I'm so proud of him. That's a huge factor in the game when your kicker and your punter can do what our two guys are doing right now.
Lastly, I want to thank our fans who came. It means a lot. I know it was a tough week for our fan base as well. To show up and cheer on our players, our student body—man, it means so much to have you guys there cheering like you are. So I want to say thank you for that.
Coach, speaking of the recap of the game that you just mentioned, what do you think is the biggest takeaway from a roller-coaster game like tonight?
Biggest takeaway? It's a four-quarter game. I think the way we were able to out-physical them. I know they're a team that has forever preached that and has been that.
They couldn't run the football on us. They had to throw, and that was something we wanted to be able to do. They did a good job; Max was protected at times. But just the way that we were able to be the most physical team in the stadium and finish. That's the biggest takeaway.
You guys established the run early and then leaned on it late. What was it like to see the offense do that when, in the middle two quarters, it wasn't as effective?
Yeah, you're right. It needs to be effective for the whole game. But, boy, when you need it, it's there.
Over 200 yards rushing, and they had a lot of guys in the box. When you go back and review that film, you'll see there's a populated box. Our guys, whether it was getting a hat on a hat or a back making a guy miss, there's a lot of really good strain up front.
When I look at the stat line and I see 253 yards rushing — I think that's what it says — 459 total yards, we're pretty balanced. I mean, pretty balanced. That's what you want to be.
You don't want to be one-dimensional. You want to get the ball into a lot of guys' hands.
And then to follow up real quick, what's it like for you to have a running back like Duke that you can hand the ball to and let him go to work, especially in the fourth quarter when their defense might be tired?
Yeah, well, I mean, he's a workhorse. He's got a second gear that can run away from people, but he's low to the ground. He's patient and explosive.
It's a great luxury to have a player like him and a human being like him. He's just such a special kid. Proud of him for how tough he is and how hard he plays.
I know we talked about Elijah Satchell earlier this week, but he had a really big drive-ending stop earlier in the game. And then I know he had that penalty late, but at least from my vantage point, it looked like one that was just from an aggressive effort. How important do you feel like he was in this game?
Yeah, Satch has been huge. I mean, we knew he was a good player when we signed him. You never know how good a freshman will be right away, and he's special.
That kid comes in every day focused, locked in, pays attention, doesn't make mistakes, practices and works out, and takes everything very seriously. He's one of the more mature freshmen I've been around, and that's why he's playing so well.
When you're gifted, that's one thing. But when you're an elite-focused, gifted guy, you can play really well early. And he's doing that.
We need him to because, pass-rush-wise, he and Harvey are our two best guys right now, and we need those guys to be effective.
Dave, given what happened last week, and then, all of a sudden, you find yourself tied late in this one, did you have any concerns about the team's mindset going into those last couple of minutes of the game? And what did you see of them that allowed them to respond after having given up a 21-point lead there?
Yeah, I mean, just going up and down the sideline, encouraging guys to finish, just seeing the look in their eyes, seeing what CJ was all about there on the sideline. The offensive line had a lot of energy. I felt good about that drive.
I thought we'd go down and score. I think it's easy for people on the outside to panic, but I have a lot of trust in these players, and I knew that they would come through.
Coach, where do you think the biggest disconnect is for your team in the fourth quarter? Does it come down to players playing not to lose, or to safer play-calling?
No, I think it's just execution. On defense in particular, we've got to execute better. We got put in a tough field position on the onside kick, but we've got to play better technique.
Guys have got to do a better job staying on top of routes, linebackers being where they're supposed to be in coverage, and then run and pass rush.
So it's an execution thing. It's definitely not playing timid. I don't see that from our guys at all. But execution has to be better.
By the way, we won that football game. Go Pack!
