AUDIO + QUOTES: Dave Doeren's Weekly Press Conference

AUDIO: Dave Doeren Press Conference

Opening Statement...

It's exciting to be in game week.  I know not just as a coach, but I'm sure it's the same way with our opponent, you practice for a long time between the last football game you play and the next one. You want to see where you're at, and we're playing against a team that returns a lot of young players.

Particularly on offense, they return an offensive line that has 96 starts... a tight end who was preseason first-team All-SEC... 97% of their pass-receptions are back.

All three tailbacks have played... a lot of guys back.  Bentley throwing for 390 yards and Deebo Samuel... two No. 1s, one Samuel, one Samuels.  They both do a lot. He's a heck of a player.

A very talented, and experienced group on the offensive side of the ball. They did graduate some talented players on defense, but I know they recruited well and develop their defensive personnel.

I know coach Muschamp is a blue-collar, hard-nosed coach so I know that's the kind of team they'll have.

It's been leaked out somehow about Mike Stevens, so I'll comment on that briefly. Mike did have a lower leg injury, and he's doing better than expected.  It's not surgical and he won't miss a ton of time. He won't play in the opening game. I have no idea how long. Originally it was said he'd be out potentially four weeks, but to see him in the weight room, he's lifting, bending, he's doing really well. We're hopeful that Mike will be back quickly because he had a great camp.

It provides an opportunity. Nick McCloud played in our last two games and had a good offseason. He gained a lot of weight which he needed to do and has good length.

Johnathan Alston redshirted last year and moved to DB and did it for this reason.  We thought this would be a season that Johnathan could be a really good player on that side of the football if he took advantage of his year in the developmental program. He did that. He was our Scout Team Player of the Year when we redshirted him. 

He'll get a great opportunity to play and I know he's excited to play... this won't be a deal where he's nervous. He's really excited to play in this football game.

Nick Lacy is a redshirt senior who has earned a scholarship. We know we can put Nick in the game and he'll execute and play hard. James Valdez and Bryce Banks are now in the two-deep and both have come a long way. Bryce Banks was 165 pounds when he got here... he's played nickel, safety, and corner and has had a great camp.

James Valdez, I'm proud of him. He's grown up a lot.  I suspended him for academic reasons and he got an A in summer school. He's done a great job in fall camp, and he has earned his way back in the two-deep. I'm excited for what he's done and that will be a continual deal.

On defense, our front four has been talked about a lot and you'll see Kentavius and Darian.  Both we look at as starters.

B.J. and Shug Frazier... Shug has really improved himself.

Justin Jones and Eurndraus Bryant will both play at defensive tackle.

James Smith-Williams behind Bradley Chubb is probably the most improved in the group.  I'm really excited with what James has done.  He was I think 197 pounds when he got here, and he's 250 now and ran in the 4.6s when we timed him.

The linebacker position is probably the best depth and rotation we've been able to have since I got here.  I think it will help these guys, not just in the first game, but the duration of the season.  We've asked a lot out of Jerod and Airius, there were games they've played 90 snaps.

Germaine Pratt and Airius will rotate a lot. You'll see both of those guys, and Airius can play WILL and MIKE.

Jerod has Riley [behind him], who has really settled in at that position, and Brock Miller is a young guy who I think will have a huge impact on our special teams this year. I'm excited about him.

Our offensive line, having four of the five guys back has been key. The development of the backups has been key. Peter Daniel, Joe Sculthorpe, Justin Witt, and Philip Walton have all had good camps.

Emmanuel McGirt has battled injuries but he's continued to work and I'm proud of him.

I think Josh Fedd-Jackson is one of our true freshmen who will probably play. We'll see. We aren't planning on rotating them but with the way offensive linemen are... he's really, really aggressive and strong.  He's worked hard.

Our tight end position, Cole Cook, Dylan Autenrieth, Jaylen Samuels, and Dylan Parham, we feel solid about that.

At receiver, Kelvin Harmon has C.J. Riley behind him.  He's overcome a knee injury, and we're excited to have him back with us. We hope he can have a similar impact that Steph did coming out of the year he had.  C.J. may be one of our fastest receivers and he is our tallest. To get him out there, it's another target for the quarterbacks.

Steph is backed up by Emeka Emezie, another true freshman, and he will play in the game, not just on offense but also on special teams.

Jakobi Meyers may be one of the most improved.  Jakobi has practiced well and learned how to practice.

Finley and Jalan are both healthy, filling good, and ready to go.

At running back, you'll see all three. Nyheim, Reggie, and Dakwa. They all bring different things to our offense.

You mentioned preparation. How exciting is it to go from summer and fall to game preparation?

It's very exciting.  The guys and the coaches work really hard. We put in a lot of time and love what we do, but we do it for 12 guaranteed days... you only get 12 guaranteed times to do it and when you get to this time it's extremely exciting. You can just feel it.

Was Mike Stevens injury a contact injury?

He was playing goalline coverage and he and Steph were doing what wideouts and DBs do... I don't know the exact route. It doesn't look like a typical thing, a bone bruise or strain-type thing. Our trainers tell us to not fear the worst... everybody wants to jump to worse-case scenarios.

We were lucky. Anytime you have something that's non-surgical and you'll get the guy back, especially for a senior... that's good.

Thoughts on nonconference schedule...

When you play in the Atlantic like we do, it's great competition every week.

Are the guys feeling pressure or excited to live up to the expectations?

You could if that's how you look at things.  If you attack all your goals from a daily standpoint, that stuff really doesn't apply to you.

If all you're going to talk about winning the first game 40 days out, there's a lot that goes into winining that

What can we do today to make sure we're better than yesterday, and hold them accountable to that. If we do that, we think we'll get the win.

No matter what, whatever chair you're in... it's all the same.

You mentioned South Carolina returns 97% of their catches... how difficult is it going to be?

They are very good at receiver and it's going to be a challenge, but it's an opportunity. That's how we look at it.

I'll say we have some good receivers here... I don't think they are going to be "Oh, gosh, I've never covered a guy like this before."

You'll see all three of them. I think coach Kitchings has a feel for their strengths and how we can use them.

If we gave any of them 30 carries in the first game, they may love that but it would be diff.

Its in our best interest to make sure all of those guys are getting work, and they will.

How is Dexter Wright looking?

I thought he used it as a learning experience and really came into fall camp with a mindset change of how important each day was.

He and Shawn Boone on the same side at the same time...they are roomates and study film together, that's been good.

Why is Charlotte important in recruiting?

One, coach Faulkner does a great job there. I think he's one of the best recruiters in the country at identifying relationships and finding players who fit at State.

When I was at Wisconsin I recruited several linebackers from Charlotte and would come down... I got to know the area and some of the coaches.  Mallard Creek head coach Mike Palmieri and I have known each other since he was a head coach down in Florida.

If you look at all those guys on our roster that play well... we were able to identify some guys who have been really, really good, fit and represented us and the program really well.

Thoughts on depth that cornerback...

I like the five guys there, but I'd like six. We can develop, teach, and mentor, but injuries will happen in football.

We were really lucky that Jerod and Airius could play an entire season like we did... we had three linebackers on the bus at Chapel Hill. Now there are seven.  That's a little different.

Thoughts On Germaine Pratt...

I'm really excited to watch him play. Sometimes gameday can do weird things to guys, I'm hoping with the year off he doesn't freak out, but he's practiced well. 

If he does what he's done in practice, I think a lot of people will know who No. 3 is at at the end of the year.  He has to keep doing it.

More on Johnathan Alston...

He had everybody offer him as a safety or corner... he's long, he's twitchy, he's big, he's strong.

He's long, he's twitchy, he's big, he's strong... it timed up where we could redshirt him. Once that happened it made it simple.

Longevity-wise for J.A... if he has a season and does what he needs to do, being a long corner puts him in a position where the NFL is real. He has to play well, but his measurables are what they want.