Doeren: "We're Going Up Against A Very Formidable Foe"

NC State head coach Dave Doeren fielded questions from the media on the ACC's weekly teleconference.

Opening Statement...
Guys have had a good week of practice getting ready for a very good Syracuse team, a team that has been in back-to-back overtime games, found a way to win. A very tough game with Carolina last week.

I think a lot of our guys understand the importance of just our 1-0 philosophy, moving on to what's important, and that's getting better, getting into a game with a really good opponent that leads the ACC in scoring, has two quarterbacks playing at a high level, always has good receivers. I think the running backs are really playing well. Defensively they're very disruptive, have an active defensive front, lead the ACC in takeaways and turnover margin.

Like every week in the Atlantic, we're going up against a very formidable foe. To do it at their place at night, I know they're going to have a raucous crowd. Great opportunity and challenge for our guys. Look forward to it.

If we talk about when you started coaching to today, what is the biggest thing on either offense, defense, or special teams that have changed during your time coaching?
That's a good question. I think social media is the biggest thing which changed our world, not just coaching, but just all of it. How it's impacted everybody every day, how it's used from a communication standpoint in recruiting and branding, where people look for information.

I think that to me has changed a lot about how we go about our business day in, day out. How our young people are communicating, unfortunately how they're reading about people's opinions at times that take their focus away from what they need to be looking at.

There's not much tape on Tommy Devito. I assume you've seen some of it. What are your impressions of him?
What I've seen, he's very impressive. He's gone in games in pressure situations and won a huge game last week for them. He throws a really good ball. He understands how to run their offense.

He's different from Dungey in the fact he's not running around as much, but he can throw it. He's got good timing. He's a very confident young man.

I assume you'll have to prepare for both.
Absolutely.

Talk about playing in the dome, how you simulate that. When you play a team in a dome, it gets louder.
We have an indoor facility that we practice in, turn the music up or the crowd noise up really loud. We've played up there twice. Played a bowl game in a dome. Been able to simulate it pretty well.