Doeren: "It's About Executing"

NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media one final time before Saturday's game against East Carolina.

Is it good to have fun at this time of year?
Absolutely. Just having some things that remind them, it's a game that started when they're in their backyard having a good time.  They put a lot of work into it so it's fun for those guys, every now and then, to become kids again.

In what ways do you let them be kids?
We do little competitions... we had a field goal thing today, me against Bradbury. Every time we have something it's usually a one-on-one with the big guys playing receiver, D-linemen play DB... having a good time.

How were your field goal kicking skills?
Rusty. I made the third one.

Did Bradbury win?
No, I won. It’s about the only thing I can beat him in now.

Who is the best big man doing small-man things?
It's hard to say, depends on the competition. Larrell [Murchison] is pretty nifty out there. Put him  on defense and let him play DB. He did pretty good job out there.

What type of emotions do you expect for your seniors on Saturday?
I remember my last game, it's an emotional day for those guys and my job is just to help them.  I just want them to win. I want them to come off of that field for the last time with that smile on their face and do everything I can to help them get there.

I’ll just keep encouraging them and helping them through the game and then hopefully celebrating with them in the locker room.

Trevon Brown seems to hurt other teams. What challenge does he possess?
Good player... he’s a thousand-yard receiver, he’s a big body. He has good ball skills. He fights for the ball. He can run after the catch.  He's a complete player.

They target him a lot. So he gets his opportunities throughout the game.

Thoughts on ECU’s quarterback situation...
We expect to see Holton, and if he doesn't play then we’ll see Reid.

Obviously we've seen them a lot through high school and watched all their film from this year and whichever one’s out there, I know they're going to play hard.

What are the differences between Reid and Holton?
Holton is a runner and a thrower, and Reid is more of a pocket player. They still run the quarterback, but you have more creative plays really that Holton creates on his own. 

He is a very good scrambler... QB draws, QB powers... different things they’ll do with him. You've got to know where he is and you've got to be really disciplined in your rush lanes and keep him in the pocket if you can.

Thoughts on the tackle rotation due to suspensions...
We’ll unleash that on gameday, but we’ll have to do the best we can with it.

Would Emanuel McGirt get some time?
He could.

What has his progress been like?
He's really worked hard this year. I'm proud of him.

He's gotten better and better, and this is the longest he's been healthy and you see his progress in practice.

He's a great young man and does everything coach Ledford asks of him. If he gets an opportunity, I know he'll play really hard.

Tyrone Riley has started a game and Kendall Brown has received some snaps. What do you see in those two guys?
Well, the more they play, the more confident they get. 

Tyrone has played a lot this year and in some of our sub packages even as a tight end. Now Kendall is getting to do that. The more they're out there, the easier it is. There's less nerves involved and they can just play.

Their defensive end has 13.5 sacks...
He’s a great player.  He's got a third of their TFLs and a third of their sacks.  He's responsible for a lot of production in the backfield. You need to know where he is.

He plays really hard and he's got a great motor. He's quick-twitch... they do good things with them. He's an impressive football player.

What did you think of Ryan Finley being named All-ACC... second in the ACC in Offensive Player of the Year?
I'm really happy for him.

He's just done everything we've asked him to do. He's worked extremely hard, and he's well-deserved from all the accolades he has.

I said it many times, what makes Ryan special is not only what he does in that stadium, but the way he carries himself off the field and treats people... what he's done academically and socially in his life.

He's a great young man and is going to be very successful.

How big would getting a win be for the rivalry?
Obviously any in-state game is an important game to your program and the last three haven't gone our way. Two of them were on my watch and obviously I want to change that, but we've got to do the right things to earn that right.

It's about executing and playing four quarters or more of football with great technique and effort and finishing the game the right way.