DOEREN: "It's An Emotional Game"

NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media ahead of the Wolfpack’s Saturday evening matchup against North Carolina.

NOTE: Click the video in the player above to watch Doeren’s interview.

“No, I think it’s an emotional game. You want them to play in their emotions. The biggest thing is just executing for us. We’ve just got to come out, play smart football, play for four quarters, and make the plays that are there to make. We both have 11 games of film to watch on each other, and we’re trying to do as much as we can to teach the game plan to the guys so they can play fast.”

“They’ve got excellent receivers. Their quarterback’s playing at a really high level. He’s done a great job this year for them. They’ve got good skill around him. You have to defend the deep ball against these guys. They’re going to take four or five or more.”

“It’s a lot different offense. Both of those teams threw the football, but these guys are more balanced. They obviously have a drop-back passer where the last two teams was more of a dual-threat quarterback. The skill around them is different. Like every week, you’ve got a different challenge on defense.”

“I think, particularly with the last two classes we’ve had, we’re almost 70 percent in-state. It goes without having to say a whole lot what the game means to them. A lot of them had that in them when they got here because of how it went down with them in recruiting. They’re excited to play this game. When you kick the ball off, it’s still going to be about executing. No matter what the jersey is the guy has on across, you’ve got to do your job.”

“I think you should ask him that. I think that’s something he should speak on probably more than me. I think he’s excited to play for sure. He’s had a good week. I know he’s going to play hard.”

“I would say that our development that we’ve been able to do in the offseason program obviously starts with the great plan from our coaches, but being able to have a facility where, every single day, you can go out there and get positive work done has changed everything. I think it was five years ago when we were out there on the rye grass just falling down all over the place. At that time, it was Dr. Yow, and I said, ‘You’ve got to come watch this because I cannot train guys to be bigger, faster, stronger when all they do is slip and fall.’ This has changed everything in our offseason program and, on a day like today, gives you the opportunity to have a great practice when you’re not worried about the wet balls.”

“I think the one thing you can’t do as a coach is create experience. You have to rep. Football is a game of repetition, and so the more they get, the better they’re going to be. That’s why normally on a Thursday and Friday, we’ll have 15 minutes of developmental practice for those guys and get them an opportunity to work in our systems instead of just being on a scout team so that when we go into spring ball, they’re not learning the offense or the defense. They have reps banked. Normally, that’s what we would do. Unfortunately now, there are so many of them in the upper fields that can’t do that."