Doeren: "They're Going To Be A Spirited Group"

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

Opening Statement...
Really excited about the win that we had last week, and had an incredible environment here at Carter-Finley Stadium. It was a lot of fun for our players, our recruits and the fans, the students were outstanding. It was a great environment and something that we've been looking to have and hope to continue to have every week. Played a very good Louisville team. Any time you play a guy like Lamar Jackson, it's tough duty, and I thought our defensive kids really hung in there, started fast and had a first-quarter shutout, and they're a really good first quarter team.

Offensively had the one turnover early, which took points off the board, and after that I thought we played really well for most of the game, threw it well, caught it well, offensive line protected Ryan and Nyheim did some good things with the ball as a runner, and our return game helped us throughout the game.

It was great to see us just feed off of each other, offense, defense and special teams at key moments and come out with a win, and now we get ready to go play a very physical Pittsburgh team, a place that NC State has not won and we haven't played against since I've been here, and have to play there on their homecoming, so we know they're going to be a spirited group, and great opportunity to play in a professional stadium at Heinz Field with so much history there, so look forward to that opportunity.

What made you guys believe that Johnathan Alston have been a good quarterback and has he been an unsung hero for you guys on defense?
Well, you know, when he was recruited, most of his offers came for defense. A lot of people recruited him as a DB. Just watching him on that side of the ball and seeing how well he can change direction, how quick twitch he was, obviously his body length, but we had other receivers that were playing ahead of him and just felt like we had a huge need on defense. He's a physical kid. He's always been a guy that enjoys contact.

We had an opportunity to redshirt him, and just felt like we could use that year to fine-tune his technique. He was the Scout Team Player of the Year for us last year, and he's gotten better each week. He's still working on things, but he is a guy that we're proud of his progress, and look forward to seeing more of it because we haven't seen his best yet. I think he's got a lot more that he can do.

Since the first week it feels like your offensive line has done a particularly good job of protecting Ryan. I know the O-line tends to fly beneath the radar a little bit, but how much has the cohesion of that group and the work they've done been critical to the success that you guys have had?
Yeah, it's critical. Anytime you can win both line of scrimmages you've got a chance to win that football game, and the way they've played not just in the last four weeks, I think they've played well throughout the year, and they've grown. Early in the year we had some younger guys in there because we had Big T was coming off of an injury and Will was out, and once we got the starting five out there week three, each week you've seen growth, and it does everything. It gives the receivers more time to get open, the quarterback comfort in the pocket, and then the run game obviously the holes are going to be bigger when those guys are playing the way they are.

And if I'm not mistaken, I think Will and Tony have played every snap the last couple of weeks and have not allowed a sack; can you just kind of put into perspective how effective they've been and what kind of leaders they are among that group?
Yeah, I mean, all five of those guys have done that, and I think that's the key with the O-line, and there's running backs included in that and tight ends. We use a lot of different people in protection. To go four weeks in a row without one, and particularly when you're talking about who we're playing, to play Florida State and Syracuse who blitzes all the time and then Louisville, four different styles with athletic front players and not give one up in those games is a big deal.

The only sack we had was on a reverse pass when Jacoby Myers took a sack on a reverse pass down near the goal line. Excited about their progress, and also just hearing Coach Ledford coach them, there's things that they can do better and that he's really focusing on right now, and we've got a huge challenge this week because Pitt brings a lot of pressure.

Speaking of Ryan, obviously he has not thrown a pick yet this year. Is he doing certain things this year to maybe take it up another notch?
Well, I think there's a lot of things that go into that. He's more comfortable. His receivers are playing at a higher level. The protection has been good. You know, a lot of times interceptions happen because a guy drops a pass and it goes up in the air and the defense gets it. So there's a lot of things that come into play there. I think they're all working in sync right now with each other.

Whether it's quick game or screens or the play actions, Ryan has done a nice job understanding the timing of the plays and not putting our defense in a bad place, and hopefully he can continue to do that.

I was just wondering about Dave Huxtable and the kind of things he's brought to your defense and the kind of coordinator and kind of coach he is, and how were you able to, quote-unquote, steal him away from Pittsburgh five years ago?
 You know, first of all, he's a great man. He has a tremendous family. He's a great leader. He inspires our players, and he gets a lot out of them. They play hard for him.

Football-wise he's extremely sound. He won't do things that aren't the right things to do. He's not going to copycat somebody else because it worked. He's going to make sure it's something our guys can do, and I just think he's one of the most-sound fundamental coaches there is in the business, and I appreciate his leadership.

As far as him coming here, he had worked in the state before at ECU and at UNC. And I think he really enjoyed the quality of life in North Carolina. We didn't work together at Wisconsin, but he followed me there and we knew a lot of the same people, and I had heard great things about him and he had about me, so I think it just came together. The timing was right.

I was hoping you could tell us how Darian Roseboro has handled the tragedy he's had to deal with over the last couple days and whether he's been able to practice or whether he's been with family. I know he plans to play, but where is he at right now?
He's here. He came back yesterday. He has practiced all week. He's able to have the closure I think he needed, was there for the whole final part and spent a lot of time with his family and his father and everybody who was there family-wise.

I think he's at peace with it, knowing that his dad was able to say all his goodbyes and he was able to say all the things he wanted to say and hear all the things he wanted to hear and knows his dad has been battling for a long time, over a decade, that he's not in pain and he's with the Lord, so I think Darian is doing really well. He's in a great place where people are putting their arms around him, and he's doing really well. Appreciate you asking.