Dave Doeren: "We're Going To Have To Earn It"

No. 23 NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media via Zoom for the final time ahead of the Wolfpack’s road matchup on Saturday versus No. 14 North Carolina.

NOTE: A transcript of Doeren’s comments is posted below.

Has it gotten to a point now where a great practice week is automatic?

I think the standard has been set. Our job is to try to raise it. ‘Let’s have the best Tuesday we’ve had all year. Let’s have the best Wednesday’ and so on… just trying to do one thing better than you did the last time you had an opportunity.

That’s kind of the mantra we have right now. It’s all about the 22 guys that are on the two-deep on each side of the ball just being a little bit better each day of the week they go out there.

How happy are you with the linebacker group?

It’s a fun group to watch. They feed off each other’s energy. They’re active. They understand the scheme. They’re playing fast, and they’re very talented. It’s been very fun watching that group this year, and I don’t expect them to slow down.

The way these guys are playing and the way that they’re picking things up right now, it’s a lot of fun to see Payton [Wilson], Drake [Thomas], and Isaiah [Moore] feed off of each other and what Levi [Jones] has been doing on third downs.

Are you looking to exploit North Carolina’s apparent vulnerability to mobile quarterbacks?

We’ll just have to see on Saturday. We definitely need to be able to run the ball to help Bailey [Hockman]. I think the run game is a big part of his success being in there just because of the play-actions and the nakeds and the full protections you can do with downfield play action.

All of that stuff is better when you’re able to run the football. Whether it’s a tailback run, quarterback run, or receiver run with some of our jets that we do, we’ve got to be able to run the football in this game.

What do you think the team is doing the best in terms of stopping the run?

I think stopping the run is a collective thing. The way that college football is now with so many perimeter plays, it always starts inside out at nose guard. We’re getting very good nose guard play. Then it goes to the leverage, the ends in your defense, and we’ve been sound in those areas for the most part. Then it’s pursuing the football.

All of it just ties together. If you’re soft in the middle, you’ve got no chance. If you don’t leverage the ball, your pursuit doesn’t matter.

Our guys understand the 11-man approach with taking and whose job it is to do what and, if a guy’s not going to get blocked by a single person, getting extra people there.

Was there any moment in Payton Wilson’s recruitment when you knew the pendulum swung in your favor?

There was a night where Coach [Dave] Huxtable and I were going to see him play. That same afternoon, we found out UNC’s staff was going to be flying in there in a helicopter, so I called Payton’s coach and AD and said, ‘Just so you know, we’re coming in a pickup truck with country music playing on the radio. I heard they’re bringing in a helicopter. I hope you know we’re real and this is a better place for him.’ The AD called me back and thanked me for not creating all the stuff that got created over there for them having to find a field for them to land a helicopter in. I just kind of felt like it put us in a place that made us more like them as a family. I had Hank Williams, Jr. on the radio when I was talking to them, so we were laughing about that.

Can you speak on Wilson's “man versus boys” vibe that he seems to exude?

He’s a throwback. He’s definitely a Jack Lambert, old-school linebacker and a vicious player. He plays extremely hard. I think he’s learned how much he loves football by losing football with his injuries. He actually plays that way. He’s going to give it everything because he knows how precious it is to him. I think there’s few guys out there that plays as hard as he physically plays. He’s relentless.

Has it been like a crash course for Ben Finley to get to the elite level needed to be the No. 2 quarterback?

“During training camp when we lost Devin [Leary] to contact tracing, we were able to soak Bailey and Ben at that time. Ben’s done a really good job understanding the offense. We do developmental practice every Friday where he gets to run our Skellies. He hasn’t looked like a guy who hasn’t practiced. He’s had a very good week. He’s ready to play if called upon, and I think he’s done a really good job for preparing for this moment when it comes.

How different is it now in terms of addressing mental health and erasing the stigma surrounding those kinds of issues?

I think it’s one of the biggest changes in sports in the last five years, not just the availability to get help but from test anxiety to performance anxiety, death in the family, and all the things that happen. There’s a lot of pressure on these kids, and sometimes they don’t handle it well. Sometimes, it’s internal pressure. Sometimes, it’s external pressure that gets them, but it’s definitely addressed. During a normal year, our sports psychology team would be at practice once a week and be around the building all the time. Obviously now, everything’s on Zoom when it comes to that. They’re really accessible, and they’ve really helped a lot of our pressure. It’s not looked at as a crutch or weakness. It’s looked at as a resource here.

How big of a threat is North Carolina’s receiver corps?

When I watch them, first of all, they’re very skilled at running back, wideout, tight end, and quarterback. The biggest thing you see this year, their quarterback, Sam [Howell] gets out of trouble and extends plays, not by running down the field, by letting his receivers get open as he scrambles. There’s a lot of explosive plays that way in their offense. We’ve got to tackle their quick game, tackle their hitches, tackle their screens and all that. That’s every week. He’s really, really good at getting out of trouble and extending plays, and we’ve got to be disciplined, one, at keeping him in the pocket, and two, staying on our guys in coverage.

Considering you’re 3-0 at Kenan Stadium, do you have a pre-Kenan routine that’s been working for you?

“No, I don’t change anything. Every game is pretty much the same for me. It’s been great there. Obviously, I’d like to continue it, but we’re going to have to earn it."