DOEREN: "There's Still A Lot In Front Of Us"
No. 18 NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media via Zoom following the Wolfpack’s 31-30 road loss to Miami Saturday evening.
NOTE: Click on the thumbnail in the player above to watch Doeren’s press conference. A transcript of his comments is posted below.
Opening Statement
Obviously, I’m very emotional and disappointed. Got to give Miami credit. We didn’t make the plays we needed to make and that we’d been making. We helped them in key moments. We’re jumping offsides on a field goal on defense when we knew they were going to use their snap-down. I think that hurt us. Then we just had some really good players just not make the plays they’re accustomed to making, and obviously when it comes down to one possession like that, you’ve got to make one more play than they do. There’s a lot still in front of us. I don’t know on Isaiah Moore yet. I’m disappointed to say the least. Obviously, we weren’t good enough tonight. On third down, we were really bad offensively: three of 14. It’s hard to win games when you don’t get any takeaways and you’re 3-for-14 on third down. We had a chance. 30-31, we got the ball and driving down, and we hit one of our best players on a routine play for Devin [Carter]. I know he feels horrible. We’ve got to pick these guys back up, get back to work, and get ready for a game next week. That’s college football. I’m not going to say much else until I watch it.
How big was the momentum swing after the muffed fumble recovery was overturned?
It was a crazy play. It was a great effort by Anthony [Smith] forcing the fumble, and then unfortunately his helmet comes off. The ball bounces out again, and it’s pretty impossible for a guy to stop playing probably when you see a ball like that. That’s the rule, and it’s an unfortunate chain of events right there. That was obviously a huge momentum swing our way if the helmet stays on.
How much did it feel like the missed opportunities piled up tonight?
You know, to win games like you’ve seen us this year, you’ve got make plays at key moments, and we didn’t. Yeah, they do mount up, and it just takes one. It takes one of those plays, and things change whether it’s the Anthony Smith fumble or the crossing route to Devin Carter. There’s a myriad of plays in there. On third-and-16 at the end, we give up a completion. We thought they were going to run the football right there. Obviously, they didn’t, and we didn’t do a good enough job in coverage. There’s lots of plays within that game that could change it the other way and didn’t.
Did it feel like this was a night where things just didn’t go your way?
[Miami’s] a good football team. They’ve been in a bunch of one-possession games, and we didn’t make the plays that we needed to make to win the game. It’s pretty simple.
Everything you want to play for is still in front of you. Is that your main talking point to your team once you get back to Raleigh?
Right now, you’ve just got a bunch of dudes down in the dumps. We’ve just got to get them back, sit down with them tomorrow, watch the film, get their spirits back up, get them as healthy as we can, and go back to it. They’ll understand what’s in front of them when we study tomorrow, but we’ve just got to get ready for the next game just like we tried to for this one. The injuries are piling up a little bit. It’s hard not having Payton Wilson or Isaiah Moore out there tonight. We definitely missed [Moore].
Do you have any updates on Moore or any of the other players who were injured tonight?
No. I’ll have to get back and see what they tell us.
How much does it help that your next game is back home?
It’ll be great to be home again. It’s been a long time, about a month. I look forward to playing at Carter-Finley next week for sure. I know it’s another night game, but it’ll be great to have another home game.