Tim Beck: "It All Goes Back to Details"
NC State offensive coordinator Tim Beck met with the media in the leadup to the No. 18 Wolfpack’s home opener versus Charleston Southern.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Beck’s interview.
“It was just detail stuff. I didn’t think we finished blocks well, both on the perimeter and inside. I think we just had to get back to basics in football. I don’t know. Since we had so much time to prepare for a game, maybe we were over-prepared in terms of wanting to play so badly and wanted to do things so well that we forgot the details to it. The little things in the game, stepping with the correct foot, hat placement, and things of that nature are huge in this game. It’s a game of inches. Sometimes, when most things didn’t go right, things didn’t go right for us at times, but there were some good things, early on especially. We’ve got to finish. I just got done telling the team: we’ve got to finish blocks. We’ve got to finish runs. We’ve got to finish drives. We’ve got to finish third downs. We’ve just got to finish. That’s going to be an emphasis for us this week.”
“I think, if anything, it got our attention. It really got our attention that we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re a little bit younger than the other side of the ball. There were some guys that truly played in their first games. I know there were guys that played some special teams, but going out there and playing 40 or 50 snaps on offense, we had probably seven or eight guys doing that for the first time. It was a learning experience for them and also an experience for the intensity the game requires for four quarters. You go out and practice for an hour, and it’s way different than playing on a Saturday in a hostile environment. I think it was a great learning experience for them.”
“We missed some. Like everything, it goes back to detail. It goes back to playing what the defense gives you. I think there were some things they took away that they were cognizant to not allow. We tried to do some things. You see it. You run a play and execute, and we get a first down. We try the same play later, and the route’s four yards too deep, and the ball’s thrown late, and the guy breaks it up. It’s the same play with the same route, but we’re just too deep on the route. It’s details. It was the little details on two plays keeping us on the field.”
“I love the way [Demie Sumo] plays. I think he loves football, all elements of the game. He loves the practice. He loves everything that it takes to be a running back. He’s not a selfish player that says, ‘I need the football.’ He’s going to do what it takes to help the team win. He’s tough. He does a great job breaking tackles. He’s a great all-around back for us. He’s got a bright future as long as he keeps his head on straight and continues to do what he’s been doing.”
“I think he’s stepping up even more. We saw that. We’ve seen that over even last year a little bit. Like all the players at some point, he had to bide his time and wait for his opportunity. When they get that opportunity, they have to make the most of it, and Demie certainly did. Jordan [Houston] played well, too. Jordan did some really good things in the ball game. I felt really good. I told you all last week: I like that group. I like [DeMarcus Jones], Delbert [Mimms], and all of what those guys bring. They’re very consistent players, all the way around: protection, running, catching… all of it.”
“Yes. I think, again, when I said it got our attention, our players realized how important those things are. Stepping with the correct foot, hat placement, getting the correct depth on a route, getting the correct split on a route… With all of those things now, they’re like, ‘Ah, I’ve got you, Coach.’ You can tell them, coach them, and show them over and over, and then there are some guys that just go. Anxiety takes over. Adrenaline takes over. Then, it’s two yards too deep, then we’re off timing, off platform. It’s a bad throw, and it’s incomplete. Those things take place, and now they’re starting to realize they have to be better at that. When you can show them, there’s nothing better than showing players film after a game. The bonus is that we get a W with it. You can learn so much from a game like that. Again, especially, we’re fortunate to have a W.”
“Obviously, it hurt losing Trent [Pennix]. He was having a great game. The blocking, the catching, and boy, he was running physical. It’s just like we’d hoped and saw him finish last year. But we’ve got Chris Toudle, we’ve got Ced [Seabrough], we’ve got Fred [Seabrough], and we’ve got Kam [Walker]. We’ve got guys who are coming back. I feel really good about the guys that are coming. Like everybody in our program, it’s next man up. They’re all taking it on themselves. ‘I’m getting this opportunity. I’m not letting it go to waste.’ They’re preparing really hard, and they’ve had a great week of practice, all of them. Great week of practice."