VIDEO: Dave Doeren After Practice

NC State head coach Dave Doeren spoke with the media one last time after practice today before Saturday’s contest against Eastern Kentucky.  Here’s the FULL VIDEO.  Quotes to follow.

“Week 2 is faster.  You’re in and out of the game plan in a matter of days.  We’re already at Friday, 48 hours until the kick.  The lead up to the first game takes forever.  Some of the new guys have film they can watch.  They can go through the experience and self scout the process.  If they played well, they know they need to repeat it.  If they didn’t, then they have to ask ‘Why?’ and ‘What do I have to do different?’.”

“We’re always coaching guys until the kick on the details.  The biggest thing you worry about in college is immaturity.  Guys not handling the day right.  Getting caught up in things outside the walls of our team that can distract them.  There’s a lot of distractions.  We just have to make sure that they are keeping the main thing the main thing, so that when they walk into the Murph they’re ready to play.”

“That first game is a milestone.  Second time is going to be a lot easier on them mentally.  The butterflies won’t be there and they’ll just be ready to play.  They aren’t going to be nervous.”

“Justin Jones made a nice play in the backfield.  He forced a fumble, but we didn’t get it.  It was a nice play.  It’s good to have a rotation like that.  When you can put him and Kentavius (Street) in there, they are both good players.  Justin was a little more disruptive than Kentavius in the first game, so I know that will create some competition in there.”

“Pharoah McKever has been really good.  It’s good to have him back.  He’s a little rusty, but he’s full go.  He feels great.  I’m glad we were able to rest him last week.  It was great for his leg.”

“Eastern Kentucky runs the ball more than Troy.  They’re more balanced.  Most of their production came out of their tailback last year.  He had 20 touchdowns.  They have good receivers under a quarterback who is a transfer from Cincinnati.  They all didn’t play so much in the opener because they got up so fast.  I think they are a more balanced team.  They are a no huddle team.  You’re still going to see the tempo.”

“Jack (Tocho) was a little sore Tuesday, but he practiced Wednesday and today.  I talked to him last night and he said he felt great.  It was just a little swollen coming out of the weekend.”

“Two of the big plays were mistakes on our end.  One of them was a nice play on their end.  We have to focus and understand you can’t let your guard down.  We had a misfit on one of the plays, which we can’t have happen with two veteran players, Mike Rose and Dravious Wright.  I think Jack (Tocho) let his guard down.  I think he thought he was going to get a sideline route to get in field goal range, and they ran a go route on him.  You just have to play technique.  It might have been trying to do too much maybe.  You like to have those experiences with a win.  You don’t like having them period, but at least you have a win, and it’s a good learning experience and hopefully we don’t have it happen again.  They are going to get big plays on you sometimes.  They are on scholarship too, but they can’t be touchdowns.  That’s the thing I stressed.”

“Unfortunately more goes into the uniform decisions than I would like.  You don’t just sit down and pick it.  Sometimes there are things going on that I can’t even get into.  I don’t ask the players about that.  When we meet on Sunday’s I’ll say ‘here’s what I’m thinking, are you guys good with it?’  Nine times out of 10 they’re going to say yes.  Homecoming we’re going to be traditional.  That’s what I think is the right thing to do.  You wear your school colors on homecoming.  Senior day I’m going to let the Seniors decide.  That’s something they deserve.  Other than that, we kind of mix it up throughout the season.  I always have the one or two times that we break out something fancy from a recruiting and payer excitement standpoint.”

“Garrett Bradbury’s good.  He sprained his knee.  He’ll be out this week, but we’ll have him back soon.”

“Carter-Finley has gotten better since I’ve been here.  The proximity of the fans to the field makes it loud.  The tailgating before the game.  People come in and they are festive.  We love all that about them.  The biggest thing to create what I consider the ultimate experience, is to have 3rd quarter be full the minute we come out of the tunnel.  That’s my goal.  As a coach I want to win every game and I can have goals for the fans.  They don’t have to listen to me, but I would love to have 4 quarters like it is in the first quarter.  That’s just what makes Carter-Finley and NC State so special.  No one else in the state does that, you know.  We need to be the team that sets the bar on fan experience, and continue to ask them for their support, and say thank you to them every time we get it.”

“When the fans get up and get enthusiastic, it rocks in there.  You can’t hear anybody from a foot away.  You have to read lips.  The more we can be like that the better.”