Dave Doeren Press Conference before Clemson (BULLETED)

NC State head coach Dave Doeren had his weekly press conference yesterday preceding the Wolfpack’s matchup versus Clemson this Saturday. The video is ABOVE and a bulleted breakdown of what he had to say is BELOW.

• Excited for game week. Had a good bye week and focused on fundamentals.
• Studied our own tendencies and where we need to improve. Players worked hard on those things.
• Gave guys time to heal.
• Great practice yesterday. Guys were very excited for the game.
• Expect a great atmosphere in Clemson.
• They are explosive on offense. Lots of big plays. Have good WRs. Playmakers that can run after catch, and guys that can run by you.
• Freshman QB Trevor Lawrence has been impressive. Great arm, quick release. Good decision maker.
• RBs are dynamic. Travis Etienne is fast and gets to top speed in a hurry. Good vision. You need to be concerned about him.
• Got to know where Renfrow is.  Makes a lot of 3rd down plays and is a red zone target.
• Returning 4 O-line starters. Veteran defense. Big LBs. They live in peoples backfields. 58 tackles for loss and 20 sacks is tops in the league.
• Our line has done a good job against similar defenses. That will be a great matchup at the line of scrimmage.
• Going to be big crowd noise.  A lot of it comes down to not beating yourself.
• Practicing with the loudest sound system we can get. This will be the loudest environment we’ve played in this year.
• Same coaching staffs, so lots of film on how teams have schemed each other, what worked and what hasn’t.
• Also looking at defenses that are similar to ours and looked at how Clemson attacked them.
• No doubt, these seniors have been in dogfights with Clemson. Finishing the job is important to them.
• Sunday was treatment and weight room time. Monday, Tuesday, guys were off. Monday coaches self-scouted. Players came in and watched that film. Tuesday was about watching Clemson tape. Wed and Thurs was us vs. us and second part was our 1st and 2nd down prep. Friday and Saturday they were off. Had 5 recovery days for the guys. Watched film on Sunday.
• Pretty good place health-wise. Linemen had bumps and bruises but seem to be feeling well.
• Didn’t get College Gameday to cover the game. Would have liked to have that exposure and you’d think two undefeated teams would get it, but there are other things at play, and I’m not in the conversation.
• Comes down to fundamentals. Sustaining blocks. Ability to throw the football.
• This will be the biggest test. Both UVA and Boston College were very different offenses, and the defense rose to the challenge. Now its a new test. Facing elite athletes.
• It’s about finishing the big game for us.
• Finally, everyone is back healthy, and that’s what is happening. Chemistry is improving.
• Has been able to play Clemson well because of execution. These guys love a challenge. Guys get up and get excited to play them. They are the team you have to knock off if you want to be in a better position.
• Harmon is so confident but very, very strong. Hand strength and frame are why he comes down with those 50/50 balls. He has great timing with Ryan. He has a skill of tracking the football really well. He’s just got a really good skill set, good chemistry, and a good quarterback.
• LB Germain Pratt has incredible size, speed, and football IQ. We’ve had some high IQ guys before, but they didnt have the speed that Germaine has. His skill set is imporoving because his fundamentals are better. He’s getting more consistent.  He’s making a ton of plays that aren’t his plays to make.
• As a coach, I’m excited. Work my butt of like the players do. Want to play for a lot against another team that’s playing for a lot. This is about elevating our program. Want to do something we haven’t done. Its why you work so hard.