NC State Head Football Coach Dave Doeren met with the media for his weekly press conference yesterday, prior to the UCONN game this Saturday. You can watch it here, or check out a bulleted breakdown below.

Offense against TT

• Run game was a big part of the time of possession in that game.
  • That was a good defensive line. Those players are very experienced and big. I think their defensive end [Tyree Wilson] is a draft pick…really talented. Their linebackers played hard…DBs were long. They made it tough on us, and we were able to run the ball effectively.
  • Our tailbacks were physical and for the most part did what they could do to help us.
• Receivers improved away from the point of attack.
• Time of possession in the 2nd half was big…had the ball for 19 minutes.
• From a negative standpoint, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot too much on offense.
  • Whether it’s penalties pre-snap, some technique things within the play where we can avoid a penalty, or just a bonehead mistake with a lineman downfield, that shouldn’t happen.
  • We had a turnover, and that was a costly error by Demie Sumo-Karngbaye crossing the goal line and not finishing through the goal line with the ball.
    • Definitely a teachable moment for him and one that I know he’s learned a lot from.
    • He did a great job bouncing back and making a play for us.
  • Overall, you’re still seeing some young players and inexperienced players who just need to make the routine plays and execute at a little bit higher level.
  • If you get the touchdown that Demie had, and we don’t have the lineman downfield on Devin Leary’s touchdown catch, that’s 14 more points, and we’re feeling pretty darn good about the result of that game, scoring in the 40s.
  • It’s just little things like that in this game that can really taint how you feel, but similar to our 1st game, we leave that one offensively speaking with a lot to improve.
    • Left a lot of plays on the field, and we get to do it with a win.
  • We would have had 41 points with 2 plays that did score that didn’t count.
    • Demie’s play should have been a touchdown if he crosses the goal line like he’s supposed to with the ball.
    • Devin’s play did score, but Anthony Belton is downfield on a pass play which doesn’t make sense to him or us right now. If we’re at 41-17, are you guys asking about the offense? I don’t know.

Defense against TT

• That was our best performance this year.
  • 3 takeaways.
  • Aydan White had 2 interceptions, the touchdown, and a sack…an outstanding game.
  • Jakeen Harris had a nice interception.
  • In the box we performed well…we were disruptive…D-line strained…Guys ran to the football.
  • Savion Jackson had a really good game up front.
  • Josh Harris and Cory Durden were more disruptive at the nose.
  • C.J. Clark had 2 sacks and got involved in the pass rush.
  • Linebackers played downhill and fit the run well.
  • Tanner Ingle probably had his best game since last season…really tackled well, so he’s improved a lot as the season has gone on.
  • Plus-10 on plays in their backfield, tackles for loss and sacks…got pressure on the quarterback…sacked him 4 times, and forced him to throw some poor balls.
  • We’ve played 3 games now where the offense has attempted to get our D-line and linebackers offsides, and the guys did a good job of being disciplined.
  • Limited explosive plays against an offense that is known for creating them, until the last drive where we really played a prevent defense.
    • Kept the ball in front of us and didn’t allow them to get behind us most of the night.
  • On the negative side defensively, Travali Price lost contain on a pressure that would have been a sack for Tanner.
    • It’s a young player, similar to what you see on offense sometimes.
  • We got tired on the one drive…there was an area of the game there in the 2nd quarter where we were out there for a long number of plays.
    • That’s something where we’ve got to rotate more which is difficult at times against a no-huddle team that isn’t subbing all the time. That’s an area where we can help ourselves.

Special teams

• Chris Dunn continues to be elite in what he’s doing…hitting the ball well…very confident right now.
• On the muffed punt fumble recovery by Joe Shimko, I was happy for him to see him battle, fight under that pile, and come up with that ball.
• Shane McDonough improved his hang time…averaged over 4 seconds which was a goal of his this week.
• Special teams created some very advantageous field position for us in this game, so kudos to those guys.

Fans

• Excited to play another home game…expect a raucous crowd…that’s the standard.
• It’s about celebrating Wolfpack football…it’s about cheering on our players and staff and celebrating that you’re a part of such a great university.
• At times, it gets into who we’re playing, but to me, it’s not about that.
  • It should be about the young men who play for your university, how hard they work, and the pride you have for your university.
• We have the nation’s 5th-longest home winning streak. I’d like to make sure I emphasize the word, “we”.
  • The fans are a huge part of that. You are. This doesn’t happen in places that have 25,000 people show up. It happens in places that sell out and get loud as hell.
  • You’re helping make our program better when you do that. It helps recruiting, it helps our players, and it helps our coaches. I just want to thank you and continue to emphasize the importance of that.

UCONN

• Has a veteran defense.
• Long bunch of defensive lineman.
• Linebackers are experienced guys.
  • They’re all 6-2 and 220 or more.
• Coach Jim Mora is a veteran, proven coach at the NFL level and the college level, and he’s building a program.
  • He’s doing it the right way.
• They’ve played some really good competition.
• Playing with good fundamentals and technique…you can see their scheme and what he’s trying to do.
• Young on offense.
• Their quarterback transfer from Penn State [Ta’Quan Roberson] got injured, and they’re playing a young guy [Zion Turner]…He’s a winner…3-time state champion as a quarterback, and I know they’ll build a team around him.
• Have very good skill players…you can see some explosive plays.
  • A lot of quick screens and plays on the perimeter to get those guys the ball.

Devin Leary vs. TT

• He did some good things.
• 4 drops that hurt him.
  • The one to Demie would have been a touchdown on the screen.
  • The one to Darryl Jones would have been a first down. Those were routine drops.
  • The other 2 were contact catches with Anthony Smith and Julian Gray. Some of those things make the performance difference.
  • You see incomplete; we see an opportunity that could have changed the game in certain ways.
• He’s seeing the field.
• He’s trying to find chemistry with some new guys, and I think that’s a work in progress still at times.
• We’re going to get better and better as these young guys like Anthony Smith and Julian, and Darryl, being a new player for us, the chemistry with Devin is still in the infant stages.
• You see the chemistry with him and Porter Rooks, Thayer Thomas, and Devin Carter.
• It just takes time. Overall, nobody is harder on himself than Devin.
• Told him after the game, “There were times last year where veteran players made veteran plays to help you.”
  • Right now, we’re trying to make the same plays with guys who aren’t veterans at times.
• When 2 guys who are explosive athletes start to play where the game slows down a bit, it changes things for Devin, so we’ve just got to get there.
• We’re through 25% of the regular season. As you saw 2 weeks ago, Anthony Smith jumped over 2 people and made circus catches.
  • Now, we think he’s going to do that every rep, and that’s just not realistic yet, but we’re excited about the progress and what’s going on.
• A year ago, nobody knew what Demie could do, and now you’re seeing a playmaker come out of that. We’re just evolving right now. You’ve got to be patient and know that it’s coming.

UCONN as a trap game

• The focus that our guys are really excited about is the individual improvement…that’s where we’ve been since the East Carolina game.
• I know where you’re coming from…everyone in sports can see those things.
• Good thing for us is that there’s been enough of these examples out there this year in college football to point to where you don’t have to just talk about it.
  • It seems like, every week, somebody is losing a game like that.
• We’re going to try to get better…that’s what really good programs do…doesn’t matter who you play…it’s how you play.
• Our worst enemy is us, not anybody else on our schedule.

Demie Sumo

• He’s a naturally gifted football player.
• He sees things.
  • There’s a vision that comes with this game that is hard to coach at times…He sees things that are very hard to coach. Drake Thomas has that vision on defense.
• He’s tough…very, very competitive.
• He’s gifted…blessed with ability.
• We’ve just got to grow him up…still learning…still making mistakes, but he competes really hard and is gifted.
• He’ll continue to get better.

Jordan Houston and Tyler Baker-Williams injury status

• I don’t have an update yet. We’ll have it for you on Thursday.

C.J. Clark’s play after returning from injury

• So excited for him…his confidence is growing each week.
• There’s a progression you go through returning from an injury like he had.
  • It’s “can I do this? I think I can.” Then, you do it, and you’re onto another one and another one. He’s starting to get that.
• One of his biggest strengths as a D-lineman is his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage, that twitch. You’re starting to see that again.
• He’s strong. He’s running through contact…n his first sack, he split a double team.
• I’m happy for him, and I’m happy for us because we need that.
  • We lost Daniel Joseph and Levi Jones, our best two pass rushers. Seeing him and Travali pick up that helps. We need that pass rush from our front.

Payton Wilson

• Wasn’t it awesome to see him out there?
• It made us all feel good for him as a person. He was so happy and thankful.
• It’s a guy who is going through the things you go through coming back from injury.
• He played well. He can play better. He led us in tackles his first full game back.
• He can cover ground. That guy is a tremendous athlete.
• It’s just putting another elite competitor who is very gifted back on the field.

Wide Receivers getting separation

• Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
• Sometimes the receivers are getting good separation, and we’re overthrowing them. Sometimes, they’re not, and they’re in contact-catch situations.
• Again, I think you’ve got to give Texas Tech some credit. That’s a good defense.
  • They played Houston’s offense the week prior and played them very well. It’s the same defensive kids that beat Mississippi State in a bowl game. I think you’ve got to give them some credit in that.

Shyheim Battle’s Injury Status

• He’s a lot better than he was.
• He went through warmups and just said he didn’t feel 100 percent, and at that point, we didn’t play him.
• He’s very close.
• We’re in the beginning of the season, and we just don’t want something to be a lingering injury if we can prevent that.
• With the depth we have at corner and the way we felt about Aydan and Derrek Pitts and Teshaun Smith, we just didn’t feel like it was a necessary risk.
• We’re hopeful we’ll have him the rest of the season.
• Again, we’ll have to get to Saturday before I can tell you 100 percent.
• He will practice. He’s in a good spot that way. We’ve just got to get him through the contact part.

Aydan White

• We list those guys as “or’s” for a reason. We look at Aydan as a starter. I don’t think there’s much difference right now.
• They’re different; each of them have different skills that they’re better at.
• Derrek Pitts probably had his best game against Texas Tech, too…tackled well…had a great pass breakup on a deep ball.
• We look at those guys all as equals when it comes to the rotation they’re going to be in.
• To answer the question, yeah, we’re super excited about Aydan.