EVERYTHING Dave Doeren Had to Say Before NC State vs. ECU

NC State Head Coach Dave Doeren met with the media after practice today for the final time before the Wolfpack and the Pirates take the field this Thursday night in Carter-Finley Stadium.

You can read the transcript below.

I know there were ejections at the end of the bowl game last year. Were there any suspensions?

Yes, we had two guys, Val Erickson and Brandon Cleveland, that are not available in the first half.

D.K. Kaufman was the other guy ejected.

You want your guys to play emotional. You want them to play physical. How do you get them right to that line without going over?

Yeah, it’s a good question. It’s a physical game.

The way I look or compare it, is if you watch MMA, or if you watch boxing matches, you see the same thing. These guys go in these rings, and during that time, that’s the enemy. At the end of it, what do they do? They go up and hug each other.

I don’t see it any differently. Football’s a brotherhood. They’re the enemy during the game. We want to win the football game. They want to win the football game, but you should play it with respect.

That has nothing to do with how physical you are during the game. It’s the stuff that doesn’t belong in the game. Our guys know that. It’s been talked about a lot.

Have you heard from any old-timers? This is a game that used to be played every single year to start the season. Have you heard from any of them about the nostalgia on this game?

A lot of our former players come to training camp, and it’s great seeing them when they do. It’s rare for one of them to talk about a specific team. It’s more about our team and how the guys are doing, but as coaches, we know what we need to do in all games that we play, and particularly in in-state games, what they mean to our program.

ECU’s quarterback wasn’t much of a runner last year, but he ran a lot in the bowl game. How much does that play into preparation?

He’s a good football player. We’ve got a lot of respect for him.

He grew up as the year went on. He got more and more confident. Obviously, having the same offensive coordinator, having the same terminology, same offense, just like our quarterback, he’s going to feel more comfortable than he did a year ago, so we have to defend him as a passer. We have to defend him as a runner.

Understanding that both teams are different than what they were when you guys last faced each other, is there a little bit of an advantage to the fact that you did play the same team the last time you guys were on the field?

In some ways, yes. Schematically, they have a new defensive coordinator, so there’s some wait-and-see on what the differences are there.

Offensively, you know, they have some personnel back, and some that’s new. So I think both teams, and really across college football, in that first quarter, you’re figuring out who they are, because there’s new guys on the field across the country for every team, but it does help in some ways.

The things that are carryover things, that helps. Things that are new, it’s adjustments.

With this being a rivalry game, do you see it in the players’ eyes, wanting to set the tone for the season with a win over an in-state rival?

We have goals like every team does, and to accomplish the goals, it starts with an opening win, right? You want to win your first game, and how we play matters. It’s way less about who we’re playing, than it is about how we play and how we execute.

You watch college football. I watched it over the weekend. There were a lot of penalties. There were a lot of turnovers.

You want to play a clean game, and you want to tackle well in your first game. How we play is what matters. The execution is what matters. That’s how you win the football game. It’s not about the other team.

As a veteran coach, is that first game just as exciting as it was for you in the past?

Absolutely.

My competitive drive has done nothing but increase over the years. Every one of these games is meaningful. I appreciate wins more than I ever have because, over time you start to really see how hard it is to win games, and you value that.

Every loss as a coach sits on you, and you don’t get rid of it until you play again. When you lose the last game, it’s a long wait to get on that field again.

You’re the kind of coach that likes having former players around. You added another one recently, in Alvis Whitted. What kind of went into bringing him on the team?

I’ve known Alvis for a while.

When he was in Wisconsin coaching for Paul Chryst, I learned about him. Any time there’s a former player from NC State that’s coaching, I do homework on him, because if we have openings, those are players I want to consider on my list. Paul had nothing but great things to say about Alvis. Obviously, he’s out this year, so he reached out to me. He said his mom lives nearby and he’s going to be around, and asked if he could come meet with me. It was a no-brainer to get him around the program. Thankful to have him and look forward to spending time with him. He does a great job, just like all of our former players, talking about what the place means to him on a personal side.

Do you still get pregame jitters? What is your pregame routine?

Yeah, I think so.

Every coach probably is different in how they do it. For me, I try to relax as much as I can. I’ve learned that getting hyped up early doesn’t help me.

You just try to calm before the storm as much as you can, and listen to music that you like. Get your mind off of the things that bother you, and focus on the players, the coaches, and just being around. Letting those guys relax.

I don’t think it helps a player to see a coach tensed out. They want to see you ready. So I just try to be there for them and help them get ready for the game.

You mentioned it takes a little bit of time to figure out who people are in that first game. Is that true for your own team as well, given the changes that you’ve made?

Totally. There’s guys that we haven’t seen play in a game, a lot of them, that are going to be major role players in this one.

So there’s excitement for me, because some of them have practiced really, really well, so you want to see the finish. We’ve had two scrimmages, but the quarterbacks aren’t live.

So some of it’s seeing those guys finish on quarterbacks as well.

I’m not sure how much you get to watch a College Gameday. Lee Corso is done after this weekend. What has he meant to college football, growing the popularity of it over the years?

There’s a comedic element to what he does that I think some of us really appreciate. Adding that comedic element to the game is fun. Obviously, his track record in the profession prior to becoming a commentator. I just appreciate his energy, enthusiasm and his love for the sport. I like a good comedy, you know.

So when he gets up there and does his thing, ‘Not so fast, my friend,’ you know, I love that. I’m going to miss him a lot. I’m sure a lot of people will.

Coach, you mentioned coordinators. You have two new coordinators. How excited are you to see them unleash?

I’m excited for both those guys.

Kurt and DJ have worked well together. They’re very organized. They’ve waited for an opportunity to get back in that platform, to navigate what goes with it.

I’m excited for both of them. I’ve got a lot of respect for both those guys, and look forward to seeing them call the game.

Will they be in the booth? 

Kurt will be in the booth.