NC State Wolfpack football head coach Dave Doeren held his weekly press conference Monday, recapping the bye week plus Friday's scheduled game vs. Miami.

Here is the full transcript.

" I'm supposed to start this off with a happy birthday to Jonas [Pope]. You may not be on, you might be celebrating right now, but happy birthday to you Jonas. Happy birthday, man.

"I hope you all had a good week and good weekend, for those of you who have kids with Halloween.

"For us it was a really good week of reflection, a chance after six straight weeks to self scout, first of all, where we started and really digging into our own film. Giving us time to take time needed to study offensively — personnel, plays efficiency, on plays formations, tendencies, back sets, tight ends, wide receivers ,all the different things — and get some rest and recovery and be able to reset.

"On defense. same thing; you studying yourself. How you're defending formations, where are you having problems, what guys are doing well.

"And then take that information and collect it, sit down as a staff and review it. Then put together one-on-one conversations with players that have played a lot of reps. Then talk about our goals for our bye week practices and how we can improve fundamentally with each player and having a plan for them to do that. Then building a practice schedule that allows them the time to do that.

"Felt like we had a lot of success that way. It was really good. The players were awesome about where they needed to get better.

"We had enough time, really for the coaches and the players, to hit the reset. It's kind of the midway point of our year, and obviously we're 4-2. Six of our games, or four of our six games, were on the road, where we were 50 percent, and the two games we had at home we won.

"A lot, I think, has gone on mentally, for coaches and players and staff. We take the COVID, the absences, you're going to play, you're not going to play. You're going to play, you're not going to play. You open with Louisville on Thursday, no you open with them on Wednesday. No, we're going to change the schedule. You're going to open with Virginia Tech. Then we can't play Virginia Tech because the COVID, and then we open with Wake Forest.

"There was a lot of stuff that went on there, and fall camp started and then it stopped. Devin [Leary] came back, started playing really well, then he gets injured. So there's a lot that's been going on.

"I think the whole team, and program, took this opportunity to really sit back and kind of hit reset. Look at five-games season here to finish, with four of five at home. We had great energy in practice last night.

"Practiced last night, we'll practice tonight to get used to the p.m. timeframe that we're going to be playing in on Friday.

"Now there's guys that have opportunities due to the injuries. We're excited for Bailey [Hockman]. I thought he really did a great job coming in the game, and playing at the end of last week's game, and Ben [Finley] will continue to develop and get reps. I'm glad we were able to get him some game reps.

"But it's Bailey's opportunity and he's been through a lot. I know he's excited to lead the football team, and he'll do a great job for us. Just studying us on offense, the biggest thing we see is we got to not turn the football over. The last two games, we've had seven turnovers. Over the last three years when we win the turnover margin, we're undefeated as a football program. That area of our program has to improve, as it was earlier in the season

"It's nice to have Justin Witt back, Ricky [Person's] back. And so those two players returned for us.

"On defense, obviously the two games we've played poorly in there was a lot of missed tackles, and some of that's personnel, some of it was just working technique. Felt like we didn't get off blocks well in our front and then our linebacker position or safety position at times in the game last week.

"And we needed to get healthy. There's eight players on defense that at one time were in our two deep that are out. And for all different reasons. We look at Chris Ingram who hasn't played, and Teshaun [Smith], who has now has another shoulder, his other shoulder.

"Louis [Acceus], who's done for his career. Tanner [Ingle] has been in and out, the hamstring. [Rakeim] Ashford, he played in two games. Khalid Martin, who played in three. Cayman Czesak who hasn't played but was in our two deep all through camp, and Jalen Frazier, who got hurt in the spring.

"There's been a lot of moving part for those guys. So we've had to move some people around and cross train individuals. This week was really good for them to solidify kind of what we have and what's the best way to rotate and play guys.

"Looking at us on defense, besides the tackling, there's just some plays we need to finish, where we're in position to finish plays. We call them dead plays or making your layups. Just simple things that you do in practice that they need to show up on a consistent basis.

"Beauty of it is is we got a great group of guys here. They're awesome to coach. They're very positive. We're focused on what's next, and one game at a time.

"It is a different team personnel-wise than we started with. When you look at the injuries, even to the offensive line. But at the same time it's a team that has great fight and great chemistry, and it'll battle and strain and work and do everything they can to be their best. And I'm excited to help them get through and compete for these next five opportunities.

"Different segueway. Obviously tomorrow's a big day in our country and our athletic department has given all of our athletes an opportunity to vote tomorrow, if they haven't already and exercise the right to vote, and we support them in that. Just pray that everybody's safe. Obviously we're still battling the COVID pandemic, and there's just a lot of things going on when you look at the news that I think all of us need to be very cognizant of keeping each other safe and not making this worse than it is with the COVID pandemic.

"With that, really excited to play Miami. I think they're really good football team

"D'Eriq King's a tremendous quarterback. They're skilled all over the field. Their defensive front is very disruptive, over 50 tackles for loss in games, and typical Miami speed that you see on the field.

"I think King has changed their team. He extends a lot of plays with his legs. He's always going to have good people to throw to. Their tight ends are outstanding.

"I think their coaches do a really good job schematically, and offensively they're super up tempo, so you got to be ready for that defensively. They've got electric returners and, obviously, Coach [Manny] Diaz has done a nice job there.

"So look forward to that challenge and opportunity, open it up, any questions."

Given the spark that that Ben gave you against Carolina, do you anticipate finding a role for him and using him in addition to Bailey, or you basically have one quarterback kind of guy?

"No, I think there's always opportunities to have plays for guys, not necessarily there. We haven't solidified that.

"And obviously I wouldn't want to say that and give Miami any ammo on what we're going to be doing, but we need Ben to continue to get better. You saw when he had his package of plays he was, like you said, moving the team.

"But when things got into a different mode you could see it was a lot for him, and so we just have to be smart with Ben and at the same time, Bailey operates our offense really well. I thought he threw the ball terrific in the game, and I think if you're going to do something like that you just got to be smart about the flow of the game and not let one kid get out of rhythm, because rhythm is a big part of playing that position."

Does Tim alter his play calling strategy, depending on which quarterbacks in there, and this goes to Devin as well with with Bailey. Or is it basically the same thing?

"No, I think when you get to the end of the week, Tim always asks them what their favorite plays are. What plays are they least comfortable with. He keeps that in mind on his call sheet.

"There's certain things that Bailey may like and Ben doesn't. And so even if you're not rotating them you need to know that because you're an injury away from the other guy running the show.

"And so I think the call sheet does change, not really physically as much as mentally, both of them can roll out right and left and so that doesn't limit you, but it's more about where they're at in the mental part of the game and what they see in the pass game and handling protections and blitzes and all those things."

Was that a kind of a blessing in disguise to be off last week's so you can put some extra work because you knew this week be crazy and kind of condensed with everything going on?

"Yeah, it would have been challenging to play a short week game, and have Tuesday off and not have that bye week leading into it. So we were able to take the time off that the guys needed to get their bodies better, but also our first day we were on the field last week was all about us.

"We spent a lot of time and individual working on fundamental technique and then we got into some 11-on-11 correction periods to work on things that have hurt us throughout the year or things we want to clean up. And situational too, third down, red zone.

"We're able to get back into those things. And then the next day we're able to clean up a little bit more, and then move into our Miami introduction. Then when we came back last night it was all about our game plan. Last night and tonight will be our typical two work days of the week with tomorrow off and then when we come back, Wednesday it's game week Thursday in their mind."

Do you know the players are gathering or going to the polls together you guys, organize anything?

"A lot of our guys have voted already, in talking to them. I know several of them will vote tomorrow, but you know we have so many players that are on absentee ballots because of where they're from, that they can't go to their homes to do that.

"I think you'll have a mix of guys voting tomorrow and guys that are not. But there are several players that are doing community service, I know, tomorrow to help out in the community as well. So we've turned into a day of not just voting but some of the guys wanted to get out in the community and help out."

You guys have had your, your voting initiatives in NC State athletics. What in your mind is the importance of voting and of young people understanding that and what have you sent to the team about that?

"I didn't have to say much. Pack United led that charge on campus and our student athletes were very involved in that. I know Isaiah Moore and Grant Gibson behind the scenes were talking to their teammates about the importance of it.

"From my standpoint, it's kind of hard to complain about things publicly if you're not a part of the process of electing the officials making those choices, and so I think it's just a chance to have buy-in on what you stand for, and to learn about the issues that all the different parties represent, and put your name on it.

"I think that's the biggest thing for these young people to understand: that they do have a big piece of this and there's so much that affects all of us. For them to be involved in that process it's important for them."

Justin Witt returned into UNC, but didn't see him on the depth chart. You know if there was any status update for him going into this game?

"He will play in this game. Last week, he was able to return to practice like Wednesday and had been out a long time so he only played about 12 snaps in that game. It was more about getting him back in football conditioning.

"Tyrone [Riley] was out, Derrick Eason was out, Tim McKay was out so our three backup tackles we normally have were out. We had to move Ickey [Ikem Ekwonu] back to tackle because of that.

"When Tyrone went down, it was great to have Justin available and was proud of him and excited for him to be back and be able to help us because I know it's been a long road he's dealt with a lot of different things injury-wise so he is in the two-deep there."

Manny Diaz obviously had some history at NC State. At this point, you haven't faced him as the head coach in Miami. What do you know about his history at NC State and what have you seen from his defense and that type of philosophy that he brings as the head coach?

"I've known Manny for a long time. We recruited the same areas in Florida when I was at Wisconsin and got to know him as a coach.

"I've always respected him. I've gotten to know his wife, they're really good people. I know they love Raleigh. He has a lot of great things to say about his time here.

"As far as a defensive coach, he's always been very aggressive. I did coach against him in a bowl game when he was at Mississippi State. It was a lot of blitzes, the defensive line was very aggressive, a mix of man coverage and what we call cover six and man free.

"It's what you would think you'd get from a Miami well-coached defense. They're aggressive, they run to the football, they pressure a lot and they've got good defensive linemen.

There were some reports for Miami that they had several players now test positive for COVID. I know there's nothing you personally can do about it but do you have concerns when a team like that is traveling to play your team?

"The protocol is in place where we're testing three days a week and particularly testing on Friday before they leave to protect us in that. Going into our seventh game now, I don't feel nervous.

"It's something you deal with every week and we deal with it here, I think we're all under the system of trusting our healthcare and knowing that the tests that are in place protect us all and not just players, staff also. We're all in this thing together."

You’re a big proponent of high school football being played on Friday nights. Are you more at ease with the circumstance here in North Carolina now that it's not taking away from the prep scene this season?

"Absolutely. I know that was something in my second or third year, we had to play UNC on a Friday night. The North Carolina High School Coaches Association was very unhappy about that for the reasons you mentioned.

"I don't think any of us prefer that. Obviously, the television contract we're in demands that for the volume of games that we need for TV.

"If you ask a college coach, Saturdays are meant for college football and Fridays are meant for high school football. As you know, that's not always something that we have control over."

Referring to the video in the locker room after the Carolina game. You kind of told your team, 'Hey, we're 4-2 heading into the bye week, we've got a whole season in front of us, we still have a really great season.' How do you spread the message of not turning this one loss into a second loss or a third loss so you can do a really good year moving forward?

"We've talked about day by day improvement for the year. A loss is always going to count on your record but what can you learn from it to prevent it from happening again the same way? That's kind of been the focus.

"We're not going to go in there and make it the end of the world. We're going to talk about the things we didn't do well and talk about ways we can be better, then we're going to put a plan in place.

"It's not the players' fault, it's all of our faults. When we don't play well, we're the coaches of those players and we have to own what happened on the field just like they do. It's a collective effort to improve.

"Nobody likes losing, particularly when you lose to a rival, but I think the most important thing in defeat is how you respond. That's something this football team takes a lot of pride in.

"We've handled a lot of adversity this year. This team has stuck together through all of it and I don't expect it to be any different moving forward."

You have four of five games coming up at home, you don't have to travel as much. Can you talk about the tremendous opportunity you have for your team with four or five games coming up at home now?

"You have a chance, for one, to be in a routine. Sleep in your own bed, sleep in your own team hotel and play in your own stadium, your own locker and just all those things that go with it. Not get home like we did after Virginia Tech at four in the morning and not miss as many classes because Fridays you're traveling. All that stuff goes into it.

"I think it gives our guys a chance to finish very strong. Obviously, Miami is going to be a tough opponent coming in and we're excited about that challenge.

"As hard as it was at the beginning, coming out of a six-game schedule with four of those six on the road and to be 4-2 with all the injuries and things we've dealt with. To know that your four or five of your finishing games are at home, it puts you in a pretty good place mentally to have a great finish.

"Now we got to go get it done. That's where we're going to have to do a great job here of playing to the best of our ability and guys staying focused and not letting one game affect the next."

Do you think that your team now is more adept from all of the things that you've gone through with the COVID stuff and uncertainty? You just faced it for six weeks, you have a break, are you now kind of like, 'Okay, we can do this now?'

"We've been through so many things with COVID, we've calloused ourselves through this thing for a lot of it. The routine that we have where you come in three days a week and get swabbed and all that kind of stuff, speaking for myself, the players may say differently to you, but I'm kind of past it.

"We wear a mask, we do all the right things that way, we social distance our meetings, our meals. We do all the things we can to protect each other so that hasn't been as hard as it was the first month where it was all brand new to us."

You mentioned Miami's defense. Are there any individuals that stick out to you?

"The first thing I'll tell you when I watch their film, their defensive line, Quincy Roche and Jaelan Phillips, really jump off the film.

"Their nose tackle is a very disruptive guy, No. 1 Nesta Jade Silvera. He's a guy that plays hard all the time, he's almost blocked two punts.

"Both their safeties, Bubba Bolden and Amari Carter are big, they're hitters, they're tough guys. They are going to play press, they are going to play press bail coverage.

"Like I said at the beginning, they're what you think you would see from a Miami secondary. They're aggressive, they're good man to man. It's good personnel.

"There's a reason they're 5-1 and ranked third in the conference in scoring defense. It's not just because they're doing good things schematically, they've got good players and when you have 51 tackles for loss in six games, that's disruptive on the D-line. They're doing some good things there in the front."

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