Here is a transcript with highlights from NC State football coach Dave Doeren's press conference Monday.
Opening Statement
“Going back to Saturday night, I felt like our team did some really good things. Obviously, there's no feeling good about not winning a football game. There's a lot of positives that came out of that. Losing the turnover battle obviously in third quarter of that football game cost us the opportunity to win.
“I thought on the line of scrimmage in particular, offensively and defensively, we played as good as we've played at the line of scrimmage, holding them to 77 yards rushing and 12 tackles in their backfield, and on the other side of the football rushing the football efficiently, having some explosive runs.
“I think Ickey [Ekwonu] and Josh [Fedd-Jackson] both had seven knockdowns, so there's some good things there in the front that are happening. I thought we had better disruption. Obviously, turning the football over, as we mentioned in the postgame presser, that gives us a really difficult task to win the ballgame and something we have to take a lot more seriously. Something we have to get our freshmen obviously to do better.
“In my history in this game, it's really hard to win when you're minus three [on turnovers]. Obviously where we're focused is taking care of that football and giving ourselves a chance to get points on the board by doing so, and helping our defense with field position. It is an opportunity for these guys to continue to learn. So impressed with our guys resolve and the way that they fight and their attitude and their will. It's just got to be continued improvement on a daily basis. We will use the opportunity as a lesson and learn from it and grow.
“I know no one here accepts or enjoys the process of growing through defeat. But everyone here fights and presses on, and that's the biggest part of this program that I've enjoyed with these players. God gave us all on our opportunity to live and fight and enjoy the life we have and never give in. That's the mindset that we carry here.
“It is a short week. It's already game week Wednesday, and so no rest for the weary. We woke up day after the game, it was already Tuesday. We had to get on a plane here Wednesday. I think that's in two days, and head down to Georgia and play Georgia Tech.
“Playing a football team, obviously that's in first year with a new staff and playing a lot of young players like we are. Offensively, quarterback is a very good athlete. Their slot receiver, probably one of the fastest players in the league. I think their tailbacks run really hard, their physical backs
“Defensively, and [GT coach] Geoff [Collins] obviously has a great history as a defensive coach. You can see that they do a lot of things with their front to try to disrupt the run game, bring different pressures and play press coverage on the outside to deny your quick game.
“Up front, they've got a lot of guys they rotate. Inside they've had some players make some plays. Their linebackers are tough kids. Their safeties are big 6-2 and 6-3. They’ve done a good job taking the ball away and they are minus-five in turnover margin. They forced a lot of turnovers on defense. For us being able to handle their movement with their front, protect the football and create plays, and finish plays with the ball is critical in this football game. [It is] an opportunity for us to bounce back and get right back on the field and go compete.”
Questions From Media
How would you rate their kicking and return game overall?
“They have an excellent punter [Pressley Harvin III]. He's one of the better punters probably in the country and does a really nice job with his operation and hang time. There gunners get down the field in their punt coverage. No 10 [Ahmarean Brown] is the slot, and he’s one of the returners and he’s fast. We have to do a really good job, with our hang time, our ball placement and winning our one-on-one’s, stacking guys and not allowing them to get space for him.”
What's the most difficult challenge involved in the short turnaround?
“I think it starts with your recovery because we have normally today would be an off day for our team. We’re practicing tonight because class conflicts and so you know, you're on the field an entire day ahead of when you would be.
"It's probably harder on the staff than it is anything. We won't practice as long or as much because we don't have as many days. For us, you're trying to watch 10 games that they've played and also look at yourself and fix problems because the game is a lot about us, not beating us. It's just really quick.
"I mean, we're leaving town Wednesday, so we practice tonight. We practice tomorrow. We have a walkthrough and then we are on a plane. I think when you're dealing with injuries and health, and then also just fatigue, going from a Saturday night game to a road game, it's really challenging on the staff and the players.
"We look forward to that opportunity, and it's a great chance to play a nationally televised game on a Thursday night. We got to do everything we can to get them back.”
How is it for the younger players to do a quick turnaround for the first time on the college level?
“They're resilient guys. The thing that has impressed me with them is their resolve and their fight. I don't think they'll flinch one bit. It is what it is. These guys will go out there and battle. To answer your question, I don't think I'll be able to truly answer it until after the game because I haven't seen them go through it yet. By all indications their mood and their mindset yesterday when we met with them, they were great.”
We talked about the players bouncing back quickly and in a short week. I don’t know how long you hold on to a loss. Does it for the coaching staff help you guys quickly refocus and get ready for the next game?
“Yeah, I told the team after the game, whether we win or loss, we don't have time to think about that game. We had to come in, and there's some plays in that game that we have to learn from. So we watched it quickly and put it to bed. We know that we're 72 hours away from competing, and so you've got to flush it. You have to.”
You guys have not forced a turnover this year in ACC play. On a shovel pass a defender sticks a hand out to flex it go straight to another defender [for Louisville]. You kind of shake your head and just wonder where those plays are on your side?
“Yeah, I've never been through a stretch like this where we're not getting the ball back. Obviously in that game, we had four or five hit our hands, which makes it even harder because we were in position to make those plays in that game and didn't make them. I think recovering fumbles a lot of times is luck.
“One you have to get a lot of people to the football to have that luck. But a lot of times, as you've seen, sometimes balls just bounce right back to the team that fumbled it and that's out of our control. Does it make me shake my head? I don't know.
“I'm like: right now, next play. … Obviously, I'd love to light every candle in the world and do every trick there is to gain some good luck coming forward here, but I don't really have an answer for why they're not coming our way.”
Emeke Emezie has been up and down so far this year, but for him to have the type of game he did against Louisville, 90 yards, a touchdown in that game and … he was really, really enjoying that touchdown after he got it. What are your thoughts on his play going down the stretch so far?
“He was definitely an impact in that game. He made some made a great catch over the middle on fourth and 10, made a great catch on the sideline with tight coverage. So it was good to see him have success again. I think that's huge for his confidence as we finish the season, and there's a lot on him. With C.J. [Riley] being out, him being the oldest guy, most experienced guy, and he takes that responsibility very seriously.
“So I was happy to see him gain that success to help him.”
Talked about the players resolve, when you recruit players character is part of the process. I'm sure you pass on some guys that are questionable. Have your young players that redshirt freshman of the true freshman kind of exceeded your character expectations through all of this?
“Yeah, I think a lot of them. And I said this to them the other day. This is the season that's going to make us who we're going to be. Bbecause we're going through these tough times, we're going to be way better for it if you just persist, and I've seen the resolve in those guys. I've seen the improvement. I've seen some mental toughness from some of those guys some leadership. It makes you excited about what's to come for them.
“But I just can't look at it just one way. We need everybody to have the same resolve. I think that's the thing when you have little margin for error.
“It's hard to win football games. It really is. I don't think people understand how hard it is. For us, it's about giving ourselves a chance to win. It starts with your mindset every day. and then just executing in a certain way where you're never beating yourself in the process. I think that's what's made us a good football team here in the past. We've been physical, we've taken care of the ball, we've gotten the ball back, and [now] we're not doing those things to earn the right to win.
“These guys are growing fast, but they're still not where they need to be.”
Is there any greater urgency knowing that you've got to win the last two to be bowl eligible or this point in the season just winning one is?
“Yeah, I think they understand that it's a sudden death mentality if you're thinking bowl season. But we got to win this one first. It's the only one that matters, and you get this one, then you can talk about that.
“I would tell you that the senior class has never finished the season not in a bowl game. So those guys are talking about that. They want that. The bottom line is if you don't turn the football over and you make a few more plays, then you get that. and I think that's what I have to constantly remind these guys of.
“It's great to talk about what you want, it's more important to understand what it takes to get it.”
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