Recap: Dave Doeren weekly press conference

NC State football coach Dave Doeren held his weekly Monday press conference to discuss the upcoming game — Saturday’s home showdown with Boston College at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be televised on ACC Network.

Here is a quick recap of Doeren’s press conference:

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Dave Doeren opening statement

• Dave Doeren called the win over Wake Forest a “definitive team win.” He cited the ability to win the field position battle and noted that super senior kicker Christopher Dunn’s 3 made field goals vs. Wake missing an attempt was a difference in the game.

• Doeren noted that Wake Forest “was a little more self-destructive than we were,” with penalties, which was an emphasis of the NC State staff during the week. Doeren attributed the home crowd noise with helping produce some false start penalties.

• Each side of the ball set up the other, Doeren noted. He cited a touchdown-scoring drive that included a long post-route catch by fourth-year junior receiver Keyon Lesane that came just as the Wolfpack defense was getting tired and needed a lift from the offense.

Doeren also added that the 7:35 drive that took 15 plays for a touchdown on offense in the third quarter was “awesome.” He called the ability to get lengthy drives on offense with three-and-outs and turnovers on defense “the cycle of death for the opponent.”

“Eventually that defense on the other sideline runs out of gas,” Doeren added.

• Doeren expressed his gratitude for the four-quarter attendance at Carter-Finley Stadium. He noted that the crowd made a positive impact on the game.

“It’s awesome for our team to have that kind of backing,” Doeren noted.

Doeren added a request to repeat the environment Saturday vs. Boston College and a Senior Day in which NC State could set the school record for most wins in a row (17) at home.

• Saturday “was a special night,” Doeren added. He said that during the team meeting Sunday he asked the players for their feedback on the game, and the reply from the group was, “It was one of the most fun games they’ve ever played in.”

Doeren added that was also “one of the most fun games I’ve ever coached in.”

• The NC State had 13 explosive plays on offense, Doeren counted, and it had zero turnovers or drops. The time of possession advantage was also big, Doeren stated.

• Doeren thought Wake Forest got into the backfield too much, some of which was attributed to freshman quarterback MJ Morris not identifying the pressure in what Doeren figured would be a learning experience for the rookie.

• The defense’s goal line stand had three plays in a row by super senior linebacker Isaiah Moore that Doeren thought was “phenomenal.”

• Wake Forest is a fast-start offense, and there was an emphasis on defense not to let the Deacons get into a rhythm in the first and third quarters. NC State pitched a shutout in both quarters.

“That was really good to see our guys do that,” Doeren added.

• NC State changed the Wake Forest slow-mesh offense by taking away the run game, Doeren noted. He pointed out super senior nose tackle Cory Durden and third-year sophomore Davin Vann on the defensive line in particular strained to get off blocks.

• Doeren thought NC State could have been better at defending passes at the top of the route, and it also gave up some third-and-long situations. He credited Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman for delivering on some of those.

• Dunn, the placekicker, “is the best in the country at what he’s doing right now,” Doeren said.

• Doeren praised the punt coverage, citing Lesane and super senior Darryl Jones. He added super senior receiver Thayer Thomas pinning the punt at the 1-yard line “was a thing of beauty.”

Redshirt freshman walk-on punter Caden Noonkester was singled out for coming in for an injured super senior Shane McDonough and performing well.

• Redshirt freshman receiver Julian Gray is doing a good job returning kickoffs, Doeren added.

• “Wake is a good football team … I have so much respect for Sam Hartman. I think that kid is a stud,” Doeren added.

• Turning to Boston College, Doeren has seen an improved offensive line and added that receiver Zay Flowers is the most explosive player in the ACC. Doeren pointed out that NC State wanted Flowers on both offense and defense.

“He’s just an all-around really, really talented guy,” Doeren added.

• The NC State seniors collectively have 336 receptions, 1,446 tackles and 698 points scored.

“They’ve done a lot,” Doeren said.

There will 30 players walking on Senior Day. That includes, Doeren estimated, 7 or 8 players who could still return but have not decided what they will do after the season. Doeren asked fans to come in a little earlier for Senior Day.

Q&A Portion

• Dave Doeren agrees that the experience helps lead to the resilient nature of this year’s team.

“They’re giving everything to go out the best they can,” Doeren said. He added that the players have motivated the coaching staff to give everything they can for them.

• Reflecting on Morris’ performance, Doeren there were no pre-snap penalties on offense for the first time all season. Doeren attributed that to Morris doing a good job communicating the cadence with the offensive line.

Morris also threw the ball on the run twice which were good throws and showed some more maturation. He additionally found a running back on a check down vs. taking off and running, something he had not previously done.

• Morris’ experience is still a small sample size, Doeren added. They are still focused on setting him up with what he is most confident doing. Morris’ volume of offense has grown, but he still needs more reps to get more comfortable with the playbook.

Doeren noted there was a play Saturday vs. Wake Forest where if there was a blitz, Morris was supposed to throw the slant. Instead, Morris did not see the pressure coming and was sacked.

“That wasn’t a breakdown in protection,” Doeren added. “They brought more than we had to block, and you have to know where your hot read is. I think if we had run that play five more times in practice, that probably wouldn’t happen.

“You have to be careful. There are a lot of good plays that you can run, but you have the time to rep them enough where all the questions [are covered] for the quarterback mentally. I think that’s a balancing act he and Coach [Tim] Beck have to play.”

• Fifth-year redshirt junior receiver Devin Carter is “much better” after taking a hard shot in the midsection. Sunday’s report was “trending the right way,” but Doeren will await further word Monday.

• The seniors have been a big part of the evolution of the culture at NC State, Doeren said. He said he is a better coach “because I have these guys to work with.”

Doeren added he anticipates being friends with the class well after college.

• Doeren praised freshman Boston College quarterback Emmett Morehead for throwing for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns in a loss to Duke while subbing for an injured Phil Jurkovec.

“It was an impressive performance against a team that was playing really well. It definitely caught your eye,” Doeren said, adding that was BC’s best performance throwing the football this season.

• When it comes to true freshmen playing, several factors come into play, including depth and health, Doeren pointed out. Also key is learning the system.

Defensive lineman Brandon Cleveland was not ready to play early in the season, Doeren pointed out as an example. Cleveland has transformed his body in the weight room, learned the defense and after an injury was presented an opportunity to play.

“I thought he did some good things in the Wake game,” Doeren added.

• During training camp, Morris showed he was a good passer, while both he and senior Jack Chambers could run. Chambers’ advantage was his game experience. The thinking was that if fifth-year redshirt junior Devin Leary was out for a quarter or two, Chambers’ experience would prevail, which proved to be the case vs. Florida State when Chambers led a second-half comeback win.

If Leary was out for an extended time, they thought Morris’ ability as a passer could make him the signal-caller, and that is what has happened, Doeren said.

• Doeren has been most pleasantly surprised with how poised and humble Morris has been after all his success.

• Some of Morris’ runs are him scrambling, Doeren said, but the coach acknowledged the designed runs “are completely different than we had with Devin.”

They are trying to be smart with how to balance the risks vs. rewards of using a mobile quarterback, Doeren added.

• Looking at the ACC, Doeren pointed out a one-loss team can get to the College Football Playoff, and Clemson is still a one-loss team.

• Super senior center Grant Gibson “is playing the best football he’s played,” Doeren stated. The coach added that fellow super senior Chandler Zavala makes NC State different when he’s healthy and playing.