NC State football head coach Dave Doeren spoke to the media Monday at the Murphy Center coming off the bye week and ahead of the No. 14 Wolfpack’s trip to South Bend to face the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
On the bye week: “I thought it was great to be able to get back to fundamentals. We really focused hard on our individual improvement as a team with the philosophy that we have of ‘one more.’ Just one more technique that they can get better at each day. Trying to improve what they’re putting on tape, continue to show the things they’ve done well and remove the things they don’t want to see on tape. …
“I do feel like we got healthier. We got some good time in the weight room with [strength and conditioning coach Dantonio Burnette] and his crew, because we lost a little time during that one short week with Louisville. It felt like we’re in a good spot right now from a health standpoint and our body weights and our rest and recovery and all those things that matter.”
On facing Notre Dame: “As far as the game this week, we’re playing an excellent football team. They played great Saturday night against their rival, USC. They’re a physical football team. It’s going to be a great game, I think, to watch as a fan. You’re getting to watch the sixth-ranked rushing offense at Notre Dame against the sixth-ranked rushing defense of NC State. Great head-to-head, heavyweight battle right there. They’ve got four senior offensive linemen; we’ve got four senior defensive linemen.
“They’ve got two big tight ends, a very good tailback that’s the [second] leading rusher per carry in the nation in [Josh] Adams, 9.2 yards per carry. Their quarterback, [Brandon] Wimbush is the second leading rusher [for Notre Dame] and is playing very confident. He’s got a 6’5” receiver in [EQ St.] Brown that makes plays down the field. Has a lot of confidence in his play; you can see it. I’m excited just to watch the line of scrimmage in this game. I think as a football coach, it’s no secret that I love that part of the game. To see two really good lines of scrimmage that are well-coached, it’s going to be a great battle within the game.”
On the Fighting Irish defense: “Their defense is well-coached; I have a lot of respect for Mike Elko over there. They’ve got a nice front, a bunch of long guys. They rotate players and have good depth. They’re active. Their linebackers are their top three tacklers, Will, Mike and Sam in that order. They’re all good players and they’re sound on defense.”
“I think you look at the two teams; they’re plus-10 in turnover margin, we’re plus-eight. Their defense has forced 17 takeaways. Two of the best red zone defenses in touchdowns allowed. It’s going to be a great football game and one that I’m excited to coach in.”
On Notre Dame’s identity change from last year to this: “Coach [Brian] Kelly deserves a lot of credit. He made some tough decisions and staff changes. He’s done a great job; he really has. I know when we played them last year, they couldn’t run the football. They tried to throw it in the rain and all that stuff. I think he’s done a tremendous job.”
On the play of NC State’s offensive line: “First of all, they’re keeping [redshirt junior quarterback Ryan Finley] upright and giving him a chance to do his job well. Their chemistry and their appreciation for how we do things, and how much it means to them to play well for the guy next to them. I think it’s very personal for that group and that’s a credit to [offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford] and what he’s done with those guys chemistrywise.
“They’ve bought in and it matters a lot to them. They get the credit for that, but the tight ends and the running backs, all those guys are a part of that in the core for blocking. There’s definitely a demeanor about our offensive line that I love to see.”
On if this being a nonconference game changes the mindset: “Not at all. It’s the most important game of the season because it’s the next one. It’s a top-10 team at their stadium. It means a lot when you beat a team like that, for your record and for what it means for postseason play, regardless of the conference. Beating Notre Dame at Notre Dame, if they’re in the top 10, that matters.”
On coach Burnette: “It starts with his leadership and his loyalty to the program. It matters; it’s personal. His standards are his standards; he doesn’t give. He’s the same guy every day. On top of that, he’s incredible, and his staff is, at what they do. I think they’re smart; I think they understand the body well. I think they know how to push it, but they know how to back off. They match guys up and compete. He communicates well with our staff, the training room staff and our players. He’s got people on his staff that offset his weaknesses. …It’s five full-time guys in there including him, and they’re all exceptional.”
On facing Notre Dame’s offensive line: “I think they’re really good across the board. I think their five starting linemen are exceptional. They play hard; they’re big. They use good schemes. They pin and pull, down and around and they double you. They keep you off guard and their quarterback can run. They’ve got a very good front; both their tight ends are big guys too. It’s going to be a battle up there.
“I know our D-linemen are excited about it. The best thing we have going here is the entire spring, the entire fall camp, we went head to head with some good players on both sides of the ball. I’ve said this every time I’m asked about it, our O-line is who they are because they’ve had to battle our d-line. Our D-line has gotten better because of that battle. It used to be one-sided, and now it’s gone back and forth. That’s what you want.”
