Full transcript: NC State coach Dave Doeren's weekly PC

Below is a full transcript plus audio from NC State football coach Dave Doeren's weekly press conference

“Going back to last week's game with Syracuse, first of all. just want to say ‘Thank you’ to our crowd and our students, especially the students from fall break that stayed and supported us. It was without a doubt, the best atmosphere we've had this season and the best third- and- fourth quarter crowd we've had and it really mattered.

“You could see it in the third and fourth quarter with offsides penalties. They were having false start penalties offensively and our players, coaches alike, thank you so much for that. That was something obviously we'd love to have at every game. It was a lot of fun.

“I thought the pageantry our game ops did with everything with the Military Appreciation Day was really, really awesome. Thank you to everybody involved in that and especially the fans for their support, and helping our student-athletes on game day. It was a great home field advantage for us.

“As far as the football team goes, I thought defensively, we started fast three-straight three and outs against an explosive offense, fourth-down stops and the quarterback pressures and the sacks. I thought we played really smart, challenged our guys to play with more pre-snap post-snap discipline. We did that. None of our penalties were those varieties.

“Offensively, we went up against the top takeaway defense in the ACC, and turn the ball over only one time. I thought our special teams units were very physical. Our field position, you had good punters and kickers on both sides and excellent punt returner for us and them. We won the field position battle and the hidden yardage.

“From an individual standpoint, I thought Larrell Murchison and Louis Acceus really played fantastic games for us. Guys played fast. Offensively, we had 11 explosive plays, which we needed to build that into the 10-plus category on a weekly basis and was happy to see that happen. It started with the first play the game and I thought it was a good aggressive call, and there were several of them in the game.

“Obviously, the trick play there to close the half was a great play call and well executed by the guys. We're continuing to score in the red zone, and we need to get more touchdowns and field goals. That's an area we've got to get better at here moving forward.

“Playing a really good football team in Boston College coming off their bye week, and had two losses here recently with by a total of five points. One of the top teams in the country offensively in creating explosive plays. Obviously, we know how good the running back [A.J.] Dillon is. They are 13th nationally with 19 plays over 30 yards. They got the explosive run game with the play-action game that comes off it. Their fly sweep, jet sweep series that they have. gives people a lot of problems. They do a really good job up front. They've only given up three sacks all year and they've lost some good offensive linemen. It says a lot about their ability to recruit and produce at that position group. Kids play with good fundamentals.

“It's the top rushing offense against the top rushing defense in the league, so that'll be a great competition there for both teams. It's always been a game that's been decided by a touchdown or less with them. We know it's going to be a four-quarter game and look forward to playing against Steve [Addazio] and his staff. I think they do a really good job with their players.

“They had a bye to get ready for us, and so we know some of the things that we're preparing for, they'll have wrinkles off. We have to do a really good job with our eyes in this game on defense I think the eye violations can kill you against them with what they do, the tempo they do it at. The shifts, trades, motions in jets, but they're a hard-nosed group of kids. They play hard and they've got an exceptional tailback. The freshman receiver [Zay] Flowers is really playing well. He's a difference maker on the perimeter.

“Their defense, they're big up front. Their physical linebackers are aggressive. For us, we need to take what we've done at home and bottle it up, and get it on the road with us. We need to play better on the road for four quarters. That's our kind of calling card with this game. We know what we're in for with them. We've got to play really, really fundamentally sound football

“They take the ball away a lot like Syracuse, their second in takeaways [in the ACC] They’ve got eight interceptions with their defense, and they're explosive on offense and run the football in a physical matter. We've got to do a really good job being gap sound and not giving up explosive plays, which is something we've been good at and is paramount in this football game. Potentially on the road, you can't let somebody run the ball over you and have a chance to win.

“You look at their receivers and their tight ends, and they're averaging 17, 18, 19 yards per catch. That's tough. When you have a back [Dillon] like that and you're getting that kind of movement down the field in the pass game. It comes down to us being very disciplined and understanding who we have and why we have them, and doing it the right way with our coverage units.”

Will it be a challenge to the defense that BC has only allowed three sacks this season?

“Our guys know. We respect them up front. We know it's a battle. This is one of those old school games in the trenches. There's no doubt, when you look at it, they're good at running the football. We've been good at stopping the run. They're good at protecting their quarterback. We've been good at getting to the quarterback. There are some things in there and they're really good at taking the football way. We've been good at protecting it. There's a lot of things at play in this football game where you have strength-on-strength. This will be a really good opportunity for us to challenge our guys.”

How how did [Ikem Ekwonu] grade out in his first start?

“He did some things really well. First play had a pancake on the first play of the game which was a drop back pass. He handled it. I think there's some things obviously all five of those guys have to do better, but his first start playing against the level of player that he had in Syracuse. I mean, that's the best my opinion all the way across the board with their rotation. Their front is really good.

So last week, Devin Leary got a drive. How do he play? Do he play well enough to continue to get game time?

“I thought Devin did some good things. He came in and had a couple completions. He had a really nice throw, unfortunately, didn't come up with the catch. And he had a teachable moment where he tried to be superhuman almost on a play. Sometimes you got to just recognize the defense did enough and just run and get what you can get or throw it away. But it gives us a chance to continue to get him some reps and help him develop and be ready in case he's needed there.

“I thought Bailey did some really good things. If you asked Bailey, he'll tell you he didn't play well. But I thought he played better than he did the week before. And that's what you want out of both of those, improvement, and I think we got that.”

Is there that big of a difference between a left handed quarterback and a right handed quarterback? Especially both the receivers and the offensive linemen, and then if there is, how does that change things from a coaching perspective?

“I think there is. You get into the movements and how guys scramble. Some guys are more prone to scramble to their arm strength. Some guys can't throw well going opposite their arm, and I'm not saying Bailey can't do that, but when you look at spin outs, bootlegs and different things like that a lot of times you're going to find the team right handed or left handed based on their quarterback. From a playcalling standpoint, you have to be able to flip things in your mind based on who's in the game at times.

Does the offensive linemen have to adjust?

“Not necessarilyI think it really just depends on that guy. If he's going to be a stationary guy, it doesn't matter. If he's a guy that always escapes one side versus the other, it could affect the tackle more.”

What is it about this game that always seems to come down to the wire?

“Well, in the past, it's two teams that don't beat themselves a whole lot. If you look at us, and them, we're turnover margin teams that really care about that. You look at the penalties and we're usually in the top three with them for least penalize teams. We’re physical teams that can run the football and that put a lot of stock into stopping the run. I just think you've got a similar mindset between the two teams. Maybe that's why not sure.

“We respect them a lot. I know just talking to Steve, just similar. Both of us really respect line of scrimmage play.”

Boston College didn't play on Saturday, but I'm guessing you had a chance to watch some games. Did you come to any conclusions or any reasons for optimism or pessimism or just watching your division opponents?

“With what we're dealing with, with the age of our team, the injuries to our team, I think every week if we can just not beat us and get better, we'll have a chance to win every game. Like I told the team after the Florida State game, only team on our schedule I'm worried about is us. And I think that's true.

“I think we can be in a one possession game with every team we're playing and win if we just get better at the things that we got with who we got and eliminate the things that beat us. When you watch college football right now, every week, how is this team playing with that team? And there's guys getting upset. I can't get into all that.

“All I know is if we beat ourselves, we got no chance. None. So that's where our focus has to be, and getting these guys that are now in the game seven to play like veteran players. I've seen more and like Jordan [Houston], he shouldn't be making mistakes that he made in game one, game two, in game three. There were some reads that he had in the run game that could have been explosive runs, and so getting him to play faster. Those are the things that I'm worried about.

Chris Ingram's on the depth chart, assume that the injury wasn't as bad as it looked?

“We're still waiting on a verdict on that. They are with the doctors today, with all our guys, for that matter. So we meet with Justin at 3:30. It hasn't been ruled out yet. But we'll see where we end up.”

You played against some really physical Boston College defenses in the past. This one looks like it's not quite as experienced. Is it just as physical as far as you're concerned?

They’re big strong guys like they've been. They've had some elite defensive players in the last couple years, guys who were drafted in the first and second round on defense. So now they're kind of like we were two years ago when we replaced all those guys.

“They've got a younger group and they're, not to take anything away from their talent, they're just not as experienced as they were before. They had guys that had been in it, seemed like their D-line was together for three years in a row. You got a lot of new faces in there in the front, but the body types are still big, and they got a lot of mass to them inside the box. “

Are they also giving up more big plays than they had in the past?

“I think they are in I mean, you can look at their, statistics on defense and see the rushing defense stats and explosive plays and different things like that.”