ACC Teleconference Week 9 - Oct 24

[OrangeXtreme]

Atlantic Coast Conference Football Media Conference
Wednesday October 24, 2018
Dino Babers
Syracuse

DINO BABERS: Well, we're really excited about coming off obviously that victory with North Carolina. It was a fantastic game and it was something that we really needed. But now we've got a very, very stern test with NC State. Fantastic football team. Coach Doeren does an outstanding job. Defensively, extremely solid. Offensively, probably the best quarterback in the league, and we know we've got our hands full.

It's going to be a night game at our place. It should be loud at our place. But we understand that we have a very, very big task.

Questions?

Q. As far as quarterbacks, Eric Dungey has been a leader for a long time and Tommy DeVito is stepping up this season. What do you like about each of those guys and what makes each of them special and an integral part of this team?
DINO BABERS: Well, what I like about both of those young men is that they are unselfish players. I mean, those guys have a great relationship.

Obviously there's only one starting quarterback to a football team, but I've never seen a relationship any closer than those two. Tommy asks Dungey all kinds of questions and Dungey is always helping Tommy, so that's the thing I love both about them.

From an individual standpoint, I wouldn't separate one from the other. I think they are both really good quarterbacks and they are capable of leading this football team.

Q. You're one step away from being Bowl eligible. What can you say about staying the process and coming in as a coach with a plan, seeing a plan come to fruition, just kind of where you think things are at in that planning at this point.
DINO BABERS: Well, I think that we are really close to one of our first goals but I don't think we're there yet. We look at it as two football seasons, our first half we finished 4-2. Our second half, we're 1-0, and we're taking it one game at a time.

And I don't think we can get ahead of ourselves. I think that's some of the things that we've been doing up here and we don't -- we're desperately trying and clawing and fighting not to do that this year. We've got NC State. That's the only thing we're worried about and if we can win that game, that would be really cool and then we would have another game the next week.

Q. A number of guys from your 2017 recruiting class shined last week. What have you seen from that class?
DINO BABERS: We're always trying to work with the underbelly of our team, and I think that's one of the disadvantages that we've had for a long time in this conference is that we really felt like our 22 starters were good enough that we could win games, but as the season progressed, that our backups weren't good enough to come in to help replace our starters when our starters got injury or banged up.

We've really been working hard for the last two and a half years to build up the underbelly and really continue to develop those young men in practice, even though we have weekly games against opponents, we're always carving out things in our practice schedule for the underbelly to try to work on techniques and fundamentals to help the culture and develop the overall -- to help the overall development of our football team.

Q. Do you feel like you've accomplished that with these redshirt freshmen and sophomores?
DINO BABERS: We're going to have to see. We've got some freshmen that are making some plays; that I think the proof is in the pudding on that one.

Q. Curious what you've seen from Ifeatu so far this year and what's stuck out about him specifically in the last week when he's seen more of a role on defense?
DINO BABERS: Ife's been doing a fantastic job in practice. He's been working hard on his development. I thought he was a young man that came into camp really fighting for a job and doing some good things, but obviously the two starters, Scoop and Frederick, were just really, really good players, and he just had to wait his time. We got some guys banged up and he's gotten an opportunity, and like some of the other freshmen around here, he's really taken advantage of his opportunity.

Everybody on the team is happy for him. He's happy and everyone else is happy for him because we know how hard he worked. Couldn't be more proud of, you know, performance that he put in when he came into the game, and North Carolina just kept going after him because they knew he was a freshmen. Yet he kept making plays for the family.

Really proud of that and hope that it continues in the future.

Q. I had a question about Tommy DeVito and the deep ball. Curious when you were evaluating him, and even seeing him now in practice and in games, what do you think allows him to maybe do well in that department? What makes him a good deep ball thrower?
DINO BABERS: You know, I wouldn't -- I mean, he's thrown some deep balls. I think he's had some opportunity to throw some deep balls just based off of some of the coverages that people have been playing against us.

I wouldn't necessarily say that he's a fantastic deep ball thrower and that's the only thing he does well. I think he throws the ball extremely well. I think Eric throws the ball extremely well deep. So I wouldn't think that he's just a deep ball thrower. You might be cutting him a little bit short. I think he has a lot more than that.

Q. Sure. That's not what I meant at all. But I guess another question here, you mentioned the cornerbacks. Did you have a gauge for where Chris and scoop are? Do you expect either of them to play this weekend?
DINO BABERS: You know what, we haven't had a no that they are not going to be in the game. Obviously they are banged up a little bit. We're just going to have to wait and see how they feel at the end of the week.

Q. On Monday, you said that you didn't want to share too much about what you were planning to do at quarterback. I'm curious, kind of how you approached the last couple days with those guys and do you feel like everyone internally, there's at least an understanding of what the plan is for Saturday?
DINO BABERS: You know, I think that everyone internally doesn't have to necessarily know what the plan is for Saturday, but I think the major guys that it involved the most, I think they have an understanding how it's going to be.

ACC Football Media Conference

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Stephen Bailey
Dino Babers on Dungey and DeVito: "They're unselfish players. Those guys have a great relationship. Obviously, there's only one starting quarterback to a football team, but I've never seen a closer relationship than between those two."

Babers on the QB plan for Saturday: "The major guys that it involves the most, I think they have an understanding of how it's going to be." Said everyone in-house doesn't know, though.

That's about it for QB notes. Babers also said that starting CBs Chris Fredrick and Scoop Bradshaw haven't been ruled out for Saturday, but both are still dealing with injuries from UNC. Will be late-week decisions.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Atlantic Coast Conference Football Media Conference
Wednesday October 24, 2018
Dave Doeren
NC State

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by NC State head coach David Doeren.

Coach, an opening statement, then we'll take questions.

DAVE DOEREN: Guys have had a good week of practice getting ready for a very good Syracuse team, a team that has been in back-to-back overtime games, found a way to win. A very tough game with Carolina last week.

I think a lot of our guys understand the importance of just our 1-0 philosophy, moving on to what's important, and that's getting better, getting into a game with a really good opponent that leads the ACC in scoring, has two quarterbacks playing at a high level, always has good receivers. I think the runningbacks are really playing well. Defensively they're very disruptive, have an active defensive front, lead the ACC in takeaways and turnover margin.

Like every week in the Atlantic, we're going up against a very formidable foe. To do it at their place at night, I know they're going to have a raucous crowd. Great opportunity and challenge for our guys. Look forward to it.

Questions.

Q. If we talk about when you started coaching to today, what is the biggest thing on either offense, defense or special teams that have changed during your time coaching?
DAVE DOEREN: That's a good question. I think social media is the biggest thing which changed our world, not just coaching, but just all of it. How it's impacted everybody every day, how it's used from a communication standpoint in recruiting and branding, where people look for information.

I think that to me has changed a lot about how we go about our business day in, day out. How our young people are communicating, unfortunately how they're reading about people's opinions at times that take their focus away from what they need to be looking at.

Q. There's not much tape on Tommy Devito. I assume you've seen some of it. What are your impressions of him?
DAVE DOEREN: What I've seen, he's very impressive. He's gone in games in pressure situations and won a huge game last week for them. He throws a really good ball. He understands how to run their offense. He's different from Dungey in the fact he's not running around as much, but he can throw it. He's got good timing. He's a very confident young man.

Q. I assume you'll have to prepare for both.
DAVE DOEREN: Absolutely.

Q. Talk about playing in the dome, how you simulate that. When you play a team in a dome, it gets louder.
DAVE DOEREN: We have an indoor facility that we practice in, turn the music up or the crowd noise up really loud. We've played up there twice. Played a bowl game in a dome. Been able to simulate it pretty well.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you.

DAVE DOEREN: Thank you.

ACC Football Media Conference

 

[SmilinBob]

NCS can't afford any injuries to the DB's. They had their starters in the game well after it was way out of reach. Too bad it won't be hot outside and in the Dome.

 

[Chip]

That's about it for QB notes. Babers also said that starting CBs Chris Fredrick and Scoop Bradshaw haven't been ruled out for Saturday, but both are still dealing with injuries from UNC. Will be late-week decisions.

I'm much more worried about this than I am who will play QB.

As we've said, we have two talented backup CBs. But they are really young, and NC State has talent at WR and QB. Plus there's no room for more injuries.

Hope Frederick and Scoop are ready to go.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

I'm much more worried about this than I am who will play QB.

As we've said, we have two talented backup CBs. But they are really young, and NC State has talent at WR and QB. Plus there's no room for more injuries.

Hope Frederick and Scoop are ready to go.

I mentioned this in another thread - The nice thing about 2 talented backups is that we should be okay if both Scoop and Fredrick are out. The bad thing about 2 talented backups is that if they're both now starting, who backs them up? I hope DuWayne Johnson and Carl Jones are at least replacement level.

 

[Chip]

I mentioned this in another thread - The nice thing about 2 talented backups is that we should be okay if both Scoop and Fredrick are out. The bad thing about 2 talented backups is that if they're both now starting, who backs them up? I hope DuWayne Johnson and Carl Jones are at least replacement level.

DuWayne Johnson is the least talked about JUCO transfer who originally signed with a good program (VT) that I think we've ever had. Nary a mention.

The good news if Carl Jones plays is that the game is inside. If it were outside, in a stiff wind, we'd have to anchor him to the ground. Which would slow him down.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[upperdeck]

start the game with both out there, Dungey plays the TE and Devito plays the slot, just to mess with them for a few plays.