NC State Head Coach Dave Doeren Praises Miami's Elite Defense Against the Wolfpack

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — NC State tried to combat the Miami Hurricanes' defensive efforts, but they failed terribly. The Hurricanes dominated on both sides of the ball. The Wolfpack couldn't get past the 50-yard line until the final drive of the game.

NC State head coach Dave Doeren got to see firsthand what others knew could be the group's potential. His team had two weeks to prepare, and still, they were unable to do anything effectively to stop the Canes' defense from dominating them.

Deoren highlighted the Canes and some of his play as well during his post-game press conference. The Wolfpack is one win away from being bowl-eligible, and its focus remains on getting everything done to get a chance to go bowl dancing.

Opening statement…

“Congratulations to Miami. They played really well. Their kids were prepared and executed. We turned the football over twice in the first quarter, and from there it became a total time-of-possession mismatch. We weren’t able to stop them consistently, even when we held them to field goals. Offensively we just couldn’t get anything going. When you look up in the third quarter and see 400 yards to 87, 25 first downs to five… you’ve got to hand it to them.

The highlight of our night was our punter, which is sad to say, but Caden Fordham did a tremendous job. Otherwise, offense and defense weren’t good enough. We have a bunch of good kids who will go back to work, and that’s where our focus is.” 

On how to approach the final two games of the season…

“One at a time. Everything is about getting back to Raleigh, getting healthy, refocusing, and preparing for Florida State. Both teams we play next are fighting hard to finish their seasons.”

On handling CJ’s early turnovers…

“I just told him to keep playing and move on to the next play. We have a lot of faith in him. He knows he messed up, you don’t need to tear a kid down at that moment. Let him see it on the iPad, learn from it, and then respond.”