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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 30, 2017

Dino Babers

Greensboro, North Carolina

DINO BABERS: Well, we've had a fantastic camp. We're coming out of camp. I think the young men are tired of obviously beating against themselves, and they're ready to play football and hit somebody in a different colored jersey.

We have the utmost respect for Coach Rossomando and Central Connecticut State. They're a veteran football team with eight starters coming back on offense and defense, and some very exceptional players on both sides of the ball.

Obviously when you come out of camp like this, you always worry about how fresh you are and if you're rested and ready to go. Hopefully we've done the things as coaches to give our guys the best opportunity we can to play the way they're capable of playing.

Q. Last year you had a lot of young guys on defense, and inherently you're going to give up some big plays, but you guys were really among the worst in allowing explosive plays last year. I know as a coach that's probably got to frustrate the heck out of you. What have you seen from those guys' development during the off-season that you feel like they're ready to take that next step and kind of make some of those opposing offenses work for them a little bit?
DINO BABERS: Everyone else will get to see what I'm talking about; we've practiced against those guys almost three weeks now. I just don't think it's the same defense. I think our D-line has greatly improved. I think our secondary is greatly improved, and thank goodness we've got the same bunch of linebackers that we've been playing with for a long period of time.

So I have a lot of confidence in that group that they're going to be different from last year. The proof is always in the pudding, and we're looking forward to seeing how they're playing Friday night.

Q. To speak on some -- offensively as well as defensively, some of the true freshmen that came in with that recruiting class for you that are in the two deep for this first game coming up, just what you can say about what's impressed you about this class coming in and what they've done to be in the two deep?
DINO BABERS: First of all, I think what we do in recruiting, I always tell the coaches, tell them the truth; that way you don't have to backpedal on anything once they get here.

We told those young men once they came that they'd have an opportunity to play early in their careers. A bunch of those guys believed us, and they're going to get that opportunity.

I think you see freshmen sprinkled in the two deep, not only on the offensive side of the ball but on the defensive side of the ball. We're a very young football team. We really don't have a lot of senior starters, especially if you take away that linebacker group.

I think a lot of these guys are going to be around for a long period of time. Now, that also means that we're young. You've got freshmen playing, and with that rule that every freshman you play is supposedly a loss on your record, I don't know how true that is, but I guess we'll have something to add up at the end of the season to see if that's true or false.

Q. Then as far as leadership offensively on the veteran side of it, if you look at Steve Ishmael, just what you can say you've taken away from him and what he's done to work? Erv Phillips did a lot last season and made a good case for himself going into this year to be a leader in the receiving corps, but what have you seen from Steve Ishmael?
DINO BABERS: I think all our receivers are greatly improved. I think Steve might be the one that's more improved than any of the others. I think that Erv Phillips has done a fantastic job, and those two guys are definitely going to be the leaders of those units this year.

Q. You mentioned early on there about the length of camp. Was it too long? Would you like to see any changes? If it were possible for the NCAA to work it out, would you like to go scrimmage another team for a day or two?
DINO BABERS: I don't know about scrimmaging another team for a day or two. But to me anytime you start football in July, that is not right. Now, things are always subject to change. When I was growing up, we didn't have telephones that you could get pictures on or you had cameras which are phones that could take cameras (sic), but it just seems a little bit weird to start your football practice in July.

I'll leave it at that. Whoever is making those decisions now, that's kind of my vote on it and let them decide what they want to decide.

Q. Without giving away too much, is there a way that you can describe where your offense is now compared to the same point last year in terms of comfort, ability to run as fast as you want it to be, and ability to execute it the way you want it to be executed?
DINO BABERS: Well, you know, they know what to do. They're not thinking, they're just reacting. I think anytime you get athletic people where they don't have to think about their actions, they're just reacting to it, you get pure emotion. You get pure speed. There are no delays in their movements. I think it makes you faster if you can become faster. Hopefully that will be more pressure and more stress on the defenses that we play.

Q. Two years now since the targeting rule. How do you teach tackling in 2017 especially with the less time with pads in practice?
DINO BABERS: You've got to teach it a lot of different ways. We have two different techniques that we use. Most colleges use various techniques. They're either teaching one or the other type of style. We actually teach both. The targeting rule, I think is a good rule with all of the exposure that's been going on with head injuries and all that kind of stuff. I'm not so sure that it's not too tough of a rule and the punishment that they lay out for the young men sometimes. But I do think it's a rule that's worthy of penalty or yardage. I'm just not sure if it's something that you'd want to be throwing people out of games in the next games for.

Q. With Cordy returning some punts, is there an added injury risk there?
DINO BABERS: I don't think so. I don't know if you've ever seen Cordy, but he's really shifty. So unless someone hits him before he catches the ball, as long as he's got a step or two, he'll do fine back there.

Q. I think it was at Fanfest you kind of said that you didn't think Airon Servais -- you said it wasn't an injury, just kind of a little swelling in his ankle. Seems like he's been a little limited in shorts when we saw him at the end of camp. How is he doing? Is there any doubt in your mind that he plays Friday night?
DINO BABERS: I think that Servais will be just fine, like I told you, and we're looking forward to seeing him have a fantastic year.

Q. On an unrelated note, you mentioned that you think the defensive line will be greatly improved this year. You said the proof is in the pudding and we've got to see. When you look at that group throughout camp, what's better? Is it just that they're kind of reacting like everyone does in year two, or is there something specific or unique that you see in that group that is a little different?
DINO BABERS: I just think that by splitting that group up between two coaches that you're getting a lot more emphasis on the little things. Their detail, their focus is a lot sharper. I think that their effort is outstanding. Both of those groups are representing the coach that's coaching them. I think that Coach Reynolds and Coach Stanard does a fantastic job of not only getting great effort from their positions but also they play with a great sense of pride.

Q. What is a typical perfect game for you for this coming Friday night, for games? A lot of coaches talk about a perfect game. What do you like to see coming out Friday night with your squad?
DINO BABERS: I think a really good game would start with a win. I think that's what all good games should start with. If we could have limited turnovers on offense with getting some turnovers on defense, that would be fantastic. A low-penalized game, which means that the kids are very focused and they're locked in.

Then some physicality. We've got to play with great enthusiasm. We've got to play with great effort. It is a physical game. To get hit and be hit and have everyone walk away with no injuries on both sides, our team and their team, as well, I think, would be a nice, clean game.

Q. Just talk about Central Connecticut. What do you see getting ready for that game Friday night? They're in the Northeastern Conference, so they seem like a pretty good team.
DINO BABERS: They are a good football team. They have 16 starters coming back. Their head football coach is going into his fourth year. They didn't have the type of year last year that maybe they wanted, but they've got a lot of veteran guys coming back. This team is spooky. When you get a team of that many players coming back and you're an FCS squad or a power five, young men can transfer to that school and be automatically eligible without sitting out a year, you're not quite sure what you're going to get on game day until you see pre-game warm-up.

They've got 16 starters. You don't know what they've added to that group, and they're a veteran group on offense and defense with a big ol' quarterback that can throw the ball around.

So we're going to have to wait and see. But I think this is a lot better opponent than what it may appear to be on paper.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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