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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 11, 2017

Pat Narduzzi

Greensboro, North Carolina

PAT NARDUZZI: You know, homecoming game for the Panthers here at Heinz Field, and we are having a great football team come in. Dave Doeren has done a tremendous job of building that program up. For them it starts up front. I mean, their D-line and their O-line are as salty as you get, very well-coached, and they've got some really good skill players surrounding them. Obviously they've had some big wins this year, and they've got it rolling. They're a team that I've thought from last year watching them during the summer was very, very good and talented, and when you get to see them up close, I'm sure we'll even be more impressed.

Q. Since you mentioned the saltiness of the State defensive line, how are you feeling about your own offensive line as you head into this test?
PAT NARDUZZI: You know, I think any time you have a great challenge playing against Chubb, Hill, Jones and Street, those four great players up front, I think you've got to hope your guys step up and play their best football. I think that's the challenge. These guys can make you look bad if you don't come play your best ball.

I think they're up for the challenge. They've had two good days of practice so far. Just finished up our Wednesday practice, and I like what we have up front, and I think that's what it's all about, the challenge, and they'll have a great challenge, and they know that.

Q. As you turn the page into the second half of the season, where are you most looking for some improvements?
PAT NARDUZZI: You know, I think there's not one spat that you look for improvements. You're looking for overall improvements out of every individual, every position group and every unit, offensively, defensively, and for that matter special teams, as well. We can get better at all spots. There's not one thing that we're looking to get better. It's an everything-type deal, and I don't think it's ever one spot that you focus on as a coach, like oh, we just have to do this. No, it's everything, and that's where our focus is. It's go out every day and try to be the best you can be.

Q. I'm curious how you use Jordan Whitehead as a running back and a safety, how you decide, or do you pre-plan for each game, how many snaps on each side of the ball you want him to play?
PAT NARDUZZI: You know, we've only got a little tiny package in for him, so we don't get him out there as much as you'd like to. Again, he played I want to say 80 snaps on defense a week ago, now playing against a fast-tempo Syracuse team he had a total of 98. So I think it depends on how defensively, how he's doing on defense, are we getting some three-and-outs on defense. If you're on the field for a 17-play drive or 12-play drive, it's hard to catch your breath, get Gatorade to go and get him back out on the field offensively and expect him to go back out. We can't wear him out, and I felt like we wore him out a little bit Saturday in the second half defensively. I think when he's got the ball in his hand he's got juice, but I think anytime the ball is not in his hand it takes a little extra effort on defense to make those tackles, finish plays, because you're a reactive player on defense. We've just got to be careful with what we do with him. He's a great kid. He'll do anything you ask. But eventually your tank gets put on E, and then you're not giving us the best effort. You know, you love the kid for his effort. He can be a great player for us on either side of the ball. Obviously everybody sees the impact he makes immediately when he's back there at the tailback spot, but he makes an impact every play for us on defense, too.

Q. What kind of year is he having defensively?
PAT NARDUZZI: You know, he's having a pretty good year. He had a very solid game Saturday, and he's made a lot of tackles, made a lot of plays. When our guys have him out on the field he makes everybody else better. He does a great job communicating.

Q. You'd have to go back even pre-Michigan State years now to find a season where you've had a team that's struggled this much, especially in the win-loss column. Do you have to tap into something different? I know this is kind of unfamiliar territory for you, at least dating back a few years. How do you handle this as a head coach?
PAT NARDUZZI: Yeah, I mean, I think that's coaching, that's teaching, and it has been a while. I don't know when it's been, maybe my second year at Cincinnati to be honest with you. I don't know if we had a losing season at Michigan State. I know we didn't have one at Northern Illinois. I think our second year at Cincinnati, so it might be all the way back to 2005. But it's coaching and teaching, and I don't think it changes. Too often people look at the win-loss column and it's not always just a fluffy and warm day even when you're winning. You're coaching them hard, win or loss, and the kids take it hard, the coaches take it hard. It's just something you have to be smart with. You have to get the kids' thoughts organized and get them focused on the right things and not the wrong things. They have to be focused on what they can do to make things better. You can't look backwards, you always have to have them looking forward, and that's what we try to do with our guys.

Q. Just talk about Samuels from NC State; he's supposed to be a tight end but lines up at running back, and I think I saw him pass the ball against Florida State in a halfback pass. What do you have to do to contain him?
PAT NARDUZZI: You know, Jaylen, he's Waldo, okay. If you remember that puzzle, he's Waldo. You've got to know where he's at all the time, I think. Hines is an unbelievable athlete, as well. But Jaylen is a big guy. You've got to tackle him low. He's very physical. He can block, like you said, as a tight end. He can catch it out of the backfield. Again, they're going to put -- when the game is on the line, you're going to see him back behind the quarterback and they're going to hand off the ball because they trust that guy. He's a leader as you can tell on tape. You see how he has a great love for the game. You can see the qualities jump off the video in everything he does for that football team, so I think he's -- I don't know if he's a captain or not. We never put anything about who the captains are. But to me I like that guy as the leader of that offense, and besides Finley, the quarterback, he just gets guys ticking, and he's a special football player.

Q. And talk about Finley, the quarterback. Seems like he doesn't make any mistakes and he's been on that streak for a very long time. How are you going to hopefully make him make a mistake this week?
PAT NARDUZZI: When you look at them on 3rd down, we watched 3rd down yesterday, it's just like, golly, does he throw an incomplete pass, and he puts the ball on the money all the time. Very smart with the football. He doesn't throw interceptions. He doesn't throw incomplete passes. He's a special guy. You know, he just does his job. He doesn't try to do too much. He knows when to tuck the ball and take off and run to get a 1st down. He's just a very seasoned football player and obviously well-coached, too, because it doesn't just happen by mistake.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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