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TAXSLAYER BOWL: TEXAS A&M VS NC STATEDecember 30, 2018Dave DoerenRyan FinleyGarrett BradburyEurndraus BryantA.J. ColeJacksonville, Florida THE MODERATOR: The last time NC State was here, we had a pretty good crowd and a great victory for NC State against Notre Dame. We are happy to be able to have NC State come back. That made me very happy. What really sold the deal was during the process of selection, there was a number of ways and directions we could have gone in. Coach Doeren called me a couple times, I called him a couple times. Without that personal touch, you still deserved to be here, but it certainly made it easier. I really am very appreciative to coach for doing that. It's exciting to have the ACC representative NC State. Coach Doeren. DAVE DOEREN: How is everybody doing? I want to say first of all, thanks to Rick and his staff and the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Jacksonville Sports Council, the Jaguars for allowing us to use their facilities, all the volunteers. Great experience, good week. Our host John has been a lot of fun to be around. We appreciate the opportunity to compete in such an established and well-respected bowl, a bowl that obviously brings back great memories for our fans. Our strength coach was in that game, Dantonio. Want to thank the staff at the resort we're staying at, the Omni Resort. The high school that's allowed us to practice there, the sheriffs department, Jacksonville sheriffs office. All of our fans, families, parents of our players that have traveled down here to be part of the experience as well. Great opportunity to play a great football team, a storied program, with a staff of coaches that we greatly respect. A chance for us as coaches and players to play one more time. It's unique to get to play on New Year's Eve, the last calendar day. The opportunity for us to achieve 10 wins and do another thing for our program that hasn't been done in a long time. I was just proud of these guys. 15 of our 18 seniors have already graduated. Six of our juniors. 21 graduates on our football team. That's the sixth highest mark of all the bowl teams in the country. Not just a group of young men that achieve with what we do on the field, but a group of guys that achieve off the field. That's what building the program is all about, is helping these guys be winners, go to their fifth straight bowl game now, compete in a great conference. What they've helped us build in this program now winning in the last two years the second most number of games in the ACC behind Clemson. Like I said, going to our fifth straight bowl game, which is the second longest in school history for a bowl streak. To have an offense that has a four thousand yard passer, two thousand yard receivers, a thousand yard rusher, we're the only team in the country that can boast that. Have six players on the all-conference team, tied for the most in the conference. To have some unique individual performances this year with Chris Dunn, with Reggie setting the single season touchdowns, Jakobi breaking an incredible record this year for receptions. Just continuing to raise the bar. I think that's what this game is about. For me growing up in the Midwest, around Big 12 football, growing up in Kansas, knew a lot about Texas A&M, a lot about their tradition, their history. One of the players that was on my college football team, our quarterback, actually whole family went to Texas A&M. That's all I heard about for four years, was that program. I went to the Cotton Bowl one year to watch them play Notre Dame. Jerome Bettis, heck of a football game. Excited to play them. Offensively Texas A&M, 35 points a game, 465 yards, very balanced, 200 yards on the ground, 84% scoring in the red zone. A tailback that's an all-conference player, 1500 yards. Great tight end that is like a wide receiver for them. A receiver, Quartney Davis, big, physical offensive line. Defensively Coach Elko does a great job with their guys. Third in the nation in rushing defense, 21st in third down defense. A really good defensive tackle. Active linebackers, a punter that changes the game for them, just like AJ does for us with field position. An awesome game with a bunch of award winners on both teams, with coaches that do the right things, a bunch of all-conference players, a bunch of guys that are going to play in the NFL in a great stadium. A wonderful opportunity that we're all excited about being in. Probably the best part of it all is being with these guys. We got a special group of young men. It's going to be fun to be with them one more time. These guys that are seniors, man, I love them. They're going to do great things in the NFL, they're going to do great things after the NFL. For me to be a part of that ride with them is something that I'll always have and cherish. Thank them for that. THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Is there a characteristic about a Jimbo Fisher coached team that is going to be a factor in the game, regardless of which program he's at? Texas A&M will carry on a certain manner and attitude similar to Florida State? DAVE DOEREN: Watching the film, obviously I'm not seeing their players on the hoof when you're watching the film. That will be a little bit different. You see similarities. They're tough, aggressive defensively. They're balanced on offense. They're multiple in what they do. I know Dickey is with them. The DNA is Jimbo's offense. You can see that. The downfield passing attack, the run game is very similar, the stretch, the inside zone, the counter. It's a lot of what we expected to see when we turned the film on. I told him out in the hallway, he inherited a talented football team. They have a lot of good players, they play hard. I'm sure they played hard before he got there. That's just been a characteristic of that school. Jimbo is a sound, smart football coach. He has a lot of plays in that playbook. That's one thing that's fun coaching against him. You have to really do your job. Coach Elko is really sound. Competed against him now at the third school he's been at, Wake, Notre Dame, now here. He does a great job. Q. Your guys talk a lot about leaving the jerseys better than they were when they got them. Do you feel they've done that and why? DAVE DOEREN: Something we talk about is legacy opportunities, the next player that wears your number to feel responsibility and to know you're not just putting on a jersey, you're putting on Ryan Finley's jersey or Garrett's. You're putting on something that somebody did something in, left value with. That's the biggest thing whether you're a coach, player, strength coach, your job is to make that next player or person feel like he has to do something special, that there's responsibility there. These guys have definitely done that. If you look over the last six years of my tenure here, I would say every season we've raised the bar in different areas. We'll continue to do that. Q. Take us through the challenges of slowing down Trayveon Williams. DAVE DOEREN: First of all, probably one of the few teams in college football that just play one runningback. He's getting over 20 carries a game. His durability is impressive, for him to be able to handle that. Obviously they really played two football games in one with the seven overtime game. He's had a lot of snaps a lot of opportunities. Their offensive line is gigantic. They do a good job in what they do up front. But we've seen good backs this year, too. This isn't the first challenge we've had. We saw throughout the season different challenges from different backs, different styles. What makes him good is I think he's not a one-style back. He can make people miss, he runs through contact, can catch the ball out of the backfield, he protects. For us defensively, we start with that, and we're going to stop the run. Statistically over the last five years that's been something we've been top three in the ACC every season. We take a lot of pride in that. The gap integrity, the block destruction, we call it changing the math, but just getting extra hats to the football. That will be a big part of this game for both line of scrimmages. Our run game, against theirs, who can do a better job, our protection against their protection. We both have 35 sacks apiece, so that ability to win the line of scrimmage, protect the quarterback, open up run lanes for Reggie and Ricky in the box, not allow them to do that. The games where they've struggled are the games that back hasn't gone off, so we know that. We have a challenge in order to make that happen. Q. What has been the challenge for you with the transition in your coaching staff while you're trying to prepare for a bowl game? DAVE DOEREN: It's been fun really, to be honest with you, for these guys. Shawn Flaherty, dad is an O-line coach here for the Jags, graduate assistant. These guys have embraced him. I know they're excited to play for him, give him an opportunity. It's been awesome for Shawn. He's done a really good job working with these guys. We have great leadership in that position group. They coach each other, hold each other accountable. Ryan and Coach Drink could probably finish each other's sentences. Ryan has been in all the game plan meetings. Him and Coach McDonald, Coach Proctor. Chris has done a really good job. Chris was quality control for us on offense. Came from Boise. He and Ryan have a unique relationship. It's been very smooth from that side of it. For Des and George, it's fun seeing those guys in that role. They work well together. They're having fun with it. I'm excited to watch these guys play, the game plan they've put together. Comes down to executing. On defense, Coach Roof is finishing out the season with us, no change there right now. As far as hiring the guys, for me it's been challenging from a time standpoint, not from finding good coaches. There's so many good coaches out there that want to be a part of our program. It's exciting to have the interest like that. Raleigh is phenomenal. Lot of people would like to live in Raleigh, North Carolina, raise a family there, be part of what we're doing. We hired two coaches. Excited to get them into the family with us when we return in January. That's kind of where it's at. Q. Can you talk about maybe how much better your team would be if your guys weren't sitting out? Is that a concern for you going into this game? DAVE DOEREN: It's kind of like an injury, to be honest with you. We have other players that are excited to play. I'd rather talk about the guys that are playing, to be honest with you. Proud of these guys, excited to see them go out and finish. I'm excited for the young receivers that are going to get a bigger role now. I think Emeka and C.J., and Thayer, obviously Jakobi Meyers, they're going to play well. They've practiced well. I know Ryan trusts those guys. Be an opportunity for them. On defense, Brock Miller played maybe one of the best games of the year against North Carolina when he stepped in in that game. He's prepared well for this game. It's no different than anything else, in my opinion. You worry about who you got instead of who you don't. That's kind of what we're doing. Q. Ryan, coach told us he loves this group of seniors, how much they mean to him. What does this group mean to you, being your final game? What in addition to a win are you hoping to get out of tomorrow? RYAN FINLEY: Well, obviously it's been awesome. So many close friends. Wish I could have been here longer. Coming to NC State was definitely the best thing that ever happened to me. Just kind of the relationships that I've been able to build with some of these guys. Bowl games are fun. Bowl games are kind of a reward. They're also very important. With a win, you kind of spring bolt the team that's coming back into the next spring. It's exciting. We've had a lot of fun. Kind of our two goals are to have fun but also win the game. A bowl game is kind of about balancing having fun and also knowing when to lock in. Q. Garrett, could you take us through what you've seen from Texas A&M's defensive front and the importance of protecting Ryan. GARRETT BRADBURY: I think defensively up front they're big. They're a physical group. They play hard. Play a lot of snaps. Obviously the two interior guys I'm going against are good players, watched a lot of film on them. They do some good things defensively. As coach alluded to, Coach Elko has been at Notre Dame before that, Wake before that. Similar defenses to what we played against. From a protection standpoint, it's good to see things that you saw the past two years. I mean, that's our job up front, is run the ball, protect Ryan. We're just going to continue doing that like we have all season. That's huge, that's our job going into the game, so... Q. A.J., I know you guys got to visit the naval station, great food, time to bond. What has been the highlight of your bowl week so far? A.J. COLE: Yeah, it's been great going to the naval station was really, really cool. I think the highlight of my bowl week was waking up the first morning we were here, looking out and being right on the beach. Any time you can finish the year in Florida, that's definitely a good thing. Playing in a great bowl game. Just being down here, being in a great bowl, really just kind of taking everything in and kind of reflecting back on the four years I've had here, it's a great experience. Q. Ryan, you lead the ACC in third and fourth down efficiency. What are some things that attribute to you guys having that high efficiency? RYAN FINLEY: That's definitely something we take a lot of pride in, is our third down conversion. Coach McDonald, that's a tribute to him. He has a style on third down. I think we run base plays that we have a lot of banked reps on. We have a good understanding of where we're all going to be. We rep them a lot. We just have different receivers that kind of give us different abilities. Obviously Jakobi is kind of our man-to-man, get open type of guy, twitchy. Thayer is smart, he understands space, things like that. Obviously the big guys outside are at any moment ready for a nine ball. We have a lot of different ways to attack on third down. That kind of couples with Coach McDonald, his knowledge of third down, has been great. Fourth down, we run thief a lot, quarterback sneak, things like that. That's something we take pride in as an offensive line, things like that. Q. Coach, we're trying to get a feel of how coaches like the new recruiting, new early signing period. What are your thoughts? Has the new signing period affected anything that you do? DAVE DOEREN: There's pluses and minuses to it. I do think it's good for the guys that committed a long time ago, some of them a year ago, to be able to put it to bed, us not to have to continue to see them. I wish it was earlier for them, to be honest. I had to go to 19 homes in five days before the early signing period. That's challenging as a head coach, to be able to do that. It's something I think is important. I love being in the living room of every player if I can be before they get here, seeing where they come from, so that I know what home is. That's the biggest challenge, I think is the contact period starts up in late November, early December. Then the signing date is coupled with bowl practice and graduation, a lot happening in a short period of time. Most of the kids in our place anyway were committed at the end of June, so it was still six months after that. I would hope every year they kind of look at better ways to do things, maybe slide it up to September or something like that. But the second signing day is February, so it's already kind of close to the other one. Q. Garrett, does playing in an NFL stadium add a little more juice to the experience? GARRETT BRADBURY: Yeah, I think absolutely. This is an unbelievable stadium. It's massive. It's exciting for all the players. But I don't know if it changes anything. I don't care where we're playing, high school stadium, NFL stadium, the goal is still the same: to win the game. That's where our focus needs to be. It's exciting when you initially find out where you're going. From a preparation standpoint, it's the same thing for us. Q. Ryan, pregame warmups, would you look around, do you think about that, one of these days... RYAN FINLEY: I think maybe. We have the opportunity to play in a lot of awesome stadiums. I think obviously a lot of us are looking forward to the next level. But it's mainly just about being together as a team. I think any chance you get a chance to play in a bowl game like this, it's exciting? EURNDRAUS BRYANT: I think it's a great opportunity to play in the stadium at the same time. Carter is a great stadium. To me, no difference. I'm looking forward to get this win. A.J. COLE: Yeah, it's definitely cool. It's the third NFL stadium that I've played in since I've been here. Carter is the best, so... Q. Ryan, you talked about the receivers who are here for this week. Have you noticed those guys maybe have an extra pep in their step, showcase their talents? RYAN FINLEY: I think we just have an amazing culture in that room. I don't think we've lost a beat. Obviously losing Kelvin is tough. He's an unbelievable player that I was blessed to play with for a short time period in three years. Kelvin and Steph and Coach McDonald kind of created a culture where it's next man up. You really haven't seen much of a difference, to be honest. I think one of our kind of strengths in that room has been depth for a long time. We've been able to put different situations, have five wide receivers in the game at one point in time. Those guys are ready, they played a lot of minutes, a lot of games. All have had big-time catches. Exciting to see those young guys step up, Devin Carter get some more playing time. C.J. is going to have a much bigger role. As much as we miss Kelvin, wish he was here playing with us, we're ready to roll with these guys. Q. Ryan, talk about facing Texas A&M's defense, maybe some of the issues they will present you on Monday night. RYAN FINLEY: Yeah, like Coach Doeren said, they're very good against the run. I think they play very hard. I think they're very sound in what they do. I think they disguise coverage very well. That's something I think they take a lot of pride in, is disguising coverage, giving a lot of different looks for the quarterback. That's something that as a quarterback group we've been working very hard on, being able to identify that. But it's going to be about doing what we do, doing that well, being balanced, being able to run the ball, converting on third down. When we get down to the red zone, which I hope we're there a lot, we're going to be able to execute in the red zone. We got some cool stuff. We're excited to attack them. They're a very good defense, do a lot of good things. I feel like with this bowl game setup, introducing some new coordinators, we've had a lot of time to do what we want to do. Q. What are you going to remember most about your time at NC State? GARRETT BRADBURY: Wow. It's been everything. It's been a great decision coming to NC State. Mainly from the players' perspective, I have lifelong friends, best friends, guys that will be in my wedding that I've been with for three, four, five years. A lot of y'all don't understand how much time we spend together. From when you wake up, because you're roommates, breakfast, practice, lunch, hanging out at night. With all the time you spend together, you still love each other, that's pretty special. On top of that the coaches, some have come and gone, some have been here since I have been here. Great relationships with them. They've helped me grow as a person and a player. The city of Raleigh. It's all of it really. It's been a phenomenal five years. I wouldn't change anything. RYAN FINLEY: I think it's just being around so many like-minded people that just want the same thing as you do, to grow as a person, as a football player, as a coach. It's been pretty unbelievable. Like Garrett said, we spend a lot of time together, too much sometimes I would say. I wouldn't change any of it. I think Raleigh is an amazing place that I definitely want to call home at some point. NC State, how much that means to the city, it's awesome. My family has had so many opportunities to travel to Raleigh, come to games. I played in 38 games at NC State thus far, my dad went to every one of them. That means a lot to me, my family. Obviously having my brother commit to NC State was an awesome day for me, just kind of exciting to envision what that looks like in a couple years, me coming back, having my brother here. It's been an unbelievable experience, so many friends, like Garrett said. Excited to finish this thing out the right way. EURNDRAUS BRYANT: One thing I'll miss is the brotherhood we have here. Growing up, I was a single child, I didn't have a lot of brothers to look to, talk to. Coming here was a big thing for me. I had to step out of my comfort zone, get used to other people. It really changed me a lot in terms of having more communication with guys, coming together as a family. Teaches me a lot about that. Maybe if you caught me in this situation two years ago, I would try to find a way to get out of this press conference here, so... I'm just glad everything happened the way it did. Just looking forward to competing with my brothers tomorrow. A.J. COLE: I think just growing up playing college football was always such a big dream of mine. I think very rarely is the reality better than the dream. I think playing college football has been so much more than I ever could have thought it would have been, just the relationships I have with everybody. Like Garrett was saying, it will last a lifetime. I think being around a bunch of people that are a lot of fun, but also extremely motivated, has been so much growth for me. I know I'm going to leave here as a man. I got here, I was a kid. I just think that growth I've had is really incredible. That's what I'm going to take most from the players and the coaches, everybody we interact with. Q. How do you stop a guy like Williams? EURNDRAUS BRYANT: You go out, you work on fundamentals. You do what you're coached. You got to be gap sound. It's the trenches. Nothing is easy up front. Whoever wins the line of scrimmage, that pretty much determines the game. I feel like you win the line of scrimmage, you're going to stop them, you stop the run, open up the pass. We'll be able to work from there. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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