Doeren's Wake Forest Scouting Report

It's been a long time coming and there have been times, as recently as a few weeks ago, that it appeared as though NC State's 2020 football season wasn't going to happen.

But through all the disruptions and distractions, coach Dave Doeren and his players have persevered and a game week is finally here.

To kick it off, Doeren held his first regular weekly media conference Monday -- albeit by Zoom rather than in person -- at which he provided a scouting report for Saturday's season opening opponent Wake Forest.

Here's what he had to say ...

"This is a game that goes back. It’s the longest continuous rivalry between two ACC schools and the third longest in the nation. It’s a game that has been played since 1910 and it’s a game that has gone back and forth in my tenure here. We have great respect for Wake Forest and for coach Clawson and his staff.

"Obviously, they have the benefit of playing one game and having that game under their belt, as we all know. People talk about the improvements teams make from week one to week two, and I know that’s something that they have as an advantage. Looking at them as a football team, they have their systems. They are very sound. They don’t beat themselves. They don’t turn the football over. They create a lot of takeaways defensively. They don’t get penalized. They put themselves in positions that way to win games.

"They have a very unique style of zone read offense, with the mesh and the (run-pass option) game and how it works timing wise in the backfield. They lost a lot of skill on offense, but the kids that they have showed a lot of athleticism in that game (Saturday against Clemson).

"Their tailbacks are returning players with a lot of statistics behind them. They have good speed and strength. I think they have a good blend there in their tailback position. You can see the athleticism of (wide receivers) Donavon Green and (Jaquarii) Roberson and I think they’ve found a playmaker in the slot with (Taylor) Morin.

"You can kind of see who they’ve replaced their playmakers with and what those guys are capable of. As always, their offensive line plays well together. They play a very, very uptempo offense. The no-huddle has a lot of different versions in college football. This is, in my opinion, one of the fastest of those that we will face.

"Defensively, they have a very good front seven, a very experienced front seven. They showed a little more depth on their D-line than they have in the past on that rotation. They return a lot of guys that have made a lot of plays. Obviously, (Carlos) Basham is a player that we have great respect for, not that we don’t the rest of them because we do. But he is a very tough, big, athletic defensive end that anchors their front.

"Their linebackers play downhill. They understand their scheme. They’ve got good pressures that they run and disguise well. On third down they do a lot of different things. They are different each week in their approach. I think they are very sound in how they attack offenses.

"Like any game, it comes down to complimentary football. For us, we need to take care of the football on offense. We need to stay on the field. We need to be physical and do the things that we can do and take advantage of the plays that are there. Defensively, you have to do a good job of getting off the field. Any tempo offense struggles when they can’t get their first first down. It’s just managing that throughout the game and creating some short fields and field position.

"Last year in our game with them, we were pinned inside the 10 multiple times by their punter. We turned the football over. We didn’t give ourselves a chance. In any game, I think it starts with you not beating yourself. That’s a huge point of emphasis for this football team. I look forward to going out there and watching them do it. I’m excited."

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