NC State's Dave Doeren says Clemson, Death Valley will be tough

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CLEMSON – NC State head coach Dave Doeren says his team knows it can beat Clemson, but he also understands the challenge of playing in Death Valley.

The Tigers and Wolfpack kick it off at noon (ABC) Saturday in Memorial Stadium, the first Atlantic Coast Conference game for both teams. Clemson has a 60-30-1 lead in the all-time series against NC State, including a 27-11 home record against the Wolfpack. Clemson has won nine of the last 11 games in the series and 16 of the last 19. However, NC State has won two of the last three.

During his Monday press conference, Doeren was asked about the Pack’s recent success against the Tigers, and he said it shows his players know they can beat the Tigers.

“I think beating them in the past helps. There was a time where, I don't know how many in a row was that we'd lost to them, where it seemed like a mountain we couldn't climb, you know? That's not the case anymore. We know that we can beat them,” Doeren said. “We also know that they're a really good team, and playing them at home, they're even a better team. So, you have to play a certain way. I think that's where playing Tennessee earlier helps us, because we have seen a really good team on the field already, and so their level of speed and size and the combination of both isn't going to be shocking going out there. But we know what Clemson's program has been, and how good their talent is, and what kind of game we have to play. Playing against a team like them, we have a lot of respect for their football team, and what Dabo has done there.”

NC State hasn’t won in Death Valley since a 38-6 decision in October of 2002.

“We have to get ready for Clemson at their place, a great place to play football. Have great respect for their coaching staff and their players. It's a trophy game,” Doeren said. “It's the only trophy game we have, and means a lot to the universities playing in it, the Textile Bowl. It's going to be a great matchup and a very talented team that we're playing, and for us, we just have to focus on getting better and playing four quarters or overtime, if it takes overtime, and just being as clean as we can, playing as hard as we can, straining as hard as we can, and just being a little better version of ourselves each week. This is a team that will get better. It’s going to be a loud environment.”

Doeren said the Tigers were impressive in a 66-20 over the Mountaineers.

“They're coming off a game where they looked unstoppable, and they scored 50-plus points in the first half against a good Appalachian State football team, and they were explosive in that game,” he said. “Offensively, they played some young receivers that really took the top off of coverages. I thought (Cade) Klubnik threw the ball extremely well in that football game. He's very accurate. Showed touch, he showed range. We all know he can run and can throw. They're tight end number nine, (Jake) Briningstool. He's a good player. He made plays on us a year ago. The tailback (Phil) Mafah. He's a load. He's tough, big kid. You have to wrap him up with a lot of blocking schemes.

“I think Matt Luke is a really good offensive line coach, and in addition to their staff, and they've got a good system. I think, obviously, like every team, you're seeing them grow, and it's unique to be in our fourth game and to say that we're playing our second straight opponent with the bye weeks. Kind of weird to have teams with byes this early in the season back-to-back. So, there'll be some adjusting, I'm sure, for us, with them having an extra week to play us.”

For Doeren, the game comes down to the matchups and not letting the crowd affect his team’s performance.

“This game is going to be about matching up, making plays, being physical, and not letting the noise of the environment dictate things. You can go down there and get a bunch of penalties. You've got to really stay locked in and focused on what you're doing,” he said. “Now we get a chance to go do that again and put it to the test. Arguably one of the harder places to play in the ACC against a really good football coach in Dabo, and I have a lot of respect for him and his staff and what they stand for. So looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge.”

On Clemson’s defensive line and his freshman QB CJ Bailey

“They have a great defensive line, and they do a lot of blitzes. They're bringing stuff from all over the place, so we got to give them all the looks. We got to show them all the things that not just him, the whole line, and the protections with that. Obviously, crowd noise is going to be a part of what we're doing every day, making sure our cadence functions in the noise that we're going to be dealing with. Then just schematically, doing the things that he's best at, giving him the best pictures that he can have, and then letting him play ball. That's the one thing about him. He's a football player, and that kid understands the game. He's a winner, and he's excited. I mean, that's a kid that's excited to play the game, and I'm excited for him. As a team, you just go out there and you do everything you can, staff wise, to set them up for success, and you know what the challenges are, and you try to give them every look possible so that he can be successful and play fast on Saturday.”

On what this game means from a historical perspective

“I don't think the last ten years matter. I mean, every team's got so many new parts, and what matters is the guys on your team that have played against these teams. You have a lot of players that have played well against Clemson, obviously, we need to get the job done down there, and that's something we haven't done, and we've been close, but close doesn't get it done. So it's more about, how do we win this football game and focus on those things? How can we play better for four quarters instead of two quarters here, two quarters there? You know how you win a game against a good football team is you don't turn the football over, you play physical, you don't give up explosive plays for scores. You're really efficient with your special teams departments, with your field position, and that's the focus of winning. It's not ten years ago. What's happened these guys were eight years old. You know, that's not going to help us win the football game.”

On playing Clemson early in the season

“We're going to play them somewhere in that list. I have opened the ACC with them several times, and so it's not the first time doing this. I don't know it's wherever the scheduling rubric decides to throw them on there. We got to play them. I don't know if it matters, to be honest with you, having them early, having them late, playing a noon game down there, it's going to be hot. So that adds a little bit of an element to it, versus playing them later in the year down there, where it may not be a weather type thing that can test you a little bit. So that part of it's probably the only negative to it. It's just the weather that you get at noon in South Carolina versus playing them maybe in October or November. But it's early in the season. It's the first opportunity to play an ACC game. I think we open with them in a few years to start the season, if I'm not mistaken, like in 2028 and so wherever they put them, we got to line up and play.”

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