Weekly Press Conference Video & Quotes: Sept. 29
9/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeFB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Ahead of this week's ACC contest against Florida State, Wake Forest head football coach Dave Clawson, offensive lineman Justin Herron and defensive lineman Wendell Dunn met with the media to wrap up the Indiana game and talk about the Seminoles.
Head Coach Dave Clawson
Opening Statement...
""To wrap up Indiana, after the game I told the players that it's nice to be patted on the back for great heart and effort and for coming back. But we want to be congratulated for winning. There were certainly some positives in terms of how we finished the Indiana game, but the bottom line is that we came up short in a game that we had a good opportunity to win. Indiana ran the ball extremely well. I thought they won both battles at the line of scrimmage. I thought that after the game, the film confirmed that. We continue to have a young team that fights and makes plays and makes improvement, but it wasn't enough. Certainly the challenge only gets greater this week as Florida State comes to town. Certainly they've been the class of the ACC in the last three years. They've won the ACC Championship three years in a row. They're a program that's averaged 13 wins a year over the last three years. It's been almost three years since they've lost an ACC game. They're a different team than they were a year ago, but talent-wise they're as good a team as we'll face all year. Their running back might be the best running back we've faced in our two years here. This guy is a make-you-miss guy. He can make people miss in space. He can hit home runs. Their quarterback has not turned the ball over yet this year. He's very well-schooled in the offense. He has a rocket for an arm. He's very dangerous when the play breaks down. Defensively, I think that they're playing better than a year ago. Some of their best recruiting jobs are getting their seniors to come back. They're an old defense, they are playing extremely well on defense. They've got a handful of future high-round draft picks on that side of the ball. It'll be a great challenge for our guys. We're looking forward to it. Guys are excited, we're going to be on national TV. We have a chance to continue to show how we're improving. Obviously, it's a great opportunity for our program."
On the quarterback situation...
"We think that John [Wolford] is going to practice today. He'll be limited, so it will be the first time he's practiced since the Army game. We'll see how he looks. Certainly what we call and what we emphasize with Kendall [Hinton] are different because of the experience factor. John has played 1,100 snaps of football and has been through two spring camps. Kendall is still new to the system. When you have a true freshman quarterback, you have to keep things simple. Certainly with Kendall, seeing what he can do, you can give him a little bit more every week. If he plays this week, he'll be able to handle more than he did last week. He's a quick learner."
On the starting position at quarterback...
"When John [Wolford] is healthy, he will be our starting quarterback. I think if John is 70% or 80%, then Kendall [Hinton] gives us our best shot to win. Kendall is a good player, and he can make a lot of plays. If John is only at 70% and he can only run a fraction of the offense, we're not going to put him at risk and Kendall is a good player. When John is healthy, he will start."
On the performance of the running unit...
"That position is just like the youth at quarterback. We're playing three really young guys. Isaiah Robinson is a true sophomore. Tyler Bell and Matt Colburn are true freshman. Those guys are doing a nice job with the ball. Matt Colburn ripped off more runs the other day than we ever had against a defense like that last year. Part of the ability to run the offense in the ability to run the ball. It's the old catch-22. When you're young, you've got to keep it simple so kids can play fast, but if you keep it too simple, you become easy to defend. Tyler Bell is getting better. I thought he stuck his nose in there protection-wise. He does a really nice job of catching the football. That position is by committee. Some games it might be better for Isaiah, some games it might be better for Matt, some games might be better for Tyler. It's really a weekly competition, and whoever has the best week in practice plays."
Redshirt Freshman Offensive Lineman Justin Herron
On the excitement of playing against Florida State...
"It's a great experience. I came here to play against top-ranked teams every year like Florida State, Clemson or Louisville. It'll be a great experience and I really can't wait for it."
On whether or not the team is preparing and differently for Florida State...
"We prepare the same every week. You can't say, `We're going to prepare down for one team, but (now) we've got to prepare up.' You practice perfect every week, so when you come up against a top-ranked team, you play well. The way we practice, everything's going to be okay."
On playing against a top-ranked opponent at home...
"It's amazing. For me, this is going to be my first game playing against a top-ranked opponent when, two years ago, I was watching it on television. It's just an amazing feeling and it's going to be a lot of fun playing in front of friends and family against a familiar school."
On what the team learned from the Indiana game...
"We learned that we can't start slow--that's one thing we learned. We've got to get going and move the ball, but after a little time we played physical. There's always room for improvement, whether it's playing physical or little technique stuff here and there. I think the big thing is playing faster."
Redshirt Sophomore Defensive Lineman Wendell Dunn
On preparing to play a nationally-ranked team...
"It's Florida State, so you're always ready and you're always on your toes. Just being able to play one of the teams that was No. 1 last year and the year before is always an exciting experience."
On coming off a loss...
"You just kind of have to get amped up. You want to correct the mistakes and in this game you want to make sure you don't make the same mistakes. It would mean a lot to show everybody what we've been trying to show everybody all along: that Wake Forest can play against a top-ranked team and we can pull out a win."
On the mindset of the coaching staff in preparation for the game against Florida State...
"They look at us and show us the film and tell us, `Those guys are no different than you. You've just got to get out there and play like it."
