Wake Forest Athletics
Weekly Press Conference & Video: October 23
10/23/2018 1:33:00 PM | Football
Cade Carney and Dave Clawson met with the media on Tuesday
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeFB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson and running back Cade Carney met with the media on Tuesday (Oct. 23) at the team's weekly Carrabba's press conference to discuss the Deacs' Saturday afternoon contest at Louisville.
Head Coach Dave Clawson
Opening Statement...
"Reviewing the Florida State game, it is what I thought it was after the game. Our kids prepared well, gave great effort and got off to a great start. A few big plays there in the first half allowed it to become 21-10. Then they scored to start the second half and after that I thought our kids played hard. We didn't quit and we had some great efforts on film. We aren't executing at a high enough level. Right now our pass defense isn't very good in all aspects of it. We are not rushing the passer well. We are not getting a lot of quarterback pressures or sacks. That has to get better. When a quarterback has time, he is going to find open receivers. Once you complete the ball, the amount of yards we gave up after missed tackles really hurt us. It would have been worse but Justin Strnad made a heck of a hustle play on that one play to prevent a touchdown. I thought Florida State's defensive line played really well. It was probably the worst game we have played on the O-Line in two years. Sam (Hartman), at times I thought he missed throws, but at times was getting pressure early. He wasn't perfect, but at times it was hard for him to execute. He didn't have a lot of time. He made some pocket decisions that made the problems worse. You can't run backwards against the Clemsons, Florida States and Notre Dames of the world. That is how 5-yard losses become 12-yard losses.
"Moving forward to Louisville, we are looking forward to going up there. I think they are a team like Florida State by going through a transition. They have a new quarterback and are younger on defense with a new coordinator. I think there are some similarities with those programs. The last few games they have played better. They had the Florida State game won. They had the lead late and throw pick and Florida State comes back and makes some plays to win the game. The BC game was a competitive game. That was 24-20 in the fourth quarter. They are extremely talented. Their collection of skill has always been among the best in the conference. This year is no different. Defensively, they are always big and athletic. We are going to have to go up there and play well. I think both programs right now really need wins. We certainly feel that way and I am sure they do too."
On the need for a win this week…
""You get to a point in your season with goals and the longer you go on- not winning a close game against Boston College, not finding a way to capitalize at Florida State, those goals start disappearing. We are not going to win the ACC Atlantic, we are not going to be playing in the ACC Championship game, that probably came against Clemson. Every year we have goals and those goals are to be in the ACC Championship game, to be in a bowl game and to have a winning season. Our players are smart- they know the numbers. We need to get a win to keep some of those goals alive. Mathematically they are certainly not dead, but we are not playing well enough right now to win games and we need to execute and play well and find a way to win a football game. Competitively, to reach our goals, this is extremely (important) and it would have been no matter what your goals. There are five games left and we are sitting at three wins. There is a path to be playing in December, but that path can get narrow if you don't find a way to win."
On Louisville's defensive line and Wake offensive line...
"I always analyze our numbers and our offense and make comparisons. After seven games, this year's offense is more productive than last year's. We have more yards and we have scored more points- statistically that's true even though it doesn't feel like it. We have scored more points after seven games than we did a year ago and we have more total offense yards. But it has taken 124 more plays to do it. So what sticks out is we are just not making as many big plays. We're not making as many big plays at the slot, we are making as many big plays at tailback and the production from the outside receivers isn't what is was a year ago. I think there are many reasons for that- some of those routes on the outside are more timing routes and when you are breaking in a freshman quarterback, I don't think Sam (Hartman) has the same feeling for that as John (Wolford) had, but i think it is getting better. We haven't been healthy out there. Scotty (Washington) obviously hasn't been healthy and (Alex) Bachman had a hamstring and was nursing a knee and Sage (Surratt) had a groin issue- those guys are now healthy but throughout the year they haven't been. We have not been protecting as well as we did last year. We don't have as much time for those guys to get open. We have to protect a little better, we have to get open more and we have to throw it on time. That to me is the aspect of our offense that is missing from where we were a year ago. The second half of last year we exploded on offense and I'm hoping we do the same this year. At this point a year ago, our best games were ahead of us and I'm hoping that will be the same this year. We have to throw the ball better. We are not throwing for a high completion percentage, we are not throwing it efficiently- we are running the ball really well, but because we are not throwing as well those run boxes are getting tighter and tougher."
"Last year at the outside receiver position we made 15 plays over 30 yards. Half of those were Scotty and the other half were Alex and Chuck (Wade). I don't think the production out there is nearly the same. I think part of that is Scotty hasn't been healthy, last week is the best he felt, he looked good today and hopefully that is on an incline. The more he practices with Sam that will only get better. Alex is now healthy, Sage is getting healthier- all of those things should help, but we have to hold up better in protection too. It is not always the sacks, but it is the amount of time that a quarterback can take his drop and get off the first read and have time to get to that second read. There are times where we are getting pushed out of the pocket and then there are times that it's there and he's not trusting it. So that is a two-fold problem."
On Luke Masterson...
"Luke Masterson played really, really well, just incredibly well given the circumstances. He had never played linebacker and he found out on Wednesday and changed positions and got one full practice doing it before the game. He was really productive. He wasn't perfect, and he had some MA's, but not nearly as many as you would expect. He did a really good job."
On status of Greg Dortch...
"Greg was limited, but he will be full go this week. He missed the bye week and had very limited practice last week. He played more than we initially wanted to, but we did not want him to play a full game. He was probably 80 percent. But the good news is I think Jaquarii Roberson played really well, so that's exciting. If we get to point where we can rotate him in regularly and give Greg a break that would be a positive for us… Kendall (Hinton) did a little for us today, but not a lot. I would love to have the problem of having all these players and not enough reps, but we just haven't been able to stay healthy."
On depth issues at practice…
"We have had to adjust and adapt our practices more than we did a year ago. We have to do more of what I call, Wake vs. Wake...We don't have enough depth to have a scout team. The first offense might go against the second defense and the defense will do something that replicates what the opponent does and we do the same thing on offense. The two's are still getting plays, but not necessarily what they will face that week. You can still get a good practice in that way. We limit contact more that we used to. It has to do with how we run the program- we are a school that likes to recruit and develop. If you have a freshman that is not going to help us win, I don't want him to play and ruin the redshirt… A lot of these freshmen, even though they can play, they aren't ready to play. We get players that we project will get there in two or three years. The bulk of them are not ready to play and help us win."
On positive takeaways from Florida State...
"I'm optimistic about how our kids worked last week and the preparation-and their effort in the game and the lack of swarming was much lower. The catch Scotty had one-handed, seeing Greg out there, Sam didn't throw for a high percentage, but he is a tough kid. He got hit and he would come right back the next play. There is a toughness and backbone to that kid and those are the things I love to see. I though Matt Colburn played really well. Nate Gilliam probably had his best game in a month, Zeek Rodney played his best game he has ever played here, Justin Strnad was all over the field. There were a lot of positives from that game and last week in practice. We are process driven and that will lead to winning football games."
Junior running back Cade Carney
On the Florida State game...
"Last week was testimony to the fact that it is a game of inches. We were so close and watching that film was frustrating because there were times where we were just a step off or just inches off of opportunities that could have flipped the field. There were a couple of times that we would have converted on third down. So it was a game of inches. Last week, I feel like we did a lot of things right, we prepared the right way and got back to the basics of who we are as a program and we took that step last week. We have to put all of that together and keep the hope this week."
"We started fast and then we stalled. Not a whole lot changed over the last three quarters of that game other than us just being right there on a lot of plays. More than anything it is just keeping the faith and continuing to prepare like we did last week because we did a great job and we put ourselves in a position to win that game last week from a preparation standpoint. We have to attack it the same way this week, without losing hope that it didn't work out for us last week."
On challenges of Louisville...
"They are an athletic group and that's always challenging. They have a very athletic linebacker corps. They have some young guys that stick their nose in there and are very aggressive players. The key for us that we are going to have to do well is we are going to have to get the ball over the top to balance them out and get them to back off so we can run the ball."
On must-win games...
"Every game is a must-win. We know that we are fighting for something here and we are fighting for the season that we want and the goals that we still have that are alive. If every week is now a must-win, this one definitely is. It is a little more heightened and there is a little more intensity and awareness that we need this win and we need to bring this one back."
On the confidence level…
"We are confident. We are a little banged up here and there but we are 100 percent confident in the guys that are in there. We just have to stay the course- the guys are confident and they believe in the coaches and the game plan and the guys that are on the field next to us. So our confidence is fine. We are in a good place."
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson and running back Cade Carney met with the media on Tuesday (Oct. 23) at the team's weekly Carrabba's press conference to discuss the Deacs' Saturday afternoon contest at Louisville.
Head Coach Dave Clawson
Opening Statement...
"Reviewing the Florida State game, it is what I thought it was after the game. Our kids prepared well, gave great effort and got off to a great start. A few big plays there in the first half allowed it to become 21-10. Then they scored to start the second half and after that I thought our kids played hard. We didn't quit and we had some great efforts on film. We aren't executing at a high enough level. Right now our pass defense isn't very good in all aspects of it. We are not rushing the passer well. We are not getting a lot of quarterback pressures or sacks. That has to get better. When a quarterback has time, he is going to find open receivers. Once you complete the ball, the amount of yards we gave up after missed tackles really hurt us. It would have been worse but Justin Strnad made a heck of a hustle play on that one play to prevent a touchdown. I thought Florida State's defensive line played really well. It was probably the worst game we have played on the O-Line in two years. Sam (Hartman), at times I thought he missed throws, but at times was getting pressure early. He wasn't perfect, but at times it was hard for him to execute. He didn't have a lot of time. He made some pocket decisions that made the problems worse. You can't run backwards against the Clemsons, Florida States and Notre Dames of the world. That is how 5-yard losses become 12-yard losses.
"Moving forward to Louisville, we are looking forward to going up there. I think they are a team like Florida State by going through a transition. They have a new quarterback and are younger on defense with a new coordinator. I think there are some similarities with those programs. The last few games they have played better. They had the Florida State game won. They had the lead late and throw pick and Florida State comes back and makes some plays to win the game. The BC game was a competitive game. That was 24-20 in the fourth quarter. They are extremely talented. Their collection of skill has always been among the best in the conference. This year is no different. Defensively, they are always big and athletic. We are going to have to go up there and play well. I think both programs right now really need wins. We certainly feel that way and I am sure they do too."
On the need for a win this week…
""You get to a point in your season with goals and the longer you go on- not winning a close game against Boston College, not finding a way to capitalize at Florida State, those goals start disappearing. We are not going to win the ACC Atlantic, we are not going to be playing in the ACC Championship game, that probably came against Clemson. Every year we have goals and those goals are to be in the ACC Championship game, to be in a bowl game and to have a winning season. Our players are smart- they know the numbers. We need to get a win to keep some of those goals alive. Mathematically they are certainly not dead, but we are not playing well enough right now to win games and we need to execute and play well and find a way to win a football game. Competitively, to reach our goals, this is extremely (important) and it would have been no matter what your goals. There are five games left and we are sitting at three wins. There is a path to be playing in December, but that path can get narrow if you don't find a way to win."
On Louisville's defensive line and Wake offensive line...
"I always analyze our numbers and our offense and make comparisons. After seven games, this year's offense is more productive than last year's. We have more yards and we have scored more points- statistically that's true even though it doesn't feel like it. We have scored more points after seven games than we did a year ago and we have more total offense yards. But it has taken 124 more plays to do it. So what sticks out is we are just not making as many big plays. We're not making as many big plays at the slot, we are making as many big plays at tailback and the production from the outside receivers isn't what is was a year ago. I think there are many reasons for that- some of those routes on the outside are more timing routes and when you are breaking in a freshman quarterback, I don't think Sam (Hartman) has the same feeling for that as John (Wolford) had, but i think it is getting better. We haven't been healthy out there. Scotty (Washington) obviously hasn't been healthy and (Alex) Bachman had a hamstring and was nursing a knee and Sage (Surratt) had a groin issue- those guys are now healthy but throughout the year they haven't been. We have not been protecting as well as we did last year. We don't have as much time for those guys to get open. We have to protect a little better, we have to get open more and we have to throw it on time. That to me is the aspect of our offense that is missing from where we were a year ago. The second half of last year we exploded on offense and I'm hoping we do the same this year. At this point a year ago, our best games were ahead of us and I'm hoping that will be the same this year. We have to throw the ball better. We are not throwing for a high completion percentage, we are not throwing it efficiently- we are running the ball really well, but because we are not throwing as well those run boxes are getting tighter and tougher."
"Last year at the outside receiver position we made 15 plays over 30 yards. Half of those were Scotty and the other half were Alex and Chuck (Wade). I don't think the production out there is nearly the same. I think part of that is Scotty hasn't been healthy, last week is the best he felt, he looked good today and hopefully that is on an incline. The more he practices with Sam that will only get better. Alex is now healthy, Sage is getting healthier- all of those things should help, but we have to hold up better in protection too. It is not always the sacks, but it is the amount of time that a quarterback can take his drop and get off the first read and have time to get to that second read. There are times where we are getting pushed out of the pocket and then there are times that it's there and he's not trusting it. So that is a two-fold problem."
On Luke Masterson...
"Luke Masterson played really, really well, just incredibly well given the circumstances. He had never played linebacker and he found out on Wednesday and changed positions and got one full practice doing it before the game. He was really productive. He wasn't perfect, and he had some MA's, but not nearly as many as you would expect. He did a really good job."
On status of Greg Dortch...
"Greg was limited, but he will be full go this week. He missed the bye week and had very limited practice last week. He played more than we initially wanted to, but we did not want him to play a full game. He was probably 80 percent. But the good news is I think Jaquarii Roberson played really well, so that's exciting. If we get to point where we can rotate him in regularly and give Greg a break that would be a positive for us… Kendall (Hinton) did a little for us today, but not a lot. I would love to have the problem of having all these players and not enough reps, but we just haven't been able to stay healthy."
On depth issues at practice…
"We have had to adjust and adapt our practices more than we did a year ago. We have to do more of what I call, Wake vs. Wake...We don't have enough depth to have a scout team. The first offense might go against the second defense and the defense will do something that replicates what the opponent does and we do the same thing on offense. The two's are still getting plays, but not necessarily what they will face that week. You can still get a good practice in that way. We limit contact more that we used to. It has to do with how we run the program- we are a school that likes to recruit and develop. If you have a freshman that is not going to help us win, I don't want him to play and ruin the redshirt… A lot of these freshmen, even though they can play, they aren't ready to play. We get players that we project will get there in two or three years. The bulk of them are not ready to play and help us win."
On positive takeaways from Florida State...
"I'm optimistic about how our kids worked last week and the preparation-and their effort in the game and the lack of swarming was much lower. The catch Scotty had one-handed, seeing Greg out there, Sam didn't throw for a high percentage, but he is a tough kid. He got hit and he would come right back the next play. There is a toughness and backbone to that kid and those are the things I love to see. I though Matt Colburn played really well. Nate Gilliam probably had his best game in a month, Zeek Rodney played his best game he has ever played here, Justin Strnad was all over the field. There were a lot of positives from that game and last week in practice. We are process driven and that will lead to winning football games."
Junior running back Cade Carney
On the Florida State game...
"Last week was testimony to the fact that it is a game of inches. We were so close and watching that film was frustrating because there were times where we were just a step off or just inches off of opportunities that could have flipped the field. There were a couple of times that we would have converted on third down. So it was a game of inches. Last week, I feel like we did a lot of things right, we prepared the right way and got back to the basics of who we are as a program and we took that step last week. We have to put all of that together and keep the hope this week."
"We started fast and then we stalled. Not a whole lot changed over the last three quarters of that game other than us just being right there on a lot of plays. More than anything it is just keeping the faith and continuing to prepare like we did last week because we did a great job and we put ourselves in a position to win that game last week from a preparation standpoint. We have to attack it the same way this week, without losing hope that it didn't work out for us last week."
On challenges of Louisville...
"They are an athletic group and that's always challenging. They have a very athletic linebacker corps. They have some young guys that stick their nose in there and are very aggressive players. The key for us that we are going to have to do well is we are going to have to get the ball over the top to balance them out and get them to back off so we can run the ball."
On must-win games...
"Every game is a must-win. We know that we are fighting for something here and we are fighting for the season that we want and the goals that we still have that are alive. If every week is now a must-win, this one definitely is. It is a little more heightened and there is a little more intensity and awareness that we need this win and we need to bring this one back."
On the confidence level…
"We are confident. We are a little banged up here and there but we are 100 percent confident in the guys that are in there. We just have to stay the course- the guys are confident and they believe in the coaches and the game plan and the guys that are on the field next to us. So our confidence is fine. We are in a good place."
Players Mentioned
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LB
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