Wake Forest Athletics
Weekly Press Conference & Video: November 20
11/20/2018 1:57:00 PM | Football
Dave Clawson and Phil Haynes met with the media Tuesday
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Head Coach Dave Clawson and offensive lineman Phil Haynes met with the media on Tuesday (Nov. 20) as the team held its weekly Carrabba's press conference luncheon.
Head Coach Dave Clawson
Opening Statement...
"Happy Thanksgiving week and I hope everyone has a good holiday weekend. We are getting ready to play a really good Duke football team, but first I will talk about the Pitt game. I think the Pitt game took a similar theme to a lot of the games we have played against the upper half of the ACC this year. If you break down our season after 11 games, we won some games, but the two teams that played a lot better than us were Notre Dame and Clemson and they are two of the top three teams in the country. To me, there are four games this year that we missed opportunities on: BC, Florida State, Syracuse and Pitt. BC, halfway through the third quarter we were leading the game and it got away from us. Florida State, we jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Syracuse, we jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Pitt, with seven minutes left in the third quarter, we were leading the football game. It is 3rd-and-11 and they throw a four-yard ball and we miss two tackles and it is 4th-and-1 and they convert. We missed an assignment on a coverage and that takes them to the 2-yard-line. We blow an assignment on the touchdown. It has been our inability to play four quarters and finish games against good teams, with the exception of NC State. The Pitt game looks like a blowout, but halfway through the third quarter we have the lead and have a chance to win it and individual breakdowns on four or five plays cost us the football game. We had Greg Dortch open deep and missed him. We had Scotty Washington open for a touchdown and missed him. We lost leverage on three post routes that all resulted or led to touchdowns. You go back and watch the Pitt game, and they played well, but if we more disciplined football for four quarters, we have a chance to win that game at the end.
"It will be the same challenge against Duke. Duke is a good football team. They are 7-4 and have a lot of quality wins. If we don't play four quarters, we aren't going to win. We are minus-7 in turnover margin. Last year we were like plus-8. In those four games, BC, Florida State, Syracuse and Pitt, we are minus-7. The rest of the year we are even. We are 0-4 in those games and lost the turnover margin 9-2. Again, this week we can't turn the football over. We have to tackle better and have to play locked-in football for four quarters.
"It is a very good and always well-coached Duke football team. It begins with their quarterback, Daniel Jones. I would put him up there as one of the top quarterbacks we have seen all year. He is extremely accurate, smart and can make plays with his feet. He can run the ball for 100 or can throw it for 300. Their offense centers around him and his ability to get the ball quickly to their receivers. They line up in a lot of different formations and when he gets the ball to them quickly, they do a lot after the catch. If you try to cheat, then they can get their run game going. Defensively, they do a lot of things and they do it well. Even with all the injuries they have had, this is a very good defense. They mix up their coverages. Their defensive line is physical. This is a very good football team and last week they played Clemson as well as anyone other than Syracuse. They were in that game. We have our work cut out for us and we will have to play our best game of the year to win it. Our guys are excited and know what is at stake."
On Earning a Bowl Game Berth…
"I think there's certainly a lot of players on our team who don't want this thing to end. They know our goal is to get to a bowl. It's week 12 and that goal is still alive and well. It either becomes a reality or dies in Durham on Saturday. There's a sense of urgency and we know what's at stake. Once you get six in the left column or seven in the right, you know what's ahead. It's unusual for us because, every other year, we've already known whether we'd go to a bowl or not. I told the players that it's like the NFL playoffs or the College Football Playoff. You win one and you get the chance at another. If we lose the season's over. That's great motivation but our focus must be on preparing for a good Duke football team. They make you play all four quarters and execute. If you have a lapse, they will take advantage of it."
On Duke Quarterback Daniel Jones…
"You look at him, 6'5 and 220 pounds, and you watch their game against North Carolina, you see someone who can take off for a 75 or 80-yard touchdown. Sometimes, people like to categorize quarterbacks as dual-threat or pro-style…and he throws it like a pro-style and runs it like a dual-threat. He's outstanding. He gets better every year and can throw the ball into tight windows. You might watch the film and say, that's good defense; yet he's still able to place the ball in there. He can make throws off his back-foot and scramble; He's very smart, can pick up the blitz and man coverage…before you know it, he just takes off and runs. You can play great defense, but ultimately they can make big conversions on offense because of his ability."
On Duke's Quality of Wins…
"We've played some good teams this year. If you look at our six losses, five of them have been against teams who've been nationally ranked. Four have at some point been in the top-15. We've competed against those teams but haven't finished. These guys (Duke) probably should have beat Pitt. They beat Northwestern, the win against Army was big…that's a 9-2 football team and now Northwestern is nationally ranked. Duke has some great wins and they're a tough team to beat."
On Quarterback Jamie Newman…
"You have to go into every game feeling locked in and knowing the game plan. There must be the same mentality week in and week out; as a quarterback, you can't get too high or too low. It's hard to play that position every week. The challenge for a quarterback is going out there and having the same habits and preparation every day. Those things carry over to the game and you can't be a one-hit wonder. He played very well against and N.C. State and then didn't play so well last week. He missed some throws that he's capable of making. When you play games against 7-4 Coastal Division champs, you're only going to get so many chances to make a big play. If you miss those opportunities, it's going to be tough to win the game."
Redshirt senior offensive lineman Phil Haynes
On what to fix following the Pitt game...
"Just consistency. The first half we moved the ball pretty well and had a lead. I think as an O-Line we fought pretty hard and we have to do a better job at protecting Jamie (Newman). We just have to be consistent throughout the game… We got a little sloppy here and there. It wasn't every guy, it was just here and there, but that is offensive football."
On facing Duke to become bowl eligible...
"Just like always, we focus on a one-win season and now more than ever it's a one-win season. All of the guys know we have to win this game. All of the younger guys have to buy in and make sure they are held accountable. There isn't really anything different."
On being a leader and taking pressure off younger players...
"I'm always trying to keep things loose, especially in situations where guys get nervous. I just try to keep everyone loose, because if you aren't loose, you can't play well. We try to keep guys focused, but also make sure they have fun."
On possibly going to another bowl game...
"It would be unbelievable. To know that all of the hard work we put in, all the team meetings, every weight they we lifted, every sprint we ran is for this game. If we don't win, we go home. So it would be really special knowing how hard we worked to go to a bowl game...I just want to make sure everyone is having fun. If you aren't having fun, are you really playing?
Head Coach Dave Clawson
Opening Statement...
"Happy Thanksgiving week and I hope everyone has a good holiday weekend. We are getting ready to play a really good Duke football team, but first I will talk about the Pitt game. I think the Pitt game took a similar theme to a lot of the games we have played against the upper half of the ACC this year. If you break down our season after 11 games, we won some games, but the two teams that played a lot better than us were Notre Dame and Clemson and they are two of the top three teams in the country. To me, there are four games this year that we missed opportunities on: BC, Florida State, Syracuse and Pitt. BC, halfway through the third quarter we were leading the game and it got away from us. Florida State, we jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Syracuse, we jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Pitt, with seven minutes left in the third quarter, we were leading the football game. It is 3rd-and-11 and they throw a four-yard ball and we miss two tackles and it is 4th-and-1 and they convert. We missed an assignment on a coverage and that takes them to the 2-yard-line. We blow an assignment on the touchdown. It has been our inability to play four quarters and finish games against good teams, with the exception of NC State. The Pitt game looks like a blowout, but halfway through the third quarter we have the lead and have a chance to win it and individual breakdowns on four or five plays cost us the football game. We had Greg Dortch open deep and missed him. We had Scotty Washington open for a touchdown and missed him. We lost leverage on three post routes that all resulted or led to touchdowns. You go back and watch the Pitt game, and they played well, but if we more disciplined football for four quarters, we have a chance to win that game at the end.
"It will be the same challenge against Duke. Duke is a good football team. They are 7-4 and have a lot of quality wins. If we don't play four quarters, we aren't going to win. We are minus-7 in turnover margin. Last year we were like plus-8. In those four games, BC, Florida State, Syracuse and Pitt, we are minus-7. The rest of the year we are even. We are 0-4 in those games and lost the turnover margin 9-2. Again, this week we can't turn the football over. We have to tackle better and have to play locked-in football for four quarters.
"It is a very good and always well-coached Duke football team. It begins with their quarterback, Daniel Jones. I would put him up there as one of the top quarterbacks we have seen all year. He is extremely accurate, smart and can make plays with his feet. He can run the ball for 100 or can throw it for 300. Their offense centers around him and his ability to get the ball quickly to their receivers. They line up in a lot of different formations and when he gets the ball to them quickly, they do a lot after the catch. If you try to cheat, then they can get their run game going. Defensively, they do a lot of things and they do it well. Even with all the injuries they have had, this is a very good defense. They mix up their coverages. Their defensive line is physical. This is a very good football team and last week they played Clemson as well as anyone other than Syracuse. They were in that game. We have our work cut out for us and we will have to play our best game of the year to win it. Our guys are excited and know what is at stake."
On Earning a Bowl Game Berth…
"I think there's certainly a lot of players on our team who don't want this thing to end. They know our goal is to get to a bowl. It's week 12 and that goal is still alive and well. It either becomes a reality or dies in Durham on Saturday. There's a sense of urgency and we know what's at stake. Once you get six in the left column or seven in the right, you know what's ahead. It's unusual for us because, every other year, we've already known whether we'd go to a bowl or not. I told the players that it's like the NFL playoffs or the College Football Playoff. You win one and you get the chance at another. If we lose the season's over. That's great motivation but our focus must be on preparing for a good Duke football team. They make you play all four quarters and execute. If you have a lapse, they will take advantage of it."
On Duke Quarterback Daniel Jones…
"You look at him, 6'5 and 220 pounds, and you watch their game against North Carolina, you see someone who can take off for a 75 or 80-yard touchdown. Sometimes, people like to categorize quarterbacks as dual-threat or pro-style…and he throws it like a pro-style and runs it like a dual-threat. He's outstanding. He gets better every year and can throw the ball into tight windows. You might watch the film and say, that's good defense; yet he's still able to place the ball in there. He can make throws off his back-foot and scramble; He's very smart, can pick up the blitz and man coverage…before you know it, he just takes off and runs. You can play great defense, but ultimately they can make big conversions on offense because of his ability."
On Duke's Quality of Wins…
"We've played some good teams this year. If you look at our six losses, five of them have been against teams who've been nationally ranked. Four have at some point been in the top-15. We've competed against those teams but haven't finished. These guys (Duke) probably should have beat Pitt. They beat Northwestern, the win against Army was big…that's a 9-2 football team and now Northwestern is nationally ranked. Duke has some great wins and they're a tough team to beat."
On Quarterback Jamie Newman…
"You have to go into every game feeling locked in and knowing the game plan. There must be the same mentality week in and week out; as a quarterback, you can't get too high or too low. It's hard to play that position every week. The challenge for a quarterback is going out there and having the same habits and preparation every day. Those things carry over to the game and you can't be a one-hit wonder. He played very well against and N.C. State and then didn't play so well last week. He missed some throws that he's capable of making. When you play games against 7-4 Coastal Division champs, you're only going to get so many chances to make a big play. If you miss those opportunities, it's going to be tough to win the game."
Redshirt senior offensive lineman Phil Haynes
On what to fix following the Pitt game...
"Just consistency. The first half we moved the ball pretty well and had a lead. I think as an O-Line we fought pretty hard and we have to do a better job at protecting Jamie (Newman). We just have to be consistent throughout the game… We got a little sloppy here and there. It wasn't every guy, it was just here and there, but that is offensive football."
On facing Duke to become bowl eligible...
"Just like always, we focus on a one-win season and now more than ever it's a one-win season. All of the guys know we have to win this game. All of the younger guys have to buy in and make sure they are held accountable. There isn't really anything different."
On being a leader and taking pressure off younger players...
"I'm always trying to keep things loose, especially in situations where guys get nervous. I just try to keep everyone loose, because if you aren't loose, you can't play well. We try to keep guys focused, but also make sure they have fun."
On possibly going to another bowl game...
"It would be unbelievable. To know that all of the hard work we put in, all the team meetings, every weight they we lifted, every sprint we ran is for this game. If we don't win, we go home. So it would be really special knowing how hard we worked to go to a bowl game...I just want to make sure everyone is having fun. If you aren't having fun, are you really playing?
Players Mentioned
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