He's baaaack....probably
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Opening Statement
I'm impressed with our players. That was a tough loss, but we've come back, we've had a great attitude, we've worked hard, and I think we've improved on the practice field.
We're excited about playing at home. We've been gone four out of the last five weeks, so it's good to be back at home and to be able to get into our Friday routine and not have to travel. I think everyone's fired up to play our Homecoming game at home.
You mentioned Will Gardner's timing looked better against Clemson. Have you seen that in practice this week?
Yeah, I think we've gotten better in our passing game. I feel like our receivers are on time and our quarterback's been on time. We're working hard on the protection part of it and just continually working hard to get better at all of it. So we'll find out on Saturday.
How did the quarterbacks take the conversation about who plays and who starts?
Good. I think one of the most impressive things with Saturday at the game was how much Will supported ready Reggie when he wasn't in and how into everything he was on the sidelines, and then when Will went in, how much Reggie supported Will and how into it he was on the sidelines. It just showed that we have two great team players that are awesome leaders.
How has DeVante looked this week?
Good. I'm knocking on wood here, but he looks like he might be available to go. He practiced all three days this week. He looked good out there tonight. So I'm excited about it. We'll list him as "questionable," but I think he's ready to go.
You said you had seen a lot of progress going into the FIU game that was cut off when Will got hurt. What were some of those things?
A lot of it is just the timing. The timing and when the quarterback sets and is ready to throw the ball and when the receiver gets to the top of his route and is ready to catch the ball. The biggest difference with Reggie and Will from high school football is that you have to throw the ball before the guy's open. You have to anticipate it. The holes are small and they close quickly. So that's kind of what we're really concentrating and working on is telling them that sometimes they have to throw the receiver open.
Biggest concern with NC State?
I think being able to handle their defensive front. Defensively they've been very active. There have been some games where they've really, really rushed the quarterback and been good at it. And then we have to recognize their formations and different things they do and the different personnel groups they utilize. And then stop the run on 1st and 10. I think that's a big challenge for our defense.
On the loss of Corvin Lamb.
It hurts a lot, just because you've got elite speed out there. He's been doing a great job on our coverage and our punt team, and obviously the touchdown he scored on our kickoff return. So we lose a real, real fast player. He always gave us energy on our special teams.
Does the changing weather affect your guys at all?
I think it helps us. I think it makes us feel fresher. It helps when the weather changes and you get some cool air. You seem to practice harder and faster. That was always one of the concerns when you had an August that was so cool and a September that was so hot was making sure that you don't leave it on the practice field. So really what it allows you to do is practice harder and get more reps in. I've always liked it, I've always felt like we've practiced better when the weather's cooled down.
What can you expect out of DeVante if this is his first game back?
We'll have to manage his reps and make sure that he's in when we run the ball and in when we throw the ball, just get him in and give him some opportunities.
