The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/406183
NOVEMBER 2014 ■ 9 ■ From Head Football Coach Dave Doeren Hard Work Is Paying Off For both the coaches and student-athletes, the daily routine during football season can be grueling — long days and physical tolls come with the territory. I love the constant hard work and dedication it takes to make progress and achieve success in this game, and have been proud of our team's work ethic since the beginning of fall camp. We were one of just five teams in the Power 5 conferences to not have a bye week until after our eighth game, and the week off from competition was greatly needed. It was a good week for us as coaches to go back and watch every play from the first eight games and decide what we can improve on and what is working well for us. It also gave me a chance to really study how much improve- ment many of the individuals on our team have made. We have so many young players, and when we looked at where they are now compared to where they were just two months ago, we were very pleased. Young Players Making An Impact We have a solid foundation of great talent on this team, and we will continue to improve with our future recruiting classes. Our freshman and sophomore classes have made huge contributions on the field this season. Freshman receiver Bo Hines is ranked second in the ACC for most receptions without a drop (28). Sophomore running back Matt Dayes is one of only two players in the country with 250 yards rushing, receiving and returning kickoffs. We have had seven true freshmen make starts for us, which is the fourth-highest total in the country. Overall, 21 freshmen have seen the field this fall, which is the fifth-most of any team in the country. There is no question that we are one of the youngest teams in the FBS, and with that comes some growing pains. Even with our youth, I am very pleased with the development and maturity of the underclassmen as a whole. Holding To A Higher Standard One of the hardest, yet most important, things about being a head coach is having to discipline my players. Recently, I had to suspend several players for a game because of an off-the-field incident. It was a crucial learning experience not only for the players involved but also for the entire team to learn that as leaders on this campus we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. Our actions not only affect us as individuals but also the team as a whole. The best lessons are sometimes learned from mistakes, and these young players learned a tough lesson about decision- making. Senior Salute The final games are coming for this senior class. These young men have been an integral part of what we are building here at NC State. They have shown great leadership and heart through their years here at State, and it has been my privilege to coach them for the past two years. NC STATE FOOTBALL'S SENIOR CLASS No. Name Pos. Hometown (High School) 1 Jarvis Byrd S Pahokee, Fla. (Pahokee) 47 Tyler Purvis FB Reinholds, Pa. (Lancaster Catholic) 73 Andy Jomantas OT/OG Dayton, Ohio (Chaminade-Julienne) 95 Art Norman DE Stone Mountain, Ga. (Chamblee) 74 Tyson Chandler OT N. Plainfield, N.J. (Fork Union) 26 Tony Creecy RB Durham, N.C. (Southern) 69 Thomas Teal DT Bennettsville, S.C. (Marlboro Co.) 78 Rob Crisp OT Burlington, N.C. (Athens Drive) 80 Bryan Underwood WR University Heights, Ohio (Cleveland Heights) 22 Dayton Campos WR Jacksonville, N.C. (Jacksonville) 39 Brandon Pittman LB Raleigh, N.C. (Leesville Road) 96 Scott Thompson LS Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (Trabuco Hills) 79 Tyler Smith DT Raleigh, N.C. (Western Carolina) 5 Rodman Noel LB Everett, Mass. (Milford Academy) 61 Ali Kassem OG Cinncinati, Ohio (ASA) 75 T.Y. McGill DT Jesup, Ga. (Wayne County) 7 NaQuan Brown WR Charlotte, N.C. (West Mecklenburg) 36 Wil Baumann P Wilmington, N.C. (Hoggard) 32 Niklas Sade PK Wake Forest, N.C. (Wakefield) A Young, Hungry Team I told our team after the bye week that, moving ahead, it doesn't matter that we won our first four games and it doesn't matter that we lost the next four. What matters is what we do in the last four regular-season games. Our goal is to go 1-0 each week. We are a young, hungry team that comes to work every day trying to get better. With a team like this, the future is bright for Wolfpack Football. 1Pack1Goal! Coach Doeren Sophomore running back Matt Dayes was one of only two players in the country, as of Oct. 25, with 250 yards rushing, receiving and returning kickoffs. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN