⚡ CFB Dashboard

Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert met with the media on Tuesday evening after practice ahead of Friday night's tilt against Miami. Below is a full transcript of the Q&A What learns were there defensively that have been implemented over the last two practices? Dickert: "Leverage, setting edges. Had an opportunity to show them when we do it, look at the success, boom, boom, boom. Okay. When we don't, ball is spilling out, ball's getting off the edges, and then obviously tackling. We talked about killing their motors. We're killing our motors with our feet. So just being tactical and aggressive. I think we got a good veteran group on that side, knows what they need to do. I think we'll get it fixed before Friday night." How much can you improve tackling when you're in a season? Dickert: "Oh, I just think every rep is a tackling rep. When you're out here, you got to approach it that way. We got to make sure our finishes are right. Leverage is tackling to me, so we got to make sure that we're understanding what hip we should be on. And then there's just a repetition to it. Even in practice, in a normal week, we're not taking guys to the ground. So every game rep you can get, the better. Obviously, we got to be elite tacklers in space this week. Their team speed is what really flashes. They get the ball to their playmakers in space consistently, and we got to keep it to those four and five yard gains instead of they've had obviously a great history of turning those into big plays. So it'll be a huge emphasis. But I also don't like to psych our guys out. I appreciate the questions, but at the end of the day as a defensive coach, defensive minded, sometimes you got to wipe that and just get back to let's go be really aggressive to our leverage and let's keep it really simple so our guys can go play fast." Do you think it is important to have early games like that where a guy like Ijeboi, not exposes your defense, but shows some of the issues that might be there? "Yeah. I mean, I think any early adversity in season, I always look at it as a positive, especially when you win. So you get to learn from a win, which is even better. And I think our guys are humble enough to know we want to play better. They have a high standard as we do as a team, as they do on defense, that hey, we can do a little bit better everything that we see. So I think that's good to, I don't use the term expose, but to see some weaknesses that we got to improve on." How well do you think your corners played on Saturday and how prepared are they to face a wide receiver core like Miami? Dickert: "Yeah, just a different challenge. I though they did some good things. I though they were one of the points of emphasis of tackling and being aggressive and not sitting in the chair. Coverage wise, I though we did some positive things. So being on the island, we can't play scared. I'll continue to say that. We got to play our game the way we know how to play it. And I think there's a mentality to that, especially at corner. Once again, you talk about how fast they are, you talk about how good they are all the time. It just gets in the mind. There's a psychology to this sport that's really strong. So I believe in our guys. I know we got the talent to go out and defend them. We got to pick and choose our spots to be aggressive and when not to be aggressive, what does that look like and how do we do it together? So I think that's the main point of emphasis." You've faced superstar type college players before in your career. You're probably about to face another one here on Friday. What's your message to the team when you're about to face a guy like that? Dickert: "The best part is we've got some superstar players too. I know we keep talking about them, but we got some bullets in our gun that we got to rely on and you got to make your play. We talk about that all the time. If we have 11 guys trying to be Superman every snap, we're going to fail. But if we have 11 guys really dedicated to doing their job to elite detail and execution and finish, now we can play good on all three phases." Speaking of plays, Rushaun Tongue he's back, played a couple games now. How excited is he to be out here and what have you seen from him? Dickert: "I think that was a cool part of what I got to see all spring and then into the summer you're like, man. I kind of forgot about how talented he was. And I think he plays with extreme confidence, but his preparation guys. I've rarely been around a player that prepares this hard and this detailed and this focused. Obviously having Nick (Andersen) in the room last year, I mean he's one that comes to mind as well. So I think he's got a really good group of him, Braylon (Johnson) Vaughn (Davaughn Patterson) that really pushed that room and I think they really push each other." What are some of the details he takes care of that maybe surprised you? Dickert: "Well, just the communication piece. He takes being the quarterback of the defense to a high regard. And I think those guys just have a good feel for each other. They're kind of interchangeable pieces. I think Coach Banks does a good job of making them play all three positions so they understand what that position needs. But Ru's a play maker and I think his best days are still ahead him. That's exciting for me as a coach." Do you sense that he's happy to be out there and glad to be playing because of the injury last year? Dickert: "Oh yeah. Anytime this game gets taken away from you, I just think you got a different perspective. And he shared that with the team in some of our preseason talks. So he was in front of the team talking. And so I think he understands that perspective of when guys go through that as well. So it's just been a real big bright spot through the first couple games. And once again, I keep thinking he's going to keep getting better." On his tackle on the 2 point conversion Dickert: "That was a real one now. That was a real one. So he was in cover two and he saw it, felt it, boom, was just exploded out. And that's what I'm talking about being fast and physical through your leverage. It's right there on tape. It's a good one to say, "Hey, look what happens when we do it right. How good we can be." You talked about having a big time quarterback in Gio Lopez. Do you think that Friday is a time for him to put the nation on blast about that? Dickert: "Yeah, I think that it puts the wrong things in his mind. He just needs to go keep doing what he's doing, stay within the core structure of the team and what we're asking him to do within the offense. But I think he's had a couple really good days of preparation, but they come from me at all angles. Their whole goal on defense is disrupt the passer, period. So he's got to be quick with his decisions. We got to get the ball out rhythm and on time and he's going to have to stand in there and take some hits. That's just part of that job and his responsibility." How has it worked out with the safety from a non-scholarship FCS coming down to play linebacker at a Power Four? Dickert: "Because we've done it a million times, that's why. I mean, we look for big rangy bodies like that because at the end of the day, college football is a space game. So we anticipated through our metrics that he could put on the weights and he's just been very natural at it. I think to your real question, to go to the third level to the second level, just the reads and the feel, he's got it. I wish we could say we did some cool drill or that. He just has a really great feel. And I think Coach Hazelton and Coach AP teach linebacking play, but it's real simple. And I think he's a really smart, smart guy. So he's picked on it so fast. And once again, his ceiling is only going to get better and better." Thinking a little more national trend, big picture, why are more teams going to 12 and 13 personnel? Dickert: "I think as the game evolves, but it always goes back to the way it was. It just does. Eight years ago, go as fast as you can with as few tight ends as you can and get the defense on their heels. Now the helmet communication, I believe now coaches want to play video games. Let's get to the line, let's check, let's move. Possessions are down and points are up. One of our core philosophies on offense is complexity in our formations and adjustments. Make the defense use all their rules. Well, tight ends are the ultimate pieces to be able to do that. So I just think our game is moving back in this direction and we'll have this conversation again here in six years and we'll be back to going as fast as you can and wearing defenses out. So it's just kind of how it all evolves." It's a good time to be a tight end I guess? Dickert: "It's a great time to be a tight end. It's a great time to be a power football player. Watch out for a fullback coming back. You know what I mean? Come on. Just watch out. Our game's cyclical. A lot of guys are under center. We do some plays like that. Because one thing we've learned is the NFL has kind of wavered a little bit, but they always end up right back. And I think obviously that's where our guys want to be At. It felt like last year in the end of the playoffs, you're watching the last four teams left. We're all using two tight ends and it was one blocker and one receiver. College offenses have eight months to study that and then it's like, okay, that's what we can do. Dickert: "Yeah. And I think as our game becomes, I say it all the time, less physical in practice, so those things are hard to replicate in a week's time. They just are. So it's almost turned into the old option stuff where you just don't have time to prepare for that type of physicality. So I think that's why we love it. And as our program progresses, we will kind of shape the offense based on that tight end position. If you have that guy that can go out there and move some people, you use them more than use your slot receiver." If there was a fullback on this team who would it be? Dickert: "That's Matt Lusardi. I mean, Luigi is the guy. Watch out for fullback belly at some point. I don't know when it's coming, but we got to get this guy the ball and get him in the end zone." Jake, what has Gio improved on the most you think over two games? Is there anything that you've seen? Dickert: "Well, like I said, I would say right now it's third downs. I mean, he's just been really elite in third downs. I would say what he needs to improve on is these couple deep shots that we've missed. I know he'd be the first one to admit that, but leadership, character, toughness, you go into the season and be like, "Man, I think this guy can run the ball," but he's shown to be a really effective runner. I don't know if he'll ever be explosive like Robbie was, but he's definitely an effective runner. So we're kind of using all five tools that he has."