Wake Forest head coach Jack ****ert spoke with the media on Monday afternoon, recapping the 38-36 overtime win over the Purdue Boilermakers while making a quick turnaround to face No. 5 Miami Hurricanes. Here is everything ****ert had to say ahead of Miami.
Opening statements: All right, it's good to see everyone back in person. You know, I appreciate everyone being here today. Obviously an exciting week for our football program, both coming off the victory from Purdue and obviously the big game Friday night here at Legacy Stadium. I'm excited about it. I just want to start off by acknowledging, you know, after the game, I got really excited. I put Dave in a headlock and, said a few choice words on the radio. And I know this: I pride myself on how I carry myself and how I represent the university and even myself. And in that moment, I'll learn from that. So, Dave, I appreciate you putting up with me at that time, but it was a fun win and really proud of our guys, the resolve that they showed through 60 minutes-plus of hard-nosed football in a really tough environment. That second overtime series by their student section, with that loud scoreboard and those train whistles, I thought our guys did a really good job of just overcoming. And we talk about belief a lot in our football program. It's the B in best, but belief has to be acted out. And our guys proved, all our hard work and putting them in those tough situations, it matters. So, excited about our team. We still identified a million things that we got to do better to advance our program and be better and continue to grow. And obviously an exciting opportunity Friday night. I'm thankful for Legacy Financial about being the game sponsor and what an environment that it's going to be Friday night. So all Demon Deacons, be early, be loud. We need you for all 60 minutes and excited about the opportunity for our football team this week. So with that, I'll open it up with any questions.
On Wake Forest’s improvement in perimeter blocking and missed tackles: Yeah, I would say much improved. Obviously coming out of the Akron game, we challenged that receiver group, to make sure, guys, this is a big part of what we do, and we got to get big explosive plays out on the perimeter. So what I love about PK is, whatever opportunity we give him out on that field, he takes it very seriously. And obviously that leads to him making the big play in overtime. Maybe they think he's just in there to block. So, the space tackling, I think sometimes even from my seat, I emphasize things too much: Hey, we got to take this guy low. We got to take this guy low. We end up just diving a lot, and that's not the way we tackle. We got to be aggressive. I give number two a lot of credit from Purdue. He probably was more shifty left to right than I gave him credit for coming off of the Indiana State film. We've identified those things, and, it'll be tough, guys. We got to realize, from my seats, you know, we left our guts out on that field. I mean, it was hot, played a lot of snaps. I told the defense that was one of the toughest defensive stretches from nine minutes left in the fourth quarter to back-to-back overtimes. But we still need our physical work and we got to practice fast this week. So those will be some big points of emphasis.
On Wake Forest’s mental intensity carrying over to Miami: Yeah, I think now you have a basis of, like, facts, right? That it isn't just concept. It isn't just, Hey guys, when these moments come, this is what we need to do. And I think the best thing that we need to do is not walk by leadership moments. I talked to a lot of our leadership guys, like, where was your mind at? You know, in those moments when it was fourth and 15, when we just gave up a fourth and nine touchdown. What were you saying? What was your body language? You know, because I just kept going up and down the sideline saying, Guys, we're going to play to win the game. Go out there and win the game, and just kind of getting those thoughts in our mind. So just like I alluded to it after the game, the Virginia Tech game last year and that breakthrough, it gives you the conviction that, man, we can do this. And I think that's what Saturday showed. I mean, that's a tough opponent on the road. Winning's hard already, but winning on the road is really hard, right? So to take our team into that environment and to get it done, against all different types of odds and a different style of game. Like we had seven possessions in regulation. Like, that's unheard of. We had three in the first half. So it was just a different style of game, and, you know, our guys came out on top and they kept believing, which was awesome to see.
On Darian Mensah’s growth from last season to this season: Tons of playmakers around him. I got a lot of respect for number 10. He obviously from last year and playing against him and watching his competitive attitude and how he kind of willed them into victory last year, but also just his efficiency. Now it's been tough once again. They've had three competitive quarters. I don't include anything that they did in the FAMU game, anything competitive. So it's been tough to really see and get a feel. But look at his track record. This guy's been a champion at every level. Every place he's been, he's won a championship. Like at that position, I think that's the ultimate thing you're looking for. So, got a bunch of weapons. Their team speed is elite. Obviously they protect him very well through the first couple games. I think he only has four incompletions, eight touchdowns. So he's playing at an all-time Heisman-type level.
On the challenge of facing two Heisman hopefuls against Miami: It's got to be exciting. I know our coaching staff has put in a tremendous amount of work on this game in the summer and then taking the new learns and kind of implementing into what we have. It's one of those weeks, he's got to make sure we're staying focused on us. I'll say it every week: we prepare for them, we focus on us and what we need to do. But the details of our technique, the details of our execution, it has to show. We did a really good job against Purdue staying ahead of the chains. We only faced third down, or we didn't face third down on 66 percent of our series. Our DSR was 84 percent, so drive series success rate, if you want to know, which is phenomenal. Points per possession, I think 4.18. So just we got to stay ahead of the chains. Their defense is ultra-aggressive. They're going to blitz about 52 percent on base downs, and it's coming from everywhere. So we got to rely on our fundamentals. We got to rely on staying ahead of the chains. We got to keep Gio upright. I mean, all the basic stuff that you do is obviously amplified against a really good opponent.
On whether Wake Forest has anything in the chamber for Miami: As you watch the Purdue game, you know, we were never able to get them in, like, striking D and Ds. They were very willing to just take the ball down, take the ball down, take the ball down consistently throughout four quarters. We kept the ball in front of us again, you know, so we got to try to get some negatives there, right? And obviously their quarterback last week was very efficient. So, you know, if Miami's patient enough to do that, I mean, it's obviously challenging tackling these guys in space. But we got to keep the ball in front of us. I mean, Newark through the first two games in particular, you know, number 1 is just running by everybody. 18 obviously is a fantastic receiver in his own right. Trying to stop the run game is a real threat. So there's a bunch of different things. We got to make them earn everything, and then, we got to get some takeaways. It's going to be a big emphasis this week, like it always is. We got to find a way to get the ball out.
On Gio Lopez’s trust with offensive coordinate Rob Ezell: I think there's a lot of power in it, Tony, in the fact that, you know, their relationship is extremely strong, right? We talked about that a little bit in the past, but Coach Ezell, he knows in those moments, like what we need to do with Gio and how he's going to respond. And Gio was as cool as it possibly could be. This thing was getting crazy. Even at the end, like we could barely hear the coach comm. He was giving, like, bits and pieces of plays at times. That's why, you know, if you really watch the film, we had one wrong formation in overtime, and then even the two-point conversion, we had to get things changed late because we just couldn't hear. But Gio was calm in those moments and I thought executed in the biggest spots of the game really, really well. So a lot to build off of. We'll need that trust as we continue to go through a very challenging season.
On Will Leorzel’s growth as a tight end: Yeah, tremendous amount of growth. I think first in mentality and attitude. I think the way he carries himself, the way he thinks about himself, how he attacked that weight room over the last calendar year. He wasn't healthy during fall camp last season, so now he has the conviction of doing it against really good players in our defense. It was a big week for Will. Will dad played there with Drew Brees, and I think he got a lot of pride. So I worked with him all week on making sure he just kept the main thing the main thing, and boy did he. He's physical at the line of scrimmage, made some big-boy catches, and he's turned into a real weapon. I think even growing out of that, just being an extension of the O-line tight end. So proud of Will and his growth, and we'll need to continue that style of growth at all positions, and I think Will is a big bright spot.
Opening statements: All right, it's good to see everyone back in person. You know, I appreciate everyone being here today. Obviously an exciting week for our football program, both coming off the victory from Purdue and obviously the big game Friday night here at Legacy Stadium. I'm excited about it. I just want to start off by acknowledging, you know, after the game, I got really excited. I put Dave in a headlock and, said a few choice words on the radio. And I know this: I pride myself on how I carry myself and how I represent the university and even myself. And in that moment, I'll learn from that. So, Dave, I appreciate you putting up with me at that time, but it was a fun win and really proud of our guys, the resolve that they showed through 60 minutes-plus of hard-nosed football in a really tough environment. That second overtime series by their student section, with that loud scoreboard and those train whistles, I thought our guys did a really good job of just overcoming. And we talk about belief a lot in our football program. It's the B in best, but belief has to be acted out. And our guys proved, all our hard work and putting them in those tough situations, it matters. So, excited about our team. We still identified a million things that we got to do better to advance our program and be better and continue to grow. And obviously an exciting opportunity Friday night. I'm thankful for Legacy Financial about being the game sponsor and what an environment that it's going to be Friday night. So all Demon Deacons, be early, be loud. We need you for all 60 minutes and excited about the opportunity for our football team this week. So with that, I'll open it up with any questions.
On Wake Forest’s improvement in perimeter blocking and missed tackles: Yeah, I would say much improved. Obviously coming out of the Akron game, we challenged that receiver group, to make sure, guys, this is a big part of what we do, and we got to get big explosive plays out on the perimeter. So what I love about PK is, whatever opportunity we give him out on that field, he takes it very seriously. And obviously that leads to him making the big play in overtime. Maybe they think he's just in there to block. So, the space tackling, I think sometimes even from my seat, I emphasize things too much: Hey, we got to take this guy low. We got to take this guy low. We end up just diving a lot, and that's not the way we tackle. We got to be aggressive. I give number two a lot of credit from Purdue. He probably was more shifty left to right than I gave him credit for coming off of the Indiana State film. We've identified those things, and, it'll be tough, guys. We got to realize, from my seats, you know, we left our guts out on that field. I mean, it was hot, played a lot of snaps. I told the defense that was one of the toughest defensive stretches from nine minutes left in the fourth quarter to back-to-back overtimes. But we still need our physical work and we got to practice fast this week. So those will be some big points of emphasis.
On Wake Forest’s mental intensity carrying over to Miami: Yeah, I think now you have a basis of, like, facts, right? That it isn't just concept. It isn't just, Hey guys, when these moments come, this is what we need to do. And I think the best thing that we need to do is not walk by leadership moments. I talked to a lot of our leadership guys, like, where was your mind at? You know, in those moments when it was fourth and 15, when we just gave up a fourth and nine touchdown. What were you saying? What was your body language? You know, because I just kept going up and down the sideline saying, Guys, we're going to play to win the game. Go out there and win the game, and just kind of getting those thoughts in our mind. So just like I alluded to it after the game, the Virginia Tech game last year and that breakthrough, it gives you the conviction that, man, we can do this. And I think that's what Saturday showed. I mean, that's a tough opponent on the road. Winning's hard already, but winning on the road is really hard, right? So to take our team into that environment and to get it done, against all different types of odds and a different style of game. Like we had seven possessions in regulation. Like, that's unheard of. We had three in the first half. So it was just a different style of game, and, you know, our guys came out on top and they kept believing, which was awesome to see.
On Darian Mensah’s growth from last season to this season: Tons of playmakers around him. I got a lot of respect for number 10. He obviously from last year and playing against him and watching his competitive attitude and how he kind of willed them into victory last year, but also just his efficiency. Now it's been tough once again. They've had three competitive quarters. I don't include anything that they did in the FAMU game, anything competitive. So it's been tough to really see and get a feel. But look at his track record. This guy's been a champion at every level. Every place he's been, he's won a championship. Like at that position, I think that's the ultimate thing you're looking for. So, got a bunch of weapons. Their team speed is elite. Obviously they protect him very well through the first couple games. I think he only has four incompletions, eight touchdowns. So he's playing at an all-time Heisman-type level.
On the challenge of facing two Heisman hopefuls against Miami: It's got to be exciting. I know our coaching staff has put in a tremendous amount of work on this game in the summer and then taking the new learns and kind of implementing into what we have. It's one of those weeks, he's got to make sure we're staying focused on us. I'll say it every week: we prepare for them, we focus on us and what we need to do. But the details of our technique, the details of our execution, it has to show. We did a really good job against Purdue staying ahead of the chains. We only faced third down, or we didn't face third down on 66 percent of our series. Our DSR was 84 percent, so drive series success rate, if you want to know, which is phenomenal. Points per possession, I think 4.18. So just we got to stay ahead of the chains. Their defense is ultra-aggressive. They're going to blitz about 52 percent on base downs, and it's coming from everywhere. So we got to rely on our fundamentals. We got to rely on staying ahead of the chains. We got to keep Gio upright. I mean, all the basic stuff that you do is obviously amplified against a really good opponent.
On whether Wake Forest has anything in the chamber for Miami: As you watch the Purdue game, you know, we were never able to get them in, like, striking D and Ds. They were very willing to just take the ball down, take the ball down, take the ball down consistently throughout four quarters. We kept the ball in front of us again, you know, so we got to try to get some negatives there, right? And obviously their quarterback last week was very efficient. So, you know, if Miami's patient enough to do that, I mean, it's obviously challenging tackling these guys in space. But we got to keep the ball in front of us. I mean, Newark through the first two games in particular, you know, number 1 is just running by everybody. 18 obviously is a fantastic receiver in his own right. Trying to stop the run game is a real threat. So there's a bunch of different things. We got to make them earn everything, and then, we got to get some takeaways. It's going to be a big emphasis this week, like it always is. We got to find a way to get the ball out.
On Gio Lopez’s trust with offensive coordinate Rob Ezell: I think there's a lot of power in it, Tony, in the fact that, you know, their relationship is extremely strong, right? We talked about that a little bit in the past, but Coach Ezell, he knows in those moments, like what we need to do with Gio and how he's going to respond. And Gio was as cool as it possibly could be. This thing was getting crazy. Even at the end, like we could barely hear the coach comm. He was giving, like, bits and pieces of plays at times. That's why, you know, if you really watch the film, we had one wrong formation in overtime, and then even the two-point conversion, we had to get things changed late because we just couldn't hear. But Gio was calm in those moments and I thought executed in the biggest spots of the game really, really well. So a lot to build off of. We'll need that trust as we continue to go through a very challenging season.
On Will Leorzel’s growth as a tight end: Yeah, tremendous amount of growth. I think first in mentality and attitude. I think the way he carries himself, the way he thinks about himself, how he attacked that weight room over the last calendar year. He wasn't healthy during fall camp last season, so now he has the conviction of doing it against really good players in our defense. It was a big week for Will. Will dad played there with Drew Brees, and I think he got a lot of pride. So I worked with him all week on making sure he just kept the main thing the main thing, and boy did he. He's physical at the line of scrimmage, made some big-boy catches, and he's turned into a real weapon. I think even growing out of that, just being an extension of the O-line tight end. So proud of Will and his growth, and we'll need to continue that style of growth at all positions, and I think Will is a big bright spot.
