Wake Forest vs. Florida State: Dave Clawson Press Conference

Were you encouraged in the first half?

“Yes, I mean we played well enough on defense and created some plays to stay in the

football game. We are struggling on offense; we have struggled all year. Florida State

has some talented kids up front and we struggled to block them. When we would block

them we struggled to get open. Again, it’s not for a lack of effort. Our team is playing

their hearts out. I have no issue with the effort we’ve just got a lot of work to do. We will

get there.”

Why make the change at quarterback?

“He’s (John Wolford) a freshman. It helps to let him sit and watch a little bit.”

On a good start by Wake Forest in the first quarter?

“We just don’t give him (Wolford) a lot of help by running the ball. Then we had that bad

snap, the missed exchange that put us further back. We are asking a young quarterback

to do more than he should have to do. That always catches up with you. I think it’s

normal; he’s competitive, he’s a fighter and he wants to make a play then he forced

some plays – held the ball too long on the fumble and then forced a throw on third down.

That cost us points and led to points. Again, he’s a competitor and he’s trying to make a

play and those things happen. He’s young and he’ll learn.”

Did Florida State make fewer mistakes on defense as the game went along?

“Guys miss tackles in space and we never created space. I think in the second half

everything got bottled up that they didn’t have to make big space tackles.”

What are the positives you take from this game?

“We are not in the moral victory business. The thing that I am proud of our football

team week in and week out is how hard they compete and how hard they play. Even late

in that game, that one run busts out and our one kid chases him down and saves a

touchdown. That’s a young corner for us and he hasn’t played a lot of football – I love

that instinct to compete. “

Do you think playing all these young players is going to pay off?

“Yes. We’re redshirting 15 of our freshman. We are going to bring in another large class.

So we are going to have a big group of players– we are the third youngest team country

now and we are going to be younger next year. We are going to lose 11 seniors and add

25 freshmen. I think when that group is given time to develop in the weight room and

they learn our systems I think we have some good football players that are given time

to learn and grow and mature and get in the weight room, they will become good football

players. We are a ways away and we know that but we think we have done a good job

recruiting. We have some good younger players in the program and I am excited when

they develop. Against a team like that we just get overwhelmed. Especially when we are

on offense and they are on defense.”

All quotes courtesy of Florida State University.