ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 20, 2022

Dave Clawson

Rondell Bothroyd

Sam Hartman

Michael Jurgens

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Our first question to Coach Clawson will be to your left.

Q. The Commissioner said this morning that bowls matter in the Atlantic Coast Conference. What impact did your win over a Big Ten team, one of just two ACC bowl victories have on your offseason preparation?

DAVE CLAWSON: The bowl games are rewards for a good season. I was an FCS head coach for nine years, and the playoffs are wonderful, and they're a great experience, but they're another football game.

The bowl games are a reward and an experience and a bonding week that is unique to college football. To finish a season with a win, especially the chance to go against a Big Ten team, we were looking forward to competing against an SEC team, and then that changed the week before the game. Then we had an opportunity to play a Big Ten team. That was a really good win for our program, and I think the ACC.

Yes, bowls are important, and not just for the games and the competition, but for the experience that the student-athletes get to have.

Q. Looking at the fact that divisions are going to exist one more time this season in the ACC and then we're going to the 3-5-5 model, I would love to get your thoughts on the future and just what that can do for this conference? Like you said, the postseason and bowls matter. What can you say about that?

DAVE CLAWSON: I think with every decision there's positives and things you gain, and then there's also things that you lose. I think if you take the division votes every year, the Atlantic was for eliminating it, and the Coastal was for keeping it.

I think the scheduling model, there's positives. One of the positives for us is we get to play North Carolina more often. That's a game that's part of our history and part of the big four in North Carolina football, and the fact that we were only playing them once every six years got us to schedule them non-conference.

The fact that we get to play a team like Carolina more often is definitely a positive, but you gain something and you lose something. What we lose is we've played North Carolina State for 110 straight years. To see a game like that end is a negative.

Again, you've got to do what's best for the conference. I think for our players, for them to know in their four years at Wake Forest they'll get to play against every ACC team home and away is clearly a positive, and I think the overall is good.

Like with any decision or changes, there are some things that you hate to see disappear.

Q. Last season, especially in the latter portion, student engagement was through the roof. I mean, student attendance was at an all-time high. How do you capitalize on that this season and continue to have students show up in droves for these games?

DAVE CLAWSON: Well, thanks for the question. Our last two games I think over 90% of the students at Wake Forest showed up for the games, so I would like to see any other school in the country boast those type of numbers.

The engagement level was incredible. That's one of the unique aspects of coaching at Wake Forest. When you are such a small school and a smart school, that our players know these other students. They go to class with them. They live with them. The engagement gave us energy. I think it brought value to the entire university.

Just as impressive were the 25 or 30 buses that we filled up to play right down the road in Charlotte in the ACC Championship game.

My hope is the students had such a good time last year coming to our games, celebrating with our team after games that now that just becomes part of their habit and part of their social experience and being a student at Wake Forest, that you go to football games.

Q. You bring in Brad Lambert as defensive coordinator. He has been amazing at Charlotte, Purdue, Marshall. He has increased their defenses to be havoc-minded. Do you see any changes in his defense with you being one of the fastest tempo offenses in the nation?

DAVE CLAWSON: Really when I looked for a defensive coordinator, there was kind of three checkmarks that I was looking for. One was somebody that had successful experiences as a Power Five coordinator. I think the program where it is now, we're past the point to take a chance on an up-and-comer and hope it works out.

Obviously, the work that Brad did at Wake Forest, at Marshall and at Purdue and as a head coach at Charlotte, he was a proven commodity. I want somebody that understood what it was like to work at a school like Wake Forest, and it didn't have to be Wake Forest, but an academic, private school. There's a certain type of player that we have to recruit that fits the school, and Brad understands that.

Then the third piece of it was just regional recruiting. He spent so much of his career in the Southeast that he has been in the high schools in the areas that we recruit, and he is a great fit. I think we'll be more aggressive than we've been in the past. Certainly with the way we play on offense it's going to be hard to ever be the top ranked defense in the ACC just because we play more plays.

By the same token, I think we're capable of a lot of improvement on that side of the ball, and I'm very comfortable and confident that we're going to get there with Coach Lambert and the staff that he brought in.

Q. With the changing of the perception of Wake Forest football and being nationally ranked going into this season, what's the biggest thing you give your team as far as mindset and sort of staying humble and grounded?

DAVE CLAWSON: You said it. Our theme for this year is mindset. Every year we come to these media days and people have low expectations of us, and we never let that dictate how we went about our weekly process or our preparation.

We had confidence that we could be a good football team maybe despite what people on the outside thought. Now that people have a different perception of us, we welcome that, but it can't change the way that we operate. It can't change our mindset and the way that we go about our daily tasks and our preparation.

We're nine years in, and if you are at a place for nine years, if the expectations aren't higher, you're probably not there anymore. We welcome those expectations, but our team has to be mature and make sure that nothing is given. Everything is earned.

We've got to remain humble and yet stay hungry and never ever be satisfied with where we're at, and I think with the leadership that we have here today, I'm very comfortable and confident that that will happen.

Q. In regards to the 3-5-5 format, how satisfied were you to get the three permanent opponents -- Duke, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech?

DAVE CLAWSON: Those are programs we all have respect for. Duke has been a team that we've played every year. They've been our crossover opponent since the ACC went to divisions, so it was great to see that one.

Virginia Tech is two hours away. That's a game that our fan base has always traveled well to and their fan base has always supported their football team. Certainly our alumni base and our recruiting that we do in Atlanta certainly made Georgia Tech a good and ideal opponent for us.

Again, we're excited to have those three opponents. We're excited that we get to play North Carolina more often, but I hate to see 110-year traditions ended.

I know for our football team the NC State game is always an important game. They have a good program. They're very competitive. There's a lot of players on our team that grew up and went to high school and played with or against people at NC State. So that to me is the only drawback.

Q. Especially in this division, it seems like you're loaded with quarterbacks, and you got one of your own. I wonder if you can speak to the depth at the quarterback position and throughout the conference and this division as well as what your expectations are of Sam?

DAVE CLAWSON: It's a really good year for quarterbacks in the ACC, and we have a lot of teams that we play against that have great quarterbacks coming back, and we feel we're in as good a position as anybody in the conference or the country at that position.

Sam has played at a very high level for a number of years. What people don't see about Sam that I see on a daily basis is how he has elevated his teammates, how he has invested into the younger receivers and running backs and offensive linemen. The amount of time that he spends with younger players allows an Atorian Perry to have the year that he had.

As much as Sam has improved physically, I think his arm strength, his accuracy, his ability to throw the deep ball, he is faster, he is quicker. Every physical measurement of a quarterback he has improved every year. The big difference for him on our football team is just his leadership qualities.

He has become such a good leader for our program, and I think Michael Jurgens will tell you this. That Sam is a guy that his teammates like playing with him and for him. He has developed great relationships with the offensive linemen, our defensive football players, and I always think that leadership is the element that can bond and elevate a football team.

One of the reasons that we've had success at Wake Forest going to six straight bowl games and the number of wins we've had over the last five, six years is we have been very blessed and fortunate to have not good leaders, but great leaders and our captains next year and the three guys at the podium that I would really like you guys to talk to more than me are great examples of that at Wake Forest.

THE MODERATOR: You get your wish, Coach. If you are trade places with Rondell, we'll spend about five minutes with him. Thank you.

Seeing none in the room, I'll ask from the podium first, you were named team captain in the spring. Describe that feeling, that honor, that responsibility.

RONDELL BOTHROYD: It was a great honor because we elected from the teammates mostly, and it's just a great honor to be elected from our teammates and know that my teammates trust me. It's a really good honor because captain is probably the biggest reward you can get on a football team.

Q. Rondell, without going into the Xs and Os and the nitty gritty, how different of a defense is it going to be with Brad Lambert this season?

RONDELL BOTHROYD: I mean, besides the fact that you can just -- you don't really have to think as much at the line of scrimmage. We can just go. I didn't play in the spring, so I haven't played in his defense yet, but just seeing the guys like Jasheen and Kendron being able to go and make plays is probably the biggest difference.

I'm excited to play in the fall. We start the 1st. Yeah, I'm just excited to just be able to go and not really think about having to play on the line of scrimmage.

Q. Rondell, just what can you say about 29 turnovers last season, where you feel this defense has improved, though, as you stepped through the spring and going into 2022 coming off of those successes and now having a new defensive coordinator? Where are you seeing those improvements?

RONDELL BOTHROYD: As Coach said, I think we're going to be really aggressive this year, so hopefully we can have more turnovers than that, which 29 is a lot, but just being more aggressive I think will have more teams on the edge of not wanting to turn it over, which helps a lot.

Yeah, I mean, more turnovers would be great because that's a point of emphasis, that points allowed in third down has been a big point of emphasis this spring.

THE MODERATOR: In an interview with your high school newspaper this past January, you spoke about your adjustment from high school to college. If you could speak to your younger self today, what would you tell that person?

RONDELL BOTHROYD: I would probably tell them to -- it's more mental, but I would probably tell them to get more physically ready because in Connecticut, Connecticut football is not the biggest pipeline into college football. So I didn't lift as much as a Florida school would. I would tell him to get more physically ready because you can't really prepare mentally for college football. Probably that, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Following up, though, last year you had nine games with at least one sack. What is it about your game that allows you to get into the back field so consistently?

RONDELL BOTHROYD: I think personally I think that I just -- I like to just go up the field and not really think about getting the sack before the play because I feel like I psyche myself out.

I pride myself on watching a lot of film, so knowing what the guy in front of you is going to do helps a lot and knowing what the other four guys on the line of scrimmage are going to do helps a lot. I think that's part of the reason I was able to get after the ball so much.

Q. Coach had touched on the possible preconceived ideas that people may have about you or your team. As a team captain, how do you kind of turn that around and use that as a motivating factor, and what would you say are your driving motivators in this game?

RONDELL BOTHROYD: Personally I talked about this earlier. I'm not a big fan of getting preseason ranks and being ranked really high because I like to play as an underdog because you play with a chip on your shoulder. But as Coach said, it's just mindset this year and not getting complacent with the fact that we had a good season last year and just getting guys on board and not -- obviously, not getting complacent but getting guys on board to want to be better and want to not only just go to the ACC Championship, but a national championship is everybody's goal.

THE MODERATOR: Rondell, if you'll trade places with Sam. Appreciate your time.

Q. Sam, I've got to ask about the hat. Just what was the impetus behind bringing the hat?

SAM HARTMAN: Big "Peaky Blinders" fan. It's a Peaky cap, not a fedora. Tommy Shelby, I like the show and I like his attitude and his mentality.

Q. One of the stats that you have that's amazing, I can't even comprehend, your 68% adjusted completion percentage when there's no blitz. You're 71% when there is a blitz. Can you tell us what kind of workouts or process or thinking that goes through why your adjusted completion percentage is so much better when you are blitzed?

SAM HARTMAN: I think it's a credit to the O-line and running backs. I think when you look at -- I mean, yeah, I think that's where it is. If you are getting blitzed and the O-line and running backs aren't doing their jobs, you're probably not getting hit and probably not making throws. Shoutout to Jurgens and the beef boys up front. I like to keep them fed and like to keep them happy. I think that's where it starts. Obviously, with the schemes that we run, we have great adjustments to blitz. Coach Ruggiero has done a great job with that.

Obviously, as you get more into the offense, you learn how to cope with that, but I think it really starts up front and the running backs as well.

Q. Last year's team theme from the coach was going from good to great. This year it's mindset. As one of the team leaders and really the face of the program right now, how do you get that mindset concept through the rest of the team? What's your role in putting forth coach's theory?

SAM HARTMAN: I think it starts with having a coach like Coach Clawson. I think his consistency day in and day out, like you guys probably see. He is the same person in every interview, every day of practice, every game.

I think that mindset for us is consistency. I think from myself pushing the offense this year, especially in the summer, will be how can we be in our performance. Last year we pushed ourselves as hard as we could, and ended up coming a little short at the end of the year, but I think that we have other steps. Like A.T. Perry has another step in his game. Donavon Greene has another step. Blake Whiteheart has another step. I believe Michael Jurgens has another step. I believe myself. Justice Ellison. It goes across the board even on defense as well.

I think that's one of our biggest pushes is, can we be consistent, but can we also make a stride? Preseason rankings, whatever. Hope they rank us 12th or 13th, 14th, 15th. Maybe they don't put us on there. That would be nice because that's where we live.

We went to Wake Forest. We've changed the culture, like was asked earlier, the culture used to be, it's a great school, you must be smart because you go there, but now it's because you are a good football player who is also pretty smart.

Q. Sam, we've heard the stats. We've heard the good, the great. You are one of those guys who off the field like off the field you're a pretty even-keeled guy. On the field you have this, like, competitive fire that burns that you can see visibly on the field. Is that something that it just comes out of you, or is that just you on the field, or is that your persona, period?

SAM HARTMAN: I mean, I think I've toned it down a little bit. Maybe freshman year I had a little bit more fire, a little more trash talk. I've learned if you trash talk people, they hit you harder, so I kind of -- I've shied away from that. I'm more likely to make cordial conversation.

You have many good conversations with guys out there. I think, yeah, you can see it, the intensity and the passion. I love the game. I love playing it. I really enjoy it. That's another part of this game is you can have fun doing it while also being successful.

I like pushing our guys to be great and go good to great and go good to greater or greatest. Whatever you want to say. I think if we have fun this year, I think we'll have a lot of success as well.

Q. What did you miss when Donavon Greene was injured, and what are you going to get back? What is the offense going to benefit from with his back from injury this year?

SAM HARTMAN: I would put, obviously, A.T. Perry is a household name now, with his athleticism and his ability to make a play on the ball, but Donavon Greene is special. A kid from Mount Airy, I don't know if I have ever seen somebody as physically gifted as an athlete. His make-up genetically is nuts, to be honest.

I think he has a different mindset -- we're going to say "mindset" a lot today. He had a different mindset coming in this year, and I think he is a lot more mature. He has matured a lot. Not playing for a while it really changes the way you see the game, and I think he appreciates it more and he loves it more. I'm excited.

It's going to be a scary sight with those two on the outside.

THE MODERATOR: We started on a light note with Connor. We will end on a light note. How do you decide beard or no beard?

SAM HARTMAN: Man, I can't get away from non-football questions here. I don't know. I usually just text my mom and ask her what she thinks, and she usually gives me the thumbs up-thumbs down. We went beard this year.

THE MODERATOR: Mom knows best.

SAM HARTMAN: She does.

THE MODERATOR: You can change places with Michael. First question for our O-lineman, red shirt junior.

Q. Michael, as a team, you were better than 50% on third-down conversion. I think it was 53.3. Just what can you say about that and the work in the trenches and those little pieces that you guys know that not everybody is obviously going to see?

MICHAEL JURGENS: Yeah, thanks. Third down comes down to a lot of detail and a lot of execution. We've got a great staff on offense and a lot of continuity there. They're in the office all summer working on walk-throughs to script us that we see every possible look.

Really at the end of the day we say here that third down is a player's down. You're going to get one-on-one match-ups and one-on-one pass rushes, and players are going to make plays. One thing we've proven here at Wake is we have good players. Look for that to continue.

Those details really make a difference.

Q. Other than losing Zach, a lot of consistency on the offensive side of the ball. Especially on the offensive line. You get to have yourself still snapping the ball to Sam. What does that give you going into the season to have that consistency on offense and then just the ability to continue to play well there?

MICHAEL JURGENS: Definitely consistency has been huge. We were talking about this earlier. Our offensive staff hasn't changed the entire time Sam and I have been here, and we're just incredibly fortunate for that.

Up front losing Zach is a huge loss. Both on the field and off the field. Just a great player and a great guy. Fortunately, we got Je'Vionte' Nash coming back. We really are returning five starters when you look at it.

Yeah, that's just great that continuity. I've been incredibly fortunate going into my third year starting I've had the same two guards next to me every single game. That's just -- that doesn't happen a lot in college football or in football in general. It's been great. Hopefully that continues.

Q. We know one of the things that is conducive to a good offense is the quarterback-center connection. We also just heard Sam say that he has kind of toned down the trash talk. Does that make that easier for you to block for him when guys aren't gunning for your neck when your quarterback is talking noise behind you?

MICHAEL JURGENS: Yeah, you know, he may say it in front of the cameras that he has toned down the trash talk. We'll see how that works out on Saturdays. (Laughing).

At this level in this league everybody is competing. Everybody wants to win. At the end of the day people are going to be coming for him. When he has that target on his back after performing the way he has the past few years and for such a long time, people want to take him down. We take a lot of pride in protecting him. Just with him back there, we're really confident that we always have a chance. We're always in the fight. We're really grateful for that.

Q. Michael, Wake Forest led the league in red zone offense last year. 62 trips, 43 touchdowns, 14 of 15 Nick Sciba field goals, and he is one of the few guys not back this year. We talked about the experience of this offensive line. How important is that experience, and maybe producing even more touchdowns in the red zone?

MICHAEL JURGENS: The red zone is huge for us here. That's one of our keys to win is close the deal, and for offense that means scoring touchdowns in the red zone.

It's something we take a lot of pride in, and, again, that goes back to, like I talked about on third down, those walk-throughs, scripting that out every Friday, every from Friday morning, every Saturday morning we have a red zone walk-through period that we go through.

Just up front, I mean, I've got Sean, Loic with me and now DeVonte and Je'Vionte' on the outside. We just have such a good rapport.

I came in midyear in 2018, and Sean and Loic were my two guards. They were a year above me, and they took me in and I felt like I've been with them this entire time. They know what I'm thinking before I say it and vice versa, and really grateful to have that continuity.

THE MODERATOR: Your last question: You were born on New Year's Day. This past year you played on New Year's Eve. How cool of a stretch was that for you?

MICHAEL JURGENS: That was an exciting 24 hours for sure. Hopefully down the road this year at some point we're playing on New Year's Day. That's the ultimate goal.

THE MODERATOR: I had that as a follow-up question, but you addressed it, so thank you. Wake Forest, thank you. Have a good season.