LOCKER ROOM REPORT: Wolfpack Players
NC State’s Devin Carter, Ben Finley, and Tanner Ingle met with the media following the Wolfpack's 30-27 win in double overtime versus No. 17 North Carolina Friday evening.
Carter caught six passes for 130 yards versus the Tar Heels, including the go-ahead, 26-yard touchdown with 3:54 remaining in regulation. Finley completed 27 of his 40 pass attempts for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Ingle recorded nine tackles and one interception on defense with the takeaway setting up Finley’s touchdown pass to Carter.
NOTE: Click on each player’s respective thumbnail to watch each interview in the player above.
Devin Carter
On this game easing falling short of the team’s high expectations…
It definitely does. It’s the biggest rivalry. It’s great to win rivalry games.
On being in key moments in big games…
I just keep my poise. I give all the glory to God to keep my poise and do what I do.
On his team depending on him…
It’s great. I definitely count on them, too. They back me 100 percent, and I back them. We just work hard and finish.
On Finley’s performance…
It was amazing to go out and see that. We all have faith in him. We knew he’d get the job done, and he did it.
On Finley’s presence in the huddle…
He’s just a carefree guy. He has poise as well. It’s simple.
On planting the NC State flag on North Carolina’s midfield logo…
It was just amazing to go out like that. It was just spur of the moment.
On being a part of the NC State/North Carolina rivalry…
I just give all the glory to God, honestly, and my teammates, really. We couldn’t do any of it without the O-line, D-line, defense, special teams, and the sideline. We’re a tight-knit team. We know how to stay together and finish.
On how this win compares to last season’s game…
It’s just the same. It feels great.
On any similarities between his go-ahead touchdown and Emeka Emezie’s fourth-quarter touchdowns the season before…
Yeah, I learned a lot from him and the guys before me.
On if he thought State won at the end of regulation…
I try not to get too happy too soon. I try to wait until everything’s finished. Once we know that we finished it, we celebrate.
On what bowl game NC State deserves…
The best one, honestly. I love these guys.
On the emotions in the locker room…
It’s joy. That’s how I’d describe it.
On his reaction to Noah Burnette lining up for his final field goal attempt…
‘He’s going to miss.’ That’s the first thing on my mind. We called timeout to ice him, and he’ll miss.
On what he felt when Burnette missed…
It was just joy and pure excitement. I couldn’t wait to celebrate with my teammates.
On what made him think Burnette would miss…
It’s just an NC State thing. I can’t explain it. Good things happen to the good guys.
Ben Finley
On winning at Kenan Memorial Stadium after his brother Ryan won twice in Chapel Hill…
Yeah, I think he went 2-0 at Carter-Finley West. Having my first start, going out with the guys, and getting the W, it’s the greatest feeling ever. Five weeks ago being the fourth-string quarterback, messing around on scout team, still getting better, and having those guys still trust me when I came back up to the starting roster, it means the world to have the support from the entire team. They played so well on defense. The offensive line gave me so time. It’s like I was camping back there.
On if he’d imagined that he’d start the North Carolina game…
No, my roommate [Matt McCabe] who starts on our artillery, our PAT and field goal unit, and I said, ‘In the first week versus ECU, there’s no way we would have thought we’d both be starting at UNC.’ It’s just surreal.
On what he saw after the end of the game…
I don’t even really remember. I was just running around trying to hug everyone. I think I grabbed an NC State flag and planted it on the field as I should have.
On the nerves going into the game…
The nerves go away when you take the first hit. It helped to get that lead at 7-0, but leading up to the game, if you’re not nervous, something’s wrong with you. I was a little nervous, but it just felt fun.
On his connection with Carter…
It’s crazy. It’s his first week back in a while, and, to be honest, I haven’t thrown a pass to Devin Carter in probably over a year and a half. It’s like that with Thayer [Thomas] and Darryl [Jones]. I never threw a pass to Darryl until last week at Louisville. It’s just kind of weird. It’s like I’m playing on an all-star team. We’ve just got ballers everywhere.
On this win alleviating the pain endured through the season…
We knew, if we got this win at UNC, it would be a big ol’ band-aid on the season. Anytime you can beat your rival, especially at their home on senior night, it’s just huge.
On him not doubting himself…
You can never doubt yourself. To be able to persevere is the biggest thing in life. Things are going to happen to you; just fight and keep climbing up the hill. You’ll never reach the pinnacle of the mountain. You just keep climbing and getting better. That’s what we do on scout team and what our entire team does: just keep fighting.
On how much playing on scout team against the first-string defense improved his performance…
It definitely helped with some of the throw windows and being comfortable in the pocket, but it doesn’t help with speed. I definitely thought the game was going to be pretty slow when I got out there last week in Louisville and this week, but it wasn’t. They kind of let up on the scout team. I haven’t taken a hit in three years before last week. Getting back into that, it helps to just get comfortable, but my O-line… I don’t even look like I played a game. My jersey is pristine white. Anytime you can go out there, camp back there, and deliver balls, it’s a great feeling.
On if he considered transferring…
I wanted to graduate from NC State. That’s huge. I’m graduating in December. That’s going to be really important for me to get my degree here. I never tried to get into UNC, but according to Drake [Maye], I couldn’t. It’s good to get a nice degree from NC State in finance and just go from there.
On celebrating after the game…
I had to find my parents. I love them so much. They’ve been such a big part of my life. Growing up with them, they’re the best parents anyone can ask for. Even when I was fourth string, they come to every single game. The last three years, they haven’t missed a game. I love them so much. The least I could do was go up there and celebrate with them. I’ll definitely be continuing the celebration when I go home.
On who his go-to receiver on the scout team was…
It was Terrell [Timmons], and then I got him moved up. We were just tearing up the defense. He was bumped up, and then it was Jalen Coit. My tight ends were ballers. We were balling. [Practicing as] Wake Forest was fun.
On having a legacy within the NC State/North Carolina rivalry…
I’m glad I can do that for [the Wolfpack fans], but at the end of the day, it’s a team win. I made some crucial mistakes I wish I could get back, and I’ll learn from them, but it was the entire team. It started with Chris Dunn, Jack [Chambers] going in there and putting the first touchdown in, and our defense making stops. It was so fun watching our defense. This is just a big-time NC State win versus UNC.
On if he wants to be the starting quarterback for the Wolfpack next year…
Oh yeah. I’ve got three years of eligibility left which is crazy. I’m going to be in college just as long as my brother. He was in college for like 20 years. I want to keep playing football. I love this game. I love this team. I love this school.
Tanner Ingle
On the win…
It’s always good to come over here and beat the blue people. We don’t like them at all, so coming over here and getting that win, it’s a good win for us. It’s always exciting beating Carolina.”
On how he’d rate his hands after getting the interception…
Ten out of 10. I’m a ball hawk.
On if this win feels like redemption for falling short of expectations…
I think it’s just a testament to our team culture. We made an emphasis on making sure we finish the season. We went out there, played hard, did what we were supposed to do to win, and put our head down. We didn’t play soft. We played like we wanted to win, and that’s what we did.
On seeing Finley perform the way he did…
It’s what we expected. He did that to us all year on scout team. Him going out there, having the opportunities he did, and making the plays he did, we’re just excited for him. It’s nice to go out there and see Ben have that success, especially considering how long he’s been here. He’s been here for three or four years. Last time he played in a game was the last UNC game [in Chapel Hill] before this year. He had a tipped ball and threw a pick, and after that he hadn’t touched the field since. It’s exciting to see him go out there and have success and watching the progress he’s made.
On seeing both Finley brothers have success versus North Carolina in his collegiate career…
I didn’t even think about that. It’s cool, you know? Like I said, it’s always fun when we beat Carolina.
On the differences between Ben and Ryan Finley…
Ben’s a lot more outgoing than Ryan. Ryan was very introverted. Ben’s going to let you hear it all day.
On the celebration in the locker room…
It’s fun. We’re still celebrating.