Michael Allen: "We Know How The Environment Is Going To Be"

NC State running back Michael Allen recently met with the media to discuss his play in the Marshall win, Duke's defense, and much more.

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.

“It was good. I’m glad it came at home in front of our home crowd. It means the world to me to go ahead and get that. It’s kind of first blood out the way, in a sense.  I was extremely excited and Dylan blocked it well up front. I was grateful.”

“Being able to know I need to maximize my opportunities... just being as dependent as I can and produce as much as I can when I’m out there, and then make something happen.”

“[Hitting 19 mph on a run] is unacceptable. I think the Louisville game last year I hit 22 [mph], so that’s not going to work.”

“Just getting the ball early in the games and getting a rhythm. That’s how it’s going to be with me.  That’s a huge thing for me -- go out there and get that first initial contact out the way and get into a role.”

“It’s pretty much the same.  There is no bad blood at all.  It’s really a brotherhood in there. I still talk to Jordan Houston and Demie all the time... so it’s really nothing has changed, almost like they haven’t left the room.”

“We very rarely speak about football. It’s everything else in the world that I’m not going to mention here [laughing].”

“At the end of the day, [MJ] is my guy.  I came in with him, and being back there with him, I feel like we have that connection. Knowing he’s back there being the game-changer he is, it’s huge for us as a team, as you can see.”

“Brennan just being a mentor to him and us, knowing the offense... it’s like almost having another coach on the sideline.”

“I view them as a school 30 minutes away. It’s just like any other game but closer.  We know how the environment is going to be. I’m really just excited to go out there and compete.”

“They recruited me but it wasn’t anything crazy, though.”

“No, Dylan [McMahon] is not good... a little [overrated] in my opinion.  Nah, I definitely saw a difference with Dylan back there.  It was the most rushing yards we had in a minute. So for sure he made a difference.”

“Being able to see it happen gives everyone a little more confidence.”

“It’s exciting.  It’s just funny to me seeing him all serious because I know MJ as a guy.  If you all see the leadership he brings, the uptempo he brings, and the emotion he brings to the game, it’s cool to have out there.”