Anthony Belton on Tennessee: "It's A Good Matchup"

NC State graduate left tackle Anthony Belton met with the media to discuss his play in the opener, the Tennessee matchup, and much more.

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.

AB, you don't look to have any pre-snap penalties this past week. That was a real issue last year; what changed?
Just really implying it in practice. So when we're doing individuals, just coach doing the move calls, any situation we get in practice, while we're out in the field, just coach input move calls when it's coming to drills, Indy.

So just inputting that every day, it just helps instill it in us, just to cue it on the quarterback.

What do you think about going up against a player like James Pearce Jr., do you have any extra motivation?
Yeah, it's a good matchup. But any day, I'm not trying to really to think about just one-on-one personal battles, I'm really just thinking about doing it to the guy on my left and right.

There were times this past week where, at least to me, the O-line didn't look as consistent as it could. What needs to change in that area?
No, we just have to be consistent with communication, that's all it is. Just being communicative, IDing where we're going, being on the same page.

How well do you think the unit did Saturday?
Actually, it was inconsistent at times, but overall, we didn't give up any real sacks, just scrambling sacks.

But overall, we played good, but it was a slow start at first, but we got things going in the second half. But just putting that consistency on tape is gonna help us a lot better, just coming out fast.

For people who may not know the rules, the illegal man downfield that Jacarrius had. Basically, he just kicked that guy's butt 15 yards, like he just drove him. I'm sure you've been in that situation. What are technically the rules when you are just driving somebody backwards?
It's like when you, you just gotta hope they don't see it... you're like, you got me, you got to. But in that situation, there's nothing you can do about it. 

I had one, Texas Tech, when Leary had a touchdown. I was five yards downfield, and they called it back. So you just got a situation like that, you just have to hope they don't see you when you just dominate somebody.

Well, how do you do your job well, while being cognizant of it? I can't get this penalty because, in a case where you could lose a touchdown.
Just when it comes to blocking and stuff, you just gotta lean back in the training and just remember the fundamentals. Inside hands, always keep your feet moving. So stuff like that, just a little detail.

I'm sure this is one of those games that you came back to college for.
Yeah.

To prove to everybody what you can do, being in a big spotlight, national televised game. Was it hard not to look forward to this game in the last month?
Not necessarily. I'm definitely looking forward to it, but it wasn't really much more of me. I'm excited to go against these guys more. Just me doing it for the person to my left and right because that's what we're gonna come down to at the end of the day. I'm not really trying to make it a personal battle, just trying to give it my all for my brothers.

So- You feel like you guys have used last week's experience and are using this practice to prepare well for Tennessee?
Yeah, so just my opinion, I'm glad that happened last week instead of it happening this week or weeks prior. So just us being down early, coming out adjusting, so that showed us we can adjust. But definitely showed us when we come out, it starts out way faster than what we did.

I got a question about somebody at West Carolina. I have to say they're ranked, they're leveled down and all that. Do you think the gap is narrowing, though, when you look at that? They're recruiting Florida, Georgia, just like State does. And they're losing guys to NIL, but otherwise, they're getting talented players. Do you think that gap is narrowing?
I definitely think it is because there's a lot of guys that get under-looked, so that makes guys hungry. So just a lot of guys are, just with the time now, like transfer portal, or a lot of guys are trying to put good stuff on tape against games like this.

When they play big conferences, they’re putting stuff on tape that could possibly lead to them being in this situatin... so that gap is definitely closing up.

We got to see you for one game, but just this offseason, in your opinion, what have you really done? What do you think you were, really made strides in this offseason?
No, I'm really just trying to improve on my fundamentals, because just, especially with passing, I was getting out of my frame too much. So trying to keep everything in my frame, having inside hands, being more of a striker. So just me being nimble on my feet, striking, more consistency in my frame.