NC State tight end Justin Joly recently met with the media to discuss the ECU win, their upcoming game against Virginia, and much more.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.
Do you have a good Cam Ross story?
Um, we've just been in college since I was like a sophomore in high school, so I think that says enough.
Coach Doeren talked a lot about your run blocking over the last week. How much did you see yourself improve in that area?
I feel like, in comparison to my first game of last year, compared to the first game of this year, it's a big comparison. I put on weight. Kudos to Coach Thunder, of course. And, obviously, I've had Gavin Locklear as a coach. He's helped me really understand where to pinpoint, pad level, and just get the hands. So, obviously, I think I did really well compared to last year.
What are some of the points of emphasis for the offense this week, coming off of last week, and then into this one?
Start and keep your foot on the gas pedal. Don't pull up. Play fast at all times. Don't be conservative and just keep going. You make a big play, just make another one.
Did you see different coverages from ECU than maybe you even saw in the bowl game? Obviously, it looked like you guys spread the ball around and went to a lot of different receivers. But how much attention was being paid to you?
We have an amazing wide receiver core, so it's like there's no point in just focusing on one player. I was like, literally, Wesley Grimes, Noah Rogers, Keenan Jackson, Terrell Anderson, Teddy Hoffmann. It's like, I don't think I was the main emphasis, and I don't mind that at all. Because at the end of the day, we got the win, and that's really the most important goal.
What did you think of Teddy's performance?
Teddy played excellent. Hey, y'all in store for some good things, for the next three, four years.
Are there any players from Virginia's defense that stand out to you on film?
Um, yeah, they have number 14, their D-end. They have a couple good linebackers, too, number 30, their safety. I think those are the guys that we have to key on, because they have some leaders to them. Not to say that the whole defense doesn't, but you know they’re top notch.
Have you seen C.J.'s demeanor change from last year into this year?
C.J. last year, it was more of a, I'm just coming out of high school, I'm a young kid. But now he's turned into a leader. Obviously, you got that big C on his chest, you're a captain now. And you just see it, you understand. Like, you walk out, you see he's like, he looks inspirational. It's like, you're reading a comic book, he's like a superhero.
Just a tight end. How much do you pride yourself on blocking in the run game now? Like, don't look at how many yards you have, but how much joy do you find in success in that area of the game?
I love to see when Hollywood breaks away for Hollywood, or dude, or C.J., or whoever at the moment, just breaks away for a long one. It's like, yeah, I was part of that. I was able to be in the bucket.
Where do you guys think you need to improve the most in run blocking? Because I think you had eight tackles for loss.
Obviously, it's a tough time. We've got to get on the line, we've got to get our calls quick. So, that's one that we really didn't emphasize this week. So, we'll see in this game.
You mentioned not taking the foot off the gas. Obviously, you guys started so hot against ECU. Did you feel like something changed at that point? Did ECU adjust? Did you guys adjust? What kind of happened?
I think ECU, they adjusted, but we also got comfortable. We took a step back for whatever reason. We know not to make that mistake again.
Was it red zone, too? It seemed like moving between the 20s was good, and then red zone. Did you kind of sense it there, like that's where the problem area may be?
Yeah, our percentage in the red zone was not good and we’re aware of that so we’re gonna come in this week and try to improve on that.
