NC State linebacker Caden Fordham recently met with the media to discuss the mood in the building after a big win, his play, momentum, and much more.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.
Did you get any text messages after the game?
Yeah, I got a few just from family and friends and people back home. So it was a good time, great experience going out there getting a win with my brother. So it was a lot of fun.
How much did a win like that help change the mood in the building?
Yeah, obviously it helps, especially when we were struggling a little bit. Getting a big win like that changes the mood, but these guys on our team, we all love each other so much. We're brought into this program and working for these coaches. So we always know at the end of the day, we're going to give it our all no matter what, and that's not going to change no matter if we're winning or losing. We're going to keep playing the same way.
Is there kind of an extra mojo? I'm sure you grew up probably not liking Miami. Then you play Florida State, who you know inside out. And then UNC, who you hate. What's that like for you in the final three games?
It's definitely cool, and it means a good bit going back home and playing those teams.
I obviously always want to beat those teams. Being from down there and then coming up here and playing ball. So yeah, it's definitely a big time game for me personally, just going back home and playing the team from there. So I would love to win that like every other game, but yeah.
How does this group keep the momentum going? You guys hit a bye at an awkward time after the big win. How do you keep it going and not lose steam?
Yeah, just not getting complacent, making sure that we practice the same way we did these previous weeks and making sure we're going out there with the same intensity every week.
Playing ball, communicating at a high level. That's one of the biggest things we're working on right now is just continuing to get the communication in the back end with people being out or whatever. But we believe in the next man up mentality. So just working on those things, guys communicating with the new people coming in.
Duke Scott, we finally got a chance to see him a little bit. you've seen him a lot during practice though. How difficult is he to take down and how much different of a back is he than maybe Hollywood as well?
Yeah, no, he's a heck of a player. I love having him on my team, but I also like going against him in practice. Someone that good, it helps you a lot as a defender, you know, preparing for other backs. Because you practice against the best, so it makes the game easier, you know. But no, he's had a heck of a year, heck of a lot of games. So I'm excited to see what he keeps doing. But him compared to Hollywood, they're both really good backs. But yeah, I would see him as more of, that kind of that downhill, a little bit more physical, whereas Hollywood's kind of more on the edge and elusive, so.
Do you have to have a certain chemistry with Brandon Cleveland in terms of, what he, feeding off of what he does?
Yeah, no doubt. I love playing behind him as well. He's a heck of a player. He takes up a lot of gaps and O-linemen as well. So, but yeah, we'll make calls to each other sometimes. And I kind of just know how he plays it. And he knows how I play, whether I'm going to run downhill and fill a gap and scrape over top, so it's cool playing behind him. And yeah, we do have that chemistry.
How has Kenny Soares kind of settled into his role, alongside you in the defense?
Yeah, he's came in as a transfer guy. he's an older guy, so he's played some ball. But he's came in and done a heck of a job, especially helping me communicate on the field as a linebacker, playing with confidence, helping me play with confidence because he's communicating to me as well. It's been awesome. He's done a great job coming in and playing ball for us.
