NC State running back Duke Scott met with the media to reflect on the Virginia loss, preview the Richmond game, and much more!
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the full press conference!
What have you learned from watching the film, and how y'all kind of bounced back?
Well, we learned a lot. We learned, like, we need to prepare more. We need to be more ready to go and bring the intensity we have in practice to the game.
Because, I mean, we practiced hard through camp, and we just didn't execute how we wanted to. So we learned a lot about ourselves. We learned, like, this is some of our film we don't want anymore.
And we're ready to go. We're ready to start this run, start from Richmond and just continue.
Is there a reason that maybe y'all didn't have kind of the juice that you've been having in practice?
We just came out, and we just didn't execute. And that was kind of the biggest thing. And when we go three-and-out, the defense has to stay on the field a long time.
It's just, that's not what we plan to do as an offense. And that's just, we have to come out ready to play.
As a leader on this team, how personal do you take it? The pride of getting the run game going, quite as much as you want to. How personal do you take that?
Extremely personal.
I take it; that's my fault. And that's the ownership I take of it, just because we have to fix that. And blaming anybody else isn't ever going to help.
And that's the ownership. That's my résumé right now. Like, we can't run the ball.
So I'm ready to just prove that wrong.
Have you talked to anyone, whether past or present running backs, as you kind of try and make these adjustments? And have they given you any advice?
A hundred percent. I definitely have talked with other running backs around, just seeing, like, what could I have done better? Where, like, maybe I wasn't really sharp.
And just because it's always good to get peer review. And that review really helped out. And I took that to practice and just worked on it.
And I feel a lot better.
What did they tell you?
Just be patient.
Play to yourself. Don't try to make too much of a play. Don't try to stress about things.
Just trust your process. And that process will get you where you need to go.
How were you able to do this weekend? And where did the love of cats come from?
My love of cats, it came from my mom.
My mom grew up with cats. And it's a special thing. Like, she always had us grow up with a pet in the house.
So that love comes from my mom. And I was able to have a great weekend supporting that cause and just giving back to Raleigh.
Wait, can you talk about what you did this weekend?
So I had an event. It was at Galaxy Fun Park, called Duke Day. And it was just a moment to give back and support the people who support us.
And I also donated the majority of my ticket sales to an animal shelter because that's the cause I really believe in. I have pets. I have two cats, two kittens of my own.
And that's something I really love to do.
Please tell us about these cats.
I have two kittens, Callie and Coco. They're both, like, Calico cats, and they're the sweetest things.
How frustrating is it, as an offense, for you guys to cross the midfield only twice?
It's really frustrating, but it's a next-play, next-game mentality. And we know we're going to get much better than that. We know we're a better offense than that.
We know we have better playmakers than that, as we showed on that Saturday. And we're just ready to get back on the field and prove that wrong.
What do you think of the new uniforms you guys are wearing this weekend?
Oh, they're awesome. They're sick. The black and the camo, they're sick.
I'm ready to see them live in action.
Assuming you weren't alive when that all happened, do you have any ties to the event at all?
Not too much. I have family members who, like, were in New York City when it happened. I have a lot of family that's in New York.
That's really the closest I have. I'm not really too familiar with much that's happened with them related to it. But it's an event that we all honor and are affected by.
