WATCH: Angeline, Emezie Reaffirm Faith in McKay, Offense
NC State redshirt junior tight end Cary Angeline and junior wide receiver Emeka Emezie met with the media to discuss their takeaways from the West Virginia game and how the Wolfpack will continue its development as Ball State comes to Raleigh.
NOTE: Click on each interview above to watch the specific interview
Cary Angeline
“I feel definitely more comfortable. Last year, in the first three games, I was ineligible. This year, being here over a year now and having a full camp and a full offseason, I feel a whole lot more comfortable.”
“It’s been great so far. I definitely like the Raleigh area a lot. I’m definitely starting to feel like a part of it now.”
“Obviously, we’ve got some corrections to make, but like Coach said, we’re not going to let that game define us. We’re going to bounce back strong this week, and we’ve been having great practices. We’ll be ready Saturday.”
“I’m not sure. Stuff happens. What really matters is coming back this week with a strong practice and getting ready for Ball State.”
“We’re still getting comfortable with each other. A lot of us have played with each other, but we’re still trying to mesh as an offense. We’re definitely taking steps in the right direction.”
“We all still believe in Matt a lot. He’s a great quarterback. We all trust him. He’s a confident guy, we believe in him, and he definitely believes in himself.”
“I think we’ll be fine. Sometimes, stuff happens. We’re definitely a close-knit group, and I think what’s important is practicing hard this week and getting ready for Ball State.”
Emeka Emezie
“We’re going to bounce back. You’ve got to play. It's a long season. That’s just one game. You’ve got to come back in with energy and attack the day.”
“I think it’s what the defense was giving us. It’s not really accurate because some of those balls are throwaway balls, probably five or six of them. It’s not really that accurate, so it’s probably like 17 or 16 targets.”
“Regardless of the 23 targets, I wish I could catch every single one of the 23. That’s the way I look at it. I love that he has that confidence in me, and I have the confidence in me, as well. I’ve just got to bring some of those in. We connected a lot, and that’s good to see. We want to keep going forward with that.”
“It was never them. It was always us. I feel like we should have come out with a little bit more energy. It’s hard to come out with energy in the second half, but we’ve just got to focus on letting this game go and, for the whole rest of the season, coming out with energy.”
“We’re conditioned for this. Coach Thunder conditions me for this, so I didn’t even feel it that much. I just try to go hard every single play no matter what. Whether I’m in or I’m out, I just try to cheer on the guys.”
“It’s disappointing to lose. I feel like we played really, really well in the first half. It was a really close game until the fourth quarter. The score looks a lot worse than what it actually was. We’ve just got to key in on some small things, I think.”
“It’s always tough with a game like that, even with the media. He’s a strong kid. He’s my roommate. I trust in him, and he trusts in himself. He’s going to be fine.”
“It’s not him. He’s the quarterback. He gets the most pressure, but it’s not him.”
“We had the rhythm in the first half. We scored on one drive in like five plays. That’s our offense. Once we get clicking, it’s easy for us to keep going. When you lose that in the second half, not finding rhythm and getting three-and-outs, that’s when it gets tougher.”
“I always wanted to be in this position. I craved for this position. I’m working, coming in every single day, catching jugs, whatever it is, and watching film to get ready for however many balls they throw my way. I attack the situation.”
“That’s what every receiver wants. I’m not scared of that. I attack that every single week. I watch the film and keep going at it.”
“I think so for sure. It’s what we come in with. If it’s there, it’s there. If they give us the one-on-one, we take it. We had one, but I was just a little out of bounds. That just gives us confidence. Once we keep clicking on those, then we’ll keep going."