LOCKER ROOM REPORT: Wolfpack Players
Several NC State players met with the media following the Wolfpack's 38-21 road win over Virginia Saturday afternoon.
Jakeen Harris
Talk about the new turnover bone and how much it’s a fun motivator for the defensive players.
“It’s always great to have a motivation when you’re out there playing. We all know that, when you get a turnover, you go straight to the dog bone and have fun with it. That was a great thing for Coach Dave Doeren and Coach [Tony] Gibson.”
How disappointed are you that you didn’t get a chance to write your name on it after getting two chances at picking off the quarterback?
“I’m mad about that. I’m back on the jugs machine, getting ready for next week. I’d looked downfield, and that’s when I’d dropped it. I’ve just got to stay locked in and focused every play.”
What was it like on the sideline after Tanner Ingle got disqualified?
“It’s always good when young guys step up like Devan Boykin and Josh Pierre-Louis. We’ve got a young group, and I’m trying to get those guys’ heads right and keep them focused.”
What was the mood? How did the team regroup?
“It was silent at first, but then Tanner came back out and got us back in the moment. It was great for Tanner to come back out and motivate us like, ‘It’s not over. We’ve got to keep playing all four quarters.’”
How important was the defensive stop following Devin Leary’s interception in the third quarter?
“That’s really big for us. We want to pick the quarterback up after he throws an interception, so that was really big for us.”
Heading into this game, how important was it as a unit to force Virginia to turn the ball over?
“It’s very important because we were harping on turnovers all week. We’re finally getting them. We’re getting in position to make plays, and we’ve just got to make them. I dropped two picks today, but I’m going to come back strong.”
How excited were you all to see Alim McNeill come away with the pick-six?
“That was very exciting. It’s always exciting when a D-lineman catches a pick. He changed the game right there."
Zonovan Knight
Is it difficult to maintain aggression when the team has a large lead?
“I don’t think so. The whole time, even if we’re up 20 or down, we’re taught to play hard until the time runs out. We try to keep that mindset throughout the entire game.”
How difficult was it to get going early on?
“We didn’t get off to a slow start. It was just a matter of the running backs being able to be more patient. Throughout the first quarter, we started to pick up on them overrunning the football. We sat down as a group, not even with the coaches, and talked about slowing down and reading through the blocks.”
How big was it when the defense kept providing crucial stops at times when the offense wasn’t clicking as well as it had been?
“I would say it was extremely big for us. We got off to a bad start in the second half, just not being able to move the ball running or passing. It was especially so with that play with Alim. That was the big motivation for the offense. After that, everybody was talking about, ‘Let’s go. Let’s go.’ That played a huge factor in us being successful in the second half.”
How much confidence does the team have right now? How good can this team really be this season?
“We have tremendous confidence, and I think we can be at the top of the ACC this year. I think we could have done that last year. It’s just a matter of having true leadership this year, not [just] guys that, when they play good, they want to lead. This year, even if they’re not playing or anything like that, they’re still trying to lead and motivate players when they’re on the field, even on the practice field. I think that’s the difference between this year and last year.”
What goes on in your mind on plays where it seems like it takes the entire defense to take you down?
“That just came from high school. I came from a Wing-T offense, so we were taught throughout my whole entire career to just run your feet through contact, and that’s stuck with me. We’ve done that for four years throughout high school, so that’s still the kind of mindset I have. Even Coach Doeren talks about getting yards after contact. That’s something we strived on doing at Virginia this week.”
The Wolfpack gained 184 yards through the air and 179 yards on the ground. Is that the kind of balanced output this team wants to produce moving forward?
“Yes, we want to be able to hurt people in every aspect of the game offensively. That’s something we work on every week in practice, and I think we’ve been doing a good job lately."
Alim McNeill
Are we seeing this defense growing more confident from week to week?
“Absolutely. We’re not where we want to be, obviously, but as each week goes, we’re growing and growing better together. Once we reach our peak on where we want to be, it’s going to be scary. You all are definitely seeing us become one of those top-tier defenses.”
Where does the defense’s confidence and swagger come from?
“Practice. The way we play is the way we practice, just like when we have the dog bone today. That swagger is what brings fun to the game, and we’re always going to play with that. You’ll never see us playing without that.”
What goes into the goal line defensive stops? How much confidence do those stops give the team?
“When we’ve got somebody like Josh [Harris], you just kind of expect it. I don’t think anybody in the country can move Josh out of the way by themselves. We know that they’re not going to slam it right up the middle. We knew they were going to bounce it out, and we’ve got big ends in there. I was at one end, and Savion Jackson was on the other end. We had no problem trying to get through the tackles. When you’ve got someone like Josh in there, the confidence level is through the roof.”
What was it like to get your first collegiate touchdown?
“I told Coach Gibson in the second quarter right before going to halftime, ‘When we come back, I’m going to catch a pick-six.’ I was just talking crazy, and that’s exactly what happened. I was like, ‘Did this really just happen?’ I was celebrating in the end zone like, ‘This did not just happen.’ It was fun. I was glad I was able to tip the ball and add some points to the scoreboard and contribute to the win. It was fun though.”
More on the defensive stops…
“For the defense, it’s a pride thing for us. They’re about one yard short with a college offense, and they can’t score on us. That’s a pride thing. We take pride in that. It gives energy to the team when we get a fourth-and-goal stop. The offense comes out fired up and blazing just like we were when we were on the field. The energy transfers over. We definitely pride ourselves on those goal line stops. If we can stop a college football offense at the one-yard line, then we’re doing something right.”
Did you feel like the offense needed a pick-me-up at the time of your pick-six?
“I didn’t really sense a type of pick-me-up type of deal. I knew the offense was going to get going. I wasn’t too worried about them getting their energy back. I was just glad I was able to contribute to the scoreboard. I knew the offense was going to score regardless, but I was glad I could contribute to the win.”
How big of a momentum swing was that play?
“It was huge. We noticed how the sideline at Virginia was down, and when you see that in a team, that’s when you attack. That’s when you start going forward, and that’s exactly what we did."