Tony Gibson: "We're Running to the Roar"
NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson met with the media Thursday afternoon leading up to the Wolfpack’s season opener at East Carolina on Sept. 3.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Gibson’s interview.
“[Holton Ahlers] has got a lot of experience. Their coordinator obviously has a lot of experience. They haven’t had any rollover on the offensive side of the ball since 2019. He’s a veteran. He understands the game, but he’s also a threat to run the ball when he sees something he doesn’t like, so we have to be on our toes.”
“It’s all the pressure situations we put Tyler [Baker-Williams] in. He’s got tremendous man skills. We use him in a lot of different ways in our blitzes. He fits the run game for us, and usually he’s matched up on everybody’s best wideout. He’s special in our scheme and what we do, and he makes plays for us.”
“It really started in the spring with Davin [Vann]. He’s playing at a whole [different] speed right now in his game. I think he has confidence. He’s in the best shape he’s ever been in, and he’s getting pushed. We have a lot of guys on that D-line that have played in games, and he’s really doing well right now. We’re excited to watch him play.”
“Yeah, I think it’s the understanding of what we’re doing, the understanding of how to practice at this level… I think all of that, the maturity of [Vann] and the whole defense with this many guys returning, he just keeps stepping his game up. I love where he’s at, and I’m excited to watch him.”
“[Isaiah Moore and Drake Thomas] are both great communicators. Isaiah feels a lot more comfortable inside. Drake has played all three spots. Those guys play so well off each other, and with Payton [Wilson] in the mix again now, it’s good to have all three of them back now. We know if anybody needs a rest or whatever it may be, Drake can be the slide guy. He can go anywhere.”
“Jordan [Poole] has had a really, really good camp. He’s preparing well. He’s running with the twos right now, in and out of our dime package, doing some things with the pass rush. Jordan has really stepped up, and he’s going to be a really good player for us.”
“It all starts with our nose guard. We’ve got to be strong in the middle of our defense with what we do. Our Mike linebacker, our safety, and our nose guard have to be the anchor up there, and [Cory Durden] is phenomenal in doing that. He’s in the best shape he’s been in. He’s had a full offseason. He’s playing as well as I’ve ever seen.”
“You don’t have to spend as much time schematically. Now, it’s all about the offense. Where we need to be elite is our communication. Seeing formations, understanding situational football, down and distance… these things before that, they weren’t really worried about. They were just worried about getting lined up, and now they can do all of those things because they understand what we’re doing and how we’re trying to attack offenses.”
“We’re here for a reason. I want to be the best defense in the country. That’s my goal every year. Bring all the hype they can give us; we’ve got to go out and execute. I want that pressure. I want us to be the best, and in order to do that, we have to practice that way. We have to play that way. We’re not running from it. We’re running to the roar.”
“No doubt. We’re going to put enough pressure on ourselves because we want to be elite. We want to play at a high level. Last year, expectations weren’t as high, and the kids continued to get better week by week. I’m happy for these kids, how hard they’ve worked, this staff, and this whole team for all the expectations we’re getting right now.”
“Really good. C.J. [Clark] is playing end and nose, so we’re using him a little bit everywhere. Again, we all know C.J. has a high motor. He’s very athletic and can do a lot of things for us. He’s good against the run and can get one-on-one in pass rush. I love where he’s at, and I love where his head’s at right now.”
“Maybe so. Tyler’s played a lot of different positions for us. He’s played safety for us. He played free safety a few years ago. He’s played nickel. If we need him to, he’ll go play corner.”
“Yeah, he did [play running back]. That was before my time. I heard he fumbled, so he didn’t last long there."