“Early on, things were going the way we thought they would. It was a back-and-forth game. We thought it was going to be that way and we would go score for score, but things backfired with the two turnovers.”
— N.C. State coach Dave Doeren
“Their fullback is a very good runner, and we did not tackle him. Our plan was to take away the fullback first, and that did not happen.”
— Doeren on Tech B-back Synjyn Days
“They moved the ball well on us the first half. We just got some turnovers. It was a different kind of game.”
— Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson
“I saw it coming, and I’m trying to yell at him to go down or ‘Ball security,’ but that’s what happens. What we should do is, our guys should be smart enough to block the fast guys. Let the linemen go. Turn around and catch the guys that are going to find him.”
— Johnson on linebacker Quayshawn Nealy’s 69-yard interception return, which ended in a lost fumble
“When you rush for whatever it was, 470, there’s somebody getting in the way.”
— Johnson on the Tech offensive line
“We played a lot of nickel and a lot of stuff. We blitzed some. I think the quarterback got hit a lot, their guy. We didn’t get many sacks, but we got some good quarterback pressures and some hits on the quarterback.”
— Johnson on the defensive scheme and N.C. State quarterback Jacoby Brissett
“I know myself, I was a little bit gassed, I can’t lie.”
— Tech cornerback D.J. White on being on the field for 25 consecutive plays from scrimmage in the first and second quarter
“Anytime you get a chance to get up in a receiver’s face and challenge him, that’s what we want to do as defensive backs across the board, so we’re up for that challenge.”
— White
“I’m starting to feel a lot better out there, moving a lot better. I know I was a little rough and I’m starting to get a little more playing time now, and hopefully I can capitalize on my play today, and our team capitalize on our play today.”
— Tech linebacker Tyler Marcordes
“I was on a blitz off the edge and no one touched me. I saw his backside and I knew I had an opportunity to make a tackle. I just tried to bring him down and saw an opportunity to strip him.”
— Marcordes on his sack/fumble of Brissett
“We installed a new package and guys really just fell in love with it. It brings more a lot more pressure, and it’s definitely just building and building from week to week. Guys are really buying into it and you can see the results on the field.”
Nealy
“It’s real big. It lets me be comfortable back there in the pocket, knowing if I throw it, they’re going to come down with it, regardless. We didn’t have to throw it today, but when we did, we made it count.”
— Tech quarterback Justin Thomas on the play of wide receivers DeAndre Smelter and Darren Waller
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