University of North Carolina Athletics
Q & A with Tommy Davis
October 5, 2004 | Football
Oct. 5, 2004
Q: Do you expect to see something different from the N.C. State offense this year?
"Last year they had Phillip (Rivers) calling everything. He started for four years. Now they've got a couple young, inexperienced quarterbacks. They're good, but they're not as good as Rivers was."
Q: What are your impressions of [N.C. State running back] T.A. McLendon?
"He's a good back. He makes people miss. He's always making plays. So far he's shown that he's probably going to be one of the best backs in the ACC. "
Q: What's it like trying to tackle [McLendon] and bring him down?
"He's a load. He's a big running back. You can't just use arms - he breaks through arms all the time. If you don't hit him square, he's going to keep going. He reminds me a little of [Florida State's] Greg Jones last year and Ronnie [McGill]. Ronnie's the same way."
Q: How much did the defensive effort in the first half against Florida State give you guys confidence going into this week?
"It gave us a lot of confidence. If it wasn't for like 9 plays in this past game, we had a good defense. Nine plays hurt us in the Florida State game. Other than that we played good. We got a lot of confidence going into this game knowing that as long as we build off those nine plays we have a good chance at winning."
Q: With this being a rival game--having lost two in a row and three out of four--is this something that's gnawing at you? Is it really that bad?
"Yes. It really is. You know you've always got to see them. They're always gonna say `We beat you last time.'"
Q: How do you feel about N.C. State being favored heavily coming into your place?
"Everybody's always favored against us. But I like that because it gives me something to work for. People don't want to show us respect right now, because we haven't proven something. Once we show up, people are gonna give us the respect we deserve."
Q: What's at stake against N.C. State?
"It's basically pride. It's pride in the state. I feel like it's a big game. It should be one of the top rivalries in the nation if you ask me. If you ain't gonna play for pride, what are you going to play football for?"
