WATCH: DK Kaufman’s Postgame Press Conference After LA Tech (with transcript)

Senior Safety DK Kaufman met with the media for his postgame press conference after NC State’s 30-20 win over Louisiana Tech today. You can watch it ABOVE, and read the transcript BELOW.

Hey, DK, it seemed like between the first and second half, the defense kind of found its rhythm. What changed between that and between those first two halves?

That whole first half, them two TD’s, I really said it was on me. You know, that one drive, when they scored the first TD, I gave up a lot. I just had to tag them, then tag them.

Then I gave up that bomb. And I really just gave them momentum, honestly. And then just coming into half, even after that drive, I told them, ‘bro, that’s on me.’

Then they scored the following drive too. Like I said, I gave them that momentum. So I just told them, that’s on me.

We do what we need to do. I just had to execute. It was really simple stuff.

We was beating ourselves. So I just told them, ‘man, that’s on me.’ And I’m just, you feel me? Just find a way.

You got to keep fighting through. You got to have sharp memory, especially as a DB. You got to have a real sharp memory.

It’s like we always say, them dudes on scholarship too. But it was me, lack of eyes, bad eyes.

Momentum change after your pick six

Yeah, I was honest, it was the right place, right time. You know, Davin (Vann) made a great play on the QB. And then Travali (Price) made a great block.

And I was just doing what I had to do, just filling in. But it was definitely a great spark coming out of half. You know, because we always talk about being a second half team and a fourth quarter team, which you really want to start fast anyway.

But, you know, you really want to own the second half, especially the fourth quarter. So that was just really a good thing, you know, coming out and doing that.

How much does it help y’all on the back end of the defense when the defensive line and linebackers get consistent pressure on the quarterback and open up opportunities like that?

They help us tremendously. PB and J, you know, rushing coverage go together.

That’s what they call it. We need them and they need us. Like, it goes hand to hand.

We got to play 11 man football.

Watching CJ Bailey

That was big.

Honestly, that was big. It’s the next man up mentality. You know, hopefully Grayson (McCall) feels better, but CJ did what he had to do.

That’s big. We was behind him the whole way. We were behind Grayson the whole way.

And like I said, he did what he had to do. I’m proud of him. I’m happy for him also, bro.

I’m just… And then he got us that dub. You feel me? He’s a true freshman.

You know, that’s big. That’s huge, man. This is a big time ballgame, like you said, national television.

But he’s used to it. He just showed us that.

Rob, go ahead.

Urgency at halftime

Yeah, when we knew we was coming out, when we went into halftime, you know, we say 0-0, but we knew we had to set the tone. Defense on the field first.

We knew we had to either get a three and out or a turnover. And just so happened we got a turnover. So we definitely knew we had to set the tone.

We always trying to set the tone, but that was really big right there. We knew that was a big drive. You know, try to kill their momentum.

Corey Coley and Devon Marshall stepping up with White and Cisse out

He stepped up big time. Devon, he stepped up big time, bro. He said he was putting them in a box.

That’s what he told us. You feel me? He did that. Then Corey, you know, Corey, I mean, he come to play every day.

But it all started in practice. Them dudes practice hard. Devon, he out there doing what he got to do.

You feel me? Same thing with Corey.

You know, they practice hard, and that just showed today.