WATCH: Cian Slone Believes in NC State’s Defense (with transcript)

Redshirt Senior JACK Cian Slone spoke with the media after NC State’s 35-31 win over UVA today. Slone had 4 tackles in the contest, and an interception with 1:02 left on the clock to seal the deal.

You can watch the video above, and read the transcript below.

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What was the biggest difference between the first and second half on getting off the field on third down?

I feel like just our like mental focus. I feel like when we came out, we maybe were a little fluttered on defense, but we kind of honed it in…kind of realized the situation we were in, and we all came together in the second half.

I was really proud of how we played in the second half on defense.

Who was the most vocal leader in the locker room at halftime to kind of correct not getting off the field?

I would say Caden Fordham and Sean Brown. Those guys have been our heartbeat on the defense since I first got here.

They just kept on being them, and they pull everyone up to the standard. So we really needed that when we came out flat in the first half.

After those struggles in the first half, for you individually, was there like a mental aspect of like, ‘Okay, we didn’t do great. I really have to make a big play?’

I wouldn’t say that. I feel like we all kind of had to hone into our 1/11th. I mean, if we’re doing our job, and we’re doing our job in inside the scheme, the plays are going to happen.

We just kind of had to not panic, and not feel like we had to make a Superman play, when if we’re all doing our job…like we’ve got it…we’ve got a great scheme. We kind of found that trust. I feel like we all took a deep breath in the second half.

Do you remember the last time you had an interception?

It’s been a while. It’s been a few years…in Junior College.

Just your thoughts on the defense in the second half? Is that close to what you think you guys can be? Is that near the level you hope to be?

I feel like that’s a standard. Obviously, there’s still stuff that we need to clean up across the board.

But it’s the leaders on defense, the trust that we all have in each other and our coach. I feel like that really showed in the second half. If we can play like that, we’re going to be hard to beat.