WATCH: DE Sabastian Harsh Explains How NC State Improved on 3rd Down Against UVA in the 2nd Half (with transcript)

Redshirt Senior Defensive End Sabastian Harsh spoke with the media after NC State’s 35-31 win over UVA this afternoon, explaining how the Wolfpack was more effective on 3rd down against the Cavaliers in the 2nd half.

Harsh finished the game with 5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 2 QB Hurries.

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

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This week, Coach Eliot talked about the importance of 3rd down, getting teams in 3rd-and-long situations. Y’all kind of struggled getting off the field today. What were they doing, or what were y’all not doing, that kind of made those situations difficult?

We’ve just got to win our one-on-one’s up front and get after the quarterback. There’s no other way of saying it. I hold a lot of that responsibility against the quarterback. Up front, we’ve got to win our one-on-one’s, help out the back end coverage and play in tandem.

Take us through the mindset. What you guys were talking about when it became clear that it was going to be one last drive at the end of the game?

Coach Eliot talks a lot about being tough, bowing up. You could see it, looking around at the guys in the huddle. Coming out on that last drive, it was like, ‘These guys are ready to go.’ So, I think just playing every single play like it’s your last. That’s probably the most important thing, just not giving up.

What was the message at halftime? Seemed like in the 1st half, Virginia was converting on almost every 3rd down, and in the 2nd half, they were held to 50%. What was the biggest message given to try to get them off the field?

It was just being physical. There’s a lot of times, up front we’re getting moved away. Being physical up front, then just leaning on guys, leaning on everybody else on the defense, trust that everybody else is going to do their job.

In the 1st half (Chandler) Morris was comfortable. What were the adjustments that were made that made him uncomfortable in the 2nd half? Can you talk about the leadership on defense that seemed to help things change?

It was just simplifying the game plan. Going back to just playing hard, tough football, being able to lean on the leaders. Sean (Brown) and Caden (Fordham) help out a lot. Those guys are really vocal when we’re out there. A lot of the guys rely on them. Having two tough guys like that on the defense, it makes it really easy to come out and get out to a hot start.