NC State athletes share thoughts on East Carolina road trip
The last time NC State football took the field against an opponent other than itself, the Wolfpack defeated North Carolina in thrilling fashion. After UCLA withdrew from the Holiday Bowl and took away the program’s last opportunity to compete, the team spent the next eight months working out together and then practicing against each other, preparing for September 3.
With less than 2 weeks until NC State travels to Greenville for its season-opening matchup against East Carolina, the program is ready to hit someone other than a teammate. Offensive lineman Bryson Speas and linebacker Drake Thomas, recently named 2022 captains, spoke to the media Tuesday, along with wide receiver Devin Carter.
They each discussed their Week 1 opponent and the hostile environment awaiting their arrival. East Carolina’s Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium seats 50,000 fans, and the stands will be packed with Pirates hoping to see their team upset NC State — the preseason No. 13 team in the nation.
“I know ECU fans, they like to have fun at their games, and they’re going to bring a lot of intensity,” Thomas said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun going up there to play.”
NC State started its game preparation process this week and Thomas, headed into his fourth season with the program after an All-ACC season in 2021, is ready to compete once again after 281 days since NC State’s win over the Tar Heels.
“We have a veteran group, so we’ve been going against the same guys in spring ball, fall camp, for like four years,” Thomas said. “So, it’s always exciting to start to look forward to the next opponent.”
Speas said that the Wolfpack began preparing for the Pirates earlier this week, mentioning the opponent’s speed to the ball on defense and aggressiveness off the line of scrimmage. The road trip to ECU is a welcomed challenge for the sixth-year offensive lineman.
“It’s going to be great,” Speas said. “We know it’s going to be a raucous environment. We know it’s going to be rocking and rolling, but that’s what we play college football for. It’s going to be a fun experience.”
Carter had similar thoughts on the opening challenge, mentioning that the coaching staff has prepared the Wolfpack for this moment.
“I heard it’s a hostile environment,” he said. “I think Coach [Dave] Doeren gave us a great way to get prepared for that.”
Speas is a consistent presence on the NC State offensive line, starting 26 games over his previous five years in Raleigh. During his time with the Wolfpack, he has seen everything from 9-win years with teams on the brink of history to the 4-8 season in 2019.
Despite the lofty expectations surrounding the program, the lineman said the team remains focused on winning one game at a time regardless of the opponent they’re up against or the venue surrounding them.
“We know if we go in there and we play assignment-based football, when we get down to ECU, everything will take care of itself,” Speas said.
During the 2021 season, Carter racked up 556 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. In 10 days, Carter and the rest of the Wolfpack begin the next chapter of their collegiate careers.
“We’re definitely ready, definitely ready,” he said.
