Q&A with Technician Sports Editor Colby Trotter | football

Editor’s Note: The following is a question-and-answer session between Kyle Ngo, football beat reporter at The Daily Californian, and Colby Trotter, sports editor at Technician, North Carolina State University’s independent student newspaper. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Kyle Ngo: After almost half a season, how do you feel about Cal in the ACC?

Colby Trotter: It’s so strange. I went to the ACC basketball tipoff last week and saw Stanford and Cal there. It’s just very strange to see teams from the West Coast in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But with the way college athletics is, they had to do that to compete with the Big 10 and the SEC, which were somewhat separate from each other. The overall feeling is just weird watching NC State play California in a conference game.

KN: NC State hasn’t traveled west of Texas for a game in eight years. How do you think the team will feel about having to fly here for the first time in a long time?

CT: Obviously they knew they had to go to the West Coast since the realignment last year and I’m sure they prepared for the three hour time difference. But you can’t really prepare for that. When you get there you’re going to be a little tired and that’s going to have an impact no matter how hard they try.

KN: NC State was ranked in the preseason and failed to live up to those expectations. What is the general mood this season?

CT: The noise surrounding NC State’s program is currently deafening in terms of preseason expectations. At ACC Kickoff, head coach Dave Doeren said this year will be different. NC State was a great program – they’ve won more than eight games in the last four seasons, just one of five programs to do that – so many fans expected a huge jump with all the portal additions they got. But many of the transfer guys they brought in didn’t live up to it, and the team in general didn’t live up to the hype. At this point, they need to go 3-2 to reach a bowl game, so it’s just a very surprising season for everyone.

KN: CJ Bailey took over the starting role while Grayson McCall went down. How have you found his game so far?

CT: He did well under the circumstances. He obviously has a lot of talent and said in the press conference last week that the game is slowing down for him. He’s certainly impressive for a true freshman thrown into the fire, as this should be a developmental year for him too. He definitely seems like the guy who could lead the program in the future.

KN: What general issues are currently plaguing NC State?

CT: It’s just in the trenches. The running game was, to put it bluntly, terrible. It just wasn’t there and they have Bailey to thank for much of the offense. On the other hand, they were injured in the running game. They are at the bottom of the ACC rankings in rushing yards allowed per game. Last year they were very good in run defense. It was a big part of who they were, and this year they just gave up their identity.

KN: Which key players have been a bright spot this season?

CT: UConn tight end Justin Joly was everything they could ask for and more. He leads the team in receiving yards, he’s very good at breaking tackles, and he’s been a security blanket for both McCall and Bailey. They haven’t had a tight end like him in a long time. On defense, Auburn safety DK Kaufman has two defensive touchdowns this year. And Davin Vann, the defensive back, is known for ruining games and never giving up.

KN: What is your outcome prediction for this week’s game?

CT: I think NC State will lose in a higher scoring game. I say 35-28, Cal.