POP-TARTS BOWL: KANSAS STATE VS NC STATE

December 28, 2023

DJ Giddens

Camping World Stadium

Kansas State Wildcats

Press Conference

Kansas State Wildcats 28, NC State Wolfpack 19

Q. DJ, on that pass from Avery in the first quarter, it looked like he went up, said something to the offensive line, and you were just wide open. What happened on that play and how nice was it to get on the board first?

DJ GIDDENS: Man, that is a play that we been practicing all week. We already knew it was coming, we prepared for it. We got extra – stayed after practice. Got some extra reps of them throws, because we knew it was going to come. They were going to bring everybody and once he made the check, I already knew what it was. I knew it was going to go.

Q. When you have a quarterback out there like Avery who can make plays with his feet and is sort of an extra body in the run game, how much does that help you in terms of being able to get open lanes and being able to create plays yourself?

DJ GIDDENS: It is great, because we complement each other. It is always good for a quarterback to be able to run the ball, because if it is not going to go for me, he is going to do his thing or vice versa.

Q. Congratulations on the win. Leading into the week, Coach Klieman said he obviously had confidence in Avery but he would need support from you and everybody else to help him go. From your perspective, what form did that support take? What does it mean to your coach to support this guy and how did you do it tonight?

DJ GIDDENS: Really, it was just me dialing in on the signals, on the plays, just knowing my job for real and not relying on him to tell me what to do as much, so he can focus on what he has to do.

It was really just me focusing on what I had to do and let everybody do their job.

Q. Can you walk me through the last fourth down you converted to set up the touchdown when they left you out there, gave you the ball and you ran up the middle and gained those tough yards? What was it like?

DJ GIDDENS: It was great. The O-Line, they were blocking, they were blocking real good. They were creating open holes. All I had to do was just run for real. That was all there was really to it.

Q. There was a lot happening in that postgame, eating a mascot and the trophy. How would you describe that postgame celebration?

DJ GIDDENS: It was crazy, man. It was crazy. I mean it was crazy. I was just trying to sit back and enjoy it, for real. It was just crazy.

Q. Yourself and then a guy like Desmond Purnell and a bunch of Kansas guys on the offensive line, what does it mean to get a win like this? We're a long way from Kansas, but a lot of guys from the State of Kansas contributed to this one.

DJ GIDDENS: Yeah, it is always great seeing Des do his thing on the field, knowing he is from Kansas, too. Every time in the locker room, we are always talking to each other about the game and how both of us did good during the game. It was great seeing him do that for real.

Appreciate y'all.