This explains a lot. NC State is ranked 129 out of 130 teams in pass defense.

Jarius Morehead had no idea what N.C. State’s national ranking in pass defense was.

“I don’t really pay attention to stats,” the junior safety said.

Then Morehead was told the Wolfpack (6-3, 3-3 ACC), which plays at Louisville (2-8, 0-7) on Saturday, ranks No. 129 in pass defense. There are 130 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

“I know we’re better than that,” Morehead said.

The numbers are unkind for the N.C. State defense, which has allowed 305.3 passing yards per game. Houston (314.1) is the only team that has allowed more.

N.C. State’s defense is in a four-game tailspin. It has allowed a combined total of 1,578 passing yards in losses to Clemson, Syracuse, Wake Forest and a win over Florida State.

The first five opponents, when N.C. State started 5-0, averaged 234 passing yards and combined for five touchdowns and four interceptions.

The last four opponents have averaged 394.5 passing yards and combined for 11 touchdowns and one interception.

Louisville quarterbacks

Louisville, which fired head coach Bobby Petrino on Sunday after the winless ACC start, has had its own problems on offense. The Cardinals average 229.7 passing yards per game, down from 299.8 last season with All-ACC quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2016 and was the ACC offensive player of the year in 2017, led the ACC in passing in 2017 with 3,660 yards. He had 27 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions.

Louisville has used two quarterbacks regularly and two others in mop-up time. The four quarterbacks have combined for 10 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Ted Roof was hired in the offseason to coach the safeties and to help defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable. Roof said for the most part, N.C. State has been in the right position but hasn’t been able to make plays.

N.C. State’s five interceptions on the season rank tied for No. 102. Injuries have been a problem, so has an inconsistent pass rush.

There’s also the matter of playing too far off the ball in one game (Clemson) and then over-reacting to that and being more aggressive in the next (Syracuse).

‘We all own it’

There’s no one reason or player or coach to blame, for the pass-defense problems, Roof said.

“We all own it,” Roof said. “We all get a piece of it. We just have to keep working. We just have to keep going. I’ve been really proud of our kids and how they have responded. They always fight back.”

The loss to Wake Forest was a gut-buster. N.C. State led 23-13 in the fourth quarter but Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman was able to put together two quick scoring drives to give the Demon Deacons the lead.

On Wake Forest’s game-winning drive, Newman completed 5 of 8 passes for 80 yards with a 32-yard touchdown to tight end Jack Freudenthal to break N.C. State’s major bowl hopes.

On Freudenthal’s touchdown, Morehead and cornerback Teshaun Smith got tangled up with Wake Forest receiver Alex Bachman near the 25-yard line. Freudenthal ran in untouched for the go-ahead score with 30 seconds left.

“There are mistakes every week, obviously, but we have been in good position most of the time,” Roof said. “The thing is, you have to be in great position all the time.”

Morehead, who is second on the team with 57 tackles, said he thought the players had good coverage and were in position to make plays.

“It’s just playing the ball,” Morehead said. “We have to be more aggressive playing the ball.”