With MJ Morris at QB, here’s what we learned about NC State in win over Wake Forest
N.C. State’s Carter-Finley magic claimed a big victim Saturday night and put the Wolfpack’s season back on track for something special.
The No. 21 Wolfpack tied a school record with its 16th consecutive home victory, knocking off No. 20 Wake Forest, 30-21, behind its rising star of a freshman quarterback, sure-handed receivers and a stout defense.
Three weeks after learning it had lost starting quarterback and ACC preseason player of the year Devin Leary to a season-ending injury, N.C. State (7-2, 3-2 ACC) put together the kind of complete win every program craves.
The Wolfpack also furthered what’s become quite the home-field edge.
“When the Carter’s full and it’s rocking like it was tonight, it’s hard, man,” N.C. State coach Dave Doeren said.
Tied with a 16-game home winning streak Lou Holtz’s teams authored between 1972-75, this Wolfpack team can grab the record for itself with a win over Boston College on Saturday. That could also move N.C. State closer to a 10-win regular season, something that looked doomed when Leary suffered his torn pectoral muscle.
But three things we learned about the Pack from its win over Wake Forest (6-3, 2-3) show this team is capable of big things over the season’s final month.
MJ Morris grows up fast
The freshman quarterback thrust into action when the offense stalled immediately after Leary’s injury, MJ Morris showed poise and production that belied his age against Wake Forest.
While completing 18 of 28 passes for 210 yards, the 19-year-old Morris fired three touchdown passes while not throwing an interception.
He finished the game on a roll, completing 12 of his final 15 passes as the Wolfpack took the lead for good late in the second quarter and held off the Demon Deacons.
“You couldn’t ask for any more from a true freshman quarterback,” Doeren said. “But he’s done it in practice. He’s done it in the games. He’s got the players playing hard for him. They believe in him.”
Outside of one delay of game penalty, Morris managed the game well. Again, that’s something outstanding for a first-year player.
“He’s way ahead of where we probably thought he would be at this point in his career,” Doeren said. “So I’m super proud of him.”
Hello, sure-handed receivers
Morris, of course, couldn’t have achieved all that success without his receiving corps having an equally outstanding night.
Thayer Thomas caught a team-best eight passes for 79 yards as Morris targeted him with 12 passes.
But Keyon Lesane and Darryl Jones made crucial catches that made the difference in the win.
Lesane caught all three passes thrown his way, tallying 71 receiving yards and scoring a touchdown.
His first catch, early in the second quarter, ignited the Wolfpack offense that had only produced 21 total yards at that point.
With Wake up 7-3, Morris heaved the ball downfield on a third-and-13 play from the N.C. State 26. Surrounded by two defenders, Lesane snared the ball and controlled it as he hit the turf for a 44-yard gain.
Following two Jordan Houston running plays, Lesane caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Morris to put the Wolfpack up, 14-10.
Jones also caught three passes, with two of them going for touchdowns.
His 13-yard touchdown grab with 1:30 left until halftime put N.C. State ahead for good, 17-14. As Morris scrambled in the backfield on the play, Jones kept moving in the end zone to find an open area where Morris zipped the ball to him.
“I was behind everybody and I saw him rolling,” Jones said. “I just ran. I just ran and I said I know he’s going to see me. I’m running and I’m not thinking about nothing else. I’m running and running and he throws it and I’m like, yes.”
Jones’ catch on a 1-yard touchdown throw from Morris extended the Wolfpack lead to 24-14 in the third quarter.
Ball-hawking secondary
N.C. State intercepted Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman three times.
One came from a player who’s done it plenty this season. Sophomore cornerback Aydan White’s interception was his ACC-leading fourth of the season.
Safety Jakeen Harris picked off his second pass of the season while safety Cyrus Fagan recorded his first interception of the year.
Fagan returned his pick 24 yards, setting up the N.C. State field goal that opened the scoring.
In addition to those interceptions, N.C. State broke up seven other Hartman passes. Cornerback Derrek Pitts had two of those pass-break ups.
That unit stood out against a Wake Forest passing offense that’s been among the ACC’s best in recent years.
That bodes well down the road, on Nov. 25, when the Wolfpack close the regular season at North Carolina, where Drake Maye and the Tar Heels have completed 69.7% of their passes to lead the ACC with 31 touchdowns and 329.8 passing yards per game.
This story was originally published November 6, 2022 at 9:28 AM.