Following a promising performance against Wake Forest last week, NC State football’s offense struggled to find a groove nearly all night against Boston College.
The Pack ultimately lost 21-20. After scoring two straight touchdowns in the beginning of the game, questionable play calling resulted in a failure to reach the end zone for the rest of the night.
Quarterbacks
In his second start for the Wolfpack, freshman quarterback MJ Morris initially got off to a hot start. On NC State’s first drive, he connected with redshirt junior tight end Trent Pennix on a 27-yard strike. On the next offensive drive, the Pack marched up the field which culminated on a 10-yard rushing score from Morris.
The rest of the game was not so kind — the offense was forced to punt for nearly the rest of the game. Boston College began to pick up steam in the third quarter when the quarterback play spiraled out of control. In the beginning of the third quarter, as he fumbled the ball during a run, the first of four turnovers by Morris gave Boston College momentum.
At the end of the day, Morris completed 12 of his 24 passes for 135 yards, two total scores and four turnovers. It was a tough break for the flashing freshman who played so well up to this point. Despite this game, he still has lots of potential as one the ACC’s premier young talents.
Grade: C+
Running Backs
Despite a slow day from the offense, the running backs had a rather solid game as they collectively ran for 154 yards. Freshman Michael Allen put forth a great performance as he ran for 77 yards on 14 attempts. One run included a 36-yard breakaway in the first quarter. Allen has continued to prove to be an important piece of the Pack’s rushing attack.
Junior Jordan Houston also had a solid day, running the ball 14 times for 71 total yards. This was a crucial game for Houston, who continues to cement his status as the leader of the unit. He remains a crucial key to the offense as sophomore Demie Sumo-Karngbaye’s snaps remain limited.
Overall, the running game was solid for the Pack. Not only did Allen and Houston contribute heavily, but others such as redshirt freshman receiver Julian Gray and MJ Morris tallied long runs throughout the game.
Grade: B+
Wide Receivers
Strongly due to dismal quarterback play, the wide receiver group didn’t put up great numbers. A total of seven different receivers caught at least one pass. They were led by the likes of graduate receiver Thayer Thomas and Pennix.
Thomas, a consistent receiving option, caught four passes for 53 yards. Pennix had a similar game as he caught two passes for 53 yards and a lone receiving touchdown. The rest of the receiving corps was relatively quiet as they combined for just 29 yards.
A large reason why the receiving group as a whole was not as effective was multiple missed opportunities. Overall, the receivers did not have a great day but not all of that is on them, as quarterback and play calling issues put a damper on any possible success.
Grade: C+
Offensive Line
The offensive line for the Pack did its part in helping move the ball. The success of the run game helped the Pack outgain the Eagles in terms of total yards with 335. On the other hand, the O-line allowed two sacks on Morris and one pressure on him which contributed to his turnover total. The offensive line continued to experience difficulty with penalties, commiting three false starts and two holding penalties.
This Saturday saw the NC State offensive line in unfamiliar territory as graduate center Grant Gibson sustained a game-ending injury. The injury to perhaps the most experienced player on the team on senior day was a crushing blow.
Even though the offensive line did make some mistakes, they turned in an overall solid performance. They helped provide a spark for an offense that was unable to find any solid footing.
Grade: A-
