The 2023 season was a roller coaster for NC State football. From a blowout loss at Duke to a dominant victory over North Carolina, the Wolfpack experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. With a final record of 9-4, 2023 was head coach Dave Doeren’s best work, tying his best win mark with the Pack while battling adversity all season.
Entering the season, expectations were low; the team had lost star linebackers Isaiah Moore and Drake Thomas to the draft and quarterback Devin Leary to the transfer portal. Paired with a challenging schedule, 2023 looked like a rebuilding year.
The first seven games certainly appeared to be a rebuild as the offense sputtered weekly. Things hit rock bottom when the Pack suffered a humiliating 24-3 loss to Duke. Heading into the bye week, it seemed that the season was lost. But Doeren had other plans for his team.
During the bye, Doeren made all the right adjustments to set up the Pack for the unthinkable — a 5-0 finish to end the regular season. Doeren tinkered his offensive lineups and employed a simple strategy of getting the ball in the hands of his best playmaker, freshman receiver KC Concepcion.
The adjustments immediately paid off against Clemson, with the Wolfpack winning the Textile Bowl 24-17. The red-and-white followed this up with a 20-6 win over Miami. Despite having only one significant offensive playmaker, Doeren had successfully adapted and steered his team to bowl eligibility.
Following the win over Miami, more adversity was thrown at Doeren. After inserting sophomore quarterback MJ Morris into the starting role for the last four games, Morris opted to sit out the rest of the season and maintain his redshirt. With his starting quarterback bailing, it would be easy for Doeren to throw in the towel. Instead, the resilient coach faced the challenge head on.
Graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong was named the new starter after Morris. Armstrong had struggled with turnovers and downfield accuracy during his first five games, leading to him being benched for Morris. However, as a runner, Armstrong offered the team an intriguing dynamic.
Doeren leaned into Armstrong’s strength as a runner over the final three games. What seemed like a loss with Morris redshirting turned into a positive as the offense played even better with Armstrong.
Under Armstrong, NC State won three of its final four games, including a 39-20 shellacking of North Carolina. Entering the year, all signs pointed to the Tar Heels being the better team, with the in-state rivals featuring one of the nation’s best quarterbacks and a deep set of playmakers. Yet it was the Wolfpack, with Armstrong and Concepcion, that played like an offensive juggernaut in the clash.
Between the personnel deficiencies, a mid-season 180 and MJ Morris’ late season opt out, 2023 was by far one of the toughest challenges Doeren has faced at NC State. Yet he overcame each difficulty while guiding his team to nine wins, including ever-important victories over Clemson and North Carolina. In the most unlikely of years, Doeren did his best work in 2023.
