Freshman quarterback MJ Morris rallied No. 24 NC State football to a 22-21 comeback victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies on Thursday, Oct. 27 in Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Wolfpack (6-2, 2-2 ACC) overcame a 21-3 deficit against the Hokies (2-6, 1-4 ACC) for the second-largest comeback in the FBS this season. Morris took the reins under center, and the defense made several pivotal stops in the second half to secure the win for the Pack.
“To be down 21-3, [it was a] pretty incredible victory,” said head coach Dave Doeren. “The way that MJ sparked us and brought us back and made plays and guys started making plays for him, pretty impressive for a true freshman to do that.”
NC State relied on strong play from Morris, the defense and a few Virginia Tech mistakes to come back from an 18-point deficit. Morris shined in his first significant collegiate snaps, throwing for 265 yards and three touchdowns on 20-for-29 passing. His presence in the game ignited the Wolfpack offense and gave reason to believe in the offense moving forward.
“There were a lot of things going on in my head,” Morris said. “But the one thing I tried to focus on was doing my job for the team, encouraging everybody to do what they gotta do, because if we just do our job, then everyone’s gonna take care of each other.”
In addition to Morris’ strong play, the defense shut out the Hokies during the fourth quarter. The Pack’s pass rush came alive, tallying four sacks by the end of the game, including two from redshirt junior linebacker Payton Wilson. The secondary also did a nice job of shadowing receivers. As a result, the Hokie offense sputtered to a poor finish, failing to keep up with a surging NC State attack.
“We just went back to doing the old stuff, just doing our job and doing it physical and fast,” said graduate safety Cyrus Fagan. “That’s what coach harps on — doing our job; hearts up and together on defense.”
The Wolfpack deserves plenty of credit for rallying, but it received its share of help from the Hokies. Virginia Tech shot itself in the foot with 13 penalties for 69 yards, including 11 false starts. The Hokies couldn’t execute on special teams, muffing two kickoffs, which left its offense with poor field position. They also struggled to protect the quarterback, leading to several broken plays. Despite the Hokies’ efforts to hang on, the Pack capitalized on Virginia Tech’s mistakes and escaped with a win.
NC State’s defense disrupted Hokies quarterback Grant Wells frequently. Wilson accounted for half of the Wolfpack’s sacks and junior linebacker Drake Thomas led the unit in tackles with eight. As a whole, the Pack racked up nine QB hurries, disrupting the pocket and stifling the Virginia Tech offense.
“[Defensive coordinator Tony] Gibson called a couple of timely blitzes and beat their protection twice,” Doeren said. “[Wilson] finished two plays there in the backfield, got two sacks. It was awesome to see him play like that, excited for him to make those plays. He was super happy in the locker room. He just had an ear to ear smile.”
On the offensive end, graduate wide receiver Thayer Thomas continued his role as the bell cow of the receiving group. Thomas hauled in 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 7:38 left to play.
A few other pass-catchers stepped up as well. Redshirt junior tight end Trent Pennix made his return to the field, hauling in three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown after fracturing his shoulder blade against ECU on Sept. 3. Redshirt junior wide receiver Devin Carter racked up five catches for 62 yards, including a crucial 17-yard reception to convert a third-and-10 on the game-winning drive.
Although NC State’s offensive line let the Hokies rough Morris up a bit, it also provided some pivotal motivation to the team from graduate center Grant Gibson.
“[Gibson] usually doesn’t cuss, usually doesn’t scream at us; he’s very quiet,” Thayer Thomas said. “But when he says something, people listen. He started cussing us out on the sideline, and when he did that, I sort of knew that we needed to pick it up. That’s what I feel like sparked us.”
Throughout the game, NC State won on special teams. Graduate punter Shane McDonough consistently pinned the Hokie offense deep in its own territory. By making Virginia Tech start from deep in its own territory, McDonough was a major help to the defense.
Kickoffs also favored the Wolfpack. A long return by redshirt freshman receiver Julian Gray helped set the Wolfpack up in great field position. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech muffed two kickoffs, putting its offense in a compromised position. By dominating in special teams, NC State gained enough advantages to squeak out a win.
The Wolfpack will stay in Raleigh for an ACC showdown against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday, Nov. 5. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
