Duke takes on a new look N.C. State team at Wallace Wade Stadium 8 p.m. Saturday. To open up coverage this week, let’s enter the Blue Zone and examine a few of the Wolfpack’s notable players:
In a matchup of Tobacco Road teams with turmoil at the quarterback position, No. 17 Duke (4-1, 1-0 ACC) will host N.C. State (4-2, 1-1) Saturday at 8 p.m. The Blue Devils are coming off of their bye week, and it appears to be a critical point in the season for head coach Mike Elko’s group. No. 21 Notre Dame doused Duke’s hopes of an undefeated season, and to add injury to insult, star quarterback junior Riley Leonard was injured on a game-ending sack.
Down the road, N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren made the decision to bench Virginia transfer and erstwhile starting quarterback Brennan Armstrong in favor of sophomore MJ Morris. He and the Wolfpack are coming off of a back-and-forth thriller — emerging victorious over Marshall 48-41.
N. C. State’s offense was in full swing last weekend, as Morris led the charge with a four-touchdown, 265-yard passing performance. The counting stats are impressive, but his 17-for-32 completion rate and three interceptions showed it wasn’t all peachy for the Carrollton, GA, native.
Morris shined when he had the opportunity to set his feet and deliver downfield. One of his best throws of the day came on his first touchdown pass, a third-and-12 from the Thundering Herd’s 17-yard line. He delivers a precise 25-yard strike, placing the throw in a way that neither of the two defenders nearby could make a play on it.
Along with being able to punch a drive into the endzone, Morris showed his ability to work the ball down the field. Here, he makes a tough throw across his body, catching the receiver at the right time and allowing him to quickly turn downfield to secure the first down. On the next passing play, with a pass rusher bearing down on his arm side, he delivers a first-down completion to a receiver with four defenders in close proximity.
In all three plays, Morris wasn’t the only player whose talent was on display. The skilled Kevin “KC” Concepcion, a true freshman from Charlotte, has been the leading receiver for the Wolfpack this year. Concepcion has accrued 31 receptions for 347 yards and four touchdowns. Against Marshall, he broke the 100-yard mark for the second time this season, putting up 102 on eight receptions. His longest reception went for 38 yards, and he scored two touchdowns. He’s been able to consistently find defenses’ weak spots, and when able to break into the open field, he has the speed to be a threat. In N.C. State’s ACC opener against Virginia, Concepcion used his speed to break free from three defenders and score a decisive 48-yard touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, the Blue Devil offense will need to be aware of Payton Wilson, the Wolfpack’s standout senior linebacker. In six games so far this season, he’s totaled 70 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Last week, he continued his exemplary season with his strongest performance of the year. He tallied 14 tackles — six solo and eight assisted — along with a critical third-down sack. To take down Marshall’s Cam Fancher, he blitzes the B-gap and meets Fancher in the middle of the pocket.
Earlier in the game, he followed a running play and grabbed a fumble, breaking a few tackles for a 10-yard return.
This weekend’s game will certainly answer questions for both teams. Duke is hoping to continue its growth after the bye week, and needs proof it can win with questions at the quarterback position. Meanwhile, N.C. State is hoping it’ll continue to see signs of growth from its young playmakers, while remaining competitive and hopefully bowl-eligible in a tough ACC.
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