Key NC State football starter returning, and coach Dave Doeren addresses state of Wolfpack

N.C. State hosts Marshall this week after a disastrous 13-10 loss to Louisville on Friday. Head coach Dave Doeren announced sophomore MJ Morris will take over as starting quarterback, but that wasn’t the only big news to come from his weekly press conference.

As part of Doeren’s announcement, the 11th-year head coach said the quarterback change was not a slight at graduate transfer Brennan Armstrong. The swap also does not negate the other work that must be done on offense to be successful.

“Moving forward, we need to obviously perform better offensively,” Doeren said. “Everyone’s a part of that dysfunction and also everyone’s a part of that solution.”

The offense is made up of players who like each other and are good teammates. It’s just a matter of playing better together, with more harmony.

Doeren said it starts from the inside out: from the center all the way to the QB and receivers. The Pack must put in a concerted effort to fix all of its weaknesses; not just expect a new quarterback to fix everything.

NC State football makes a change at QB. Who will lead the Pack’s struggling offense?

“If there’s one thing that I would pride this program on and myself on is persistence and resilience and grit,” Doeren said. “Those are things that are just part of our DNA. Though the results aren’t what people and what we wish we had at this time, there’s a lot of games, a lot of weeks, a lot of football left.”

NC State injury report

Center Dylan McMahon is expected to return this week after missing nearly three full games. The offensive lineman and team captain left the VMI game in the first quarter.

Doeren and the staff hoped McMahon could play against Virginia and Louisville, saying the graduate student was day-to-day in every update, but the recovery process took longer than expected.

The Wolfpack has lacked a strong run game this season, averaging about 5 yards per carry in the FBS contests. Part of the struggle comes from losing Kendrick Raphael to injury and Jordan Houston to a redshirt. It also has to do with McMahon’s absence.

N.C. State’s offensive line has experienced players moving positions and less experience overall. Doeren hopes there can be more consistency on offense with McMahon back where he’s supposed to be.

A message to Wolfpack Nation

Fans haven’t shied away from sharing their thoughts about the Wolfpack’s performance this season, and Doeren recognizes the on-field performances have fallen short.

He hopes, though, that fans continue supporting the program through its current challenges. It helps the team, he said, and the season isn’t over yet. Doeren said there’s still a chance for N.C. State to earn a spot in the postseason.

“I can’t make decisions for fans. They’re gonna have to do what they think is best for them,” Doeren said when asked about those giving up season tickets due to recent results. “We’re gonna do everything we can to win games and give our players every chance that we know how to be competitive. We’re not quitting on them, and I would hope that they would understand that as much as we hate losing, they hate losing; stick with the guys and continue to have that resilience and grit that N.C. State is known for.”

Appealing Brown’s targeting call

The defense played one of its best games on Friday, with safety Sean Brown finishing with a standout performance.

He recorded eight tackles, including two sacks for a loss of 25 yards and forced a fumble. Prior to his ejection, Brown led the team in tackling.

The sophomore from Charlotte, however, left the game in the second half after being called for targeting. He is set to miss the first half of the Marshall game on Saturday. The decision was met with criticism from the Wolfpack sideline, fans of both programs, and college football fans not associated with either school.

Doeren said the program submitted the required paperwork through the ACC office, which turns it into the NCAA. The Wolfpack awaits an answer.

ACC Linebacker of the Week honors

Grad student Payton Wilson earned the ACC Linebacker of the Week award, the league announced Monday. Wilson led the Wolfpack defense with 10 tackles, which included two sacks for a loss of 15 yards. He is up to 18 games with 10 or more stops.

He added a pass breakup, fumble recovery and quarterback hurry. Plus, Wilson rushed three yards on a fake punt attempt in the second quarter.

The linebacker ranks No. 1 in the ACC with 11.2 tackles per game and No. 8 in FBS.

Additionally, his efforts helped the Pack hold Louisville to 13 points, all of which came in the second half, and 20 yards rushing.

NIU comes to Raleigh in 2024

Northern Illinois announced plans to play N.C. State next fall during the non-conference schedule.

The Huskies will travel to Raleigh on Sept. 28, 2024, in the second meeting between the two teams. N.C. State won the only other game, 41-14, in 1997.

Doeren coached at NIU before joining the Wolfpack. His teams went 23-4 overall and 15-1 in conference play in two seasons, including an 8-0 Mid-American season in 2012.

He guided the team to a second-straight conference title and 2013 Orange Bowl appearance. Doeren, however, did not coach the bowl game due to his hire at N.C. State.