Morris leads NC State to comeback victory over Hokies

Oct. 28—RALEIGH — It was a tale of two halves for the NC State Wolfpack on Thursday. A 3-0 halftime lead saw offensive struggles before both the Hokies and Wolfpack broke through, scoring a combined 40 points in the second half of NC State's 22-21 victory.

The bowl-clinching win didn't come easy for Dave Doeren and company, as a 20-yard touchdown rush by Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells with 4:02 remaining in the third quarter gave the Hokies a 21-3 advantage.

Then entered freshman quarterback MJ Morris.

Morris relieved now starting quarterback Jack Chambers in the first half, but his performance during the final 30 minutes may just be the beginning of a successful tenure under center for the Wolfpack.

Down by 18 late in the quarter, the true freshman engineered the second largest comeback in the FBS this season, throwing for 213 yards and three touchdowns in the final 17 minutes of game action.

"The way M.J. Morris sparked us, brought us back, and made plays, and guys making plays around him, it's pretty impressive for a true freshman to do that," said head coach Dave Doeren following the victory.

Morris would finish his first game receiving significant playing time 20-for-29 through the air, amassing 265 yards and three scores, the most by a true freshman in all three statistical categories since Philip Rivers in 2000.

"I feel like a kid in a candy store," said Morris when speaking to the media postgame. "I've never had this feeling before."

Sixth-year wideout Thayer Thomas was the recipient of two of Morris' passing touchdowns, cutting the lead to 21-10 with a 35-yard catch in the third quarter and finding the endzone from 18-yards out with 7:38 remaining to give NC State the lead for good.

Thomas finished with a season-high 10 catches for 118 yards with a majority of his success coming with Morris targeting him. After their first game creating a connection, he had high praise for the true freshman.

"I just had a good feeling that he's built for this. He's meant to be here," said Thomas. "All the respect to him and the way he's prepared."

Preparation helped the signal caller find success in his first start, but the talent of the NC State defense is what assisted his efforts in the comeback win.

A 251-yard, three touchdown third quarter was the worst frame of season for the Wolfpack, yet they held Virginia Tech to -4 yards in the fourth quarter and forced three consecutive punts to close out the contest.

Handing the ball over to the NC State offense with 5:35 remaining, allowed the Wolfpack to utilize a nine play drive to drain the clock and cement the victory.

"We just kept playing," said Doeren. "That's the one thing about NC State, going back to Jimmy V: 'Never quit.' "

With their fifth consecutive loss, Virginia Tech dropped to 2-6 on the season and 1-4 in the ACC.

10 false start penalties haltered the Hokies in key moments and restricted an offense that ranks 12th in the ACC in yards per game and 11th with 19.4 points per game.

Despite the timing issues, signal caller Grant Wells continued to build on his first season in Blacksburg, throwing for 243 yards and a touchdown, while recording two rushing scores against a stout Wolfpack defense.

Virginia Tech will look to get back on track next Saturday when they host Georgia Tech at 12:30 p.m., while the Wolfpack (6-2, 2-2 ACC) will attempt to extend their 15-game home winning streak as Wake Forest visits Carter-Finley Stadium for an 8 p.m. kick.