Miami at North Carolina State: MJ Morris vs Hurricanes’ Defense
Article photo of North Carolina State quarterback MJ Morris; credit to Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports.
The Miami Hurricanes will be facing an unexpected foe when they travel to Raleigh, N.C. to play the North Carolina State Wolfpack. No, not the team being unfamiliar, but the quarterback shall be. That's probably surprising for those who have followed NC ST earlier this season.
The Canes faced quarterback Brennan Armstrong last season in Charlottesville, Va., and won 14-12. He’s since moved on from the Cavaliers and joined the Wolfpack as a graduate student.
It’s been a year of change for the Wolfpack offense, however. Armstrong was expected to be the player that placed NC ST into high gear, or at least help it go in that direction.
Nothing remotely close has happened. He was NC ST’s starter for the first five games. The Pack was not efficient on offense, including Armstrong throwing 6 interceptions from his 160 attempts; that’s a really high 3.8% interception rate.
Further, the Wolfpack averaged 25.4 points per game with Armstrong at the helm. For NC ST head coach Dave Doeren, it was time for a quarterback change.
MJ Morris entered the picture. The redshirt freshman has been up-and-down as he’s started the past three contests. Through three starts, here are the combined statistics for Morris:
52 of 92, 56.5%, 596 yards, 6.5 yards per attempt, 6 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.
During his last game versus Clemson, he was only 11 of 20 as a passer, with 138 yards through the air. He did throw 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. NC ST won 24-17. Morris was solid, and he’s now seen what it’s like to play against some talented defenses.
Marshall, Duke, and Clemson were a rough introduction to being NC ST’s starting signal caller. Part of the reason Morris’s statistics were not all that impressive stemmed from the talented players he went against, but now he’s facing Miami’s proven front seven. It’s unquestionably been one of the nation’s best as evidenced by allowing 86.9 yards rushing per game. That’s No. 9 in the nation.
The Canes have also harassed opposing quarterbacks all season long. Opposing teams have often gone to the quick-passing game because of the pressure. Still, Miami has registered 28 sacks, good for 10th nationally.
Going up against that front, Morris will be challenged yet again. He does have a unique quality that will help him though.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Morris has provided evidence that he's a quarterback who can move the pocket to pass or pick up yards with his legs since his days playing for Carrollton (Ga.) High School.
He's not been a dynamic runner, but efficient when needed. There were still questions about Morris based on his first three starts.
How well does Morris read the Canes’ defense after the snap? At the end of the game, if Morris had not navigated Miami’s back seven well enough to not throw interceptions, the Hurricanes would have likely won this contest.
Miami’s Lance Guidry has done a tremendous job of showing one look and then either backing out of a pressure front or vice versa. That’s been one of several reasons the Hurricanes played good defense for the majority of the 2023 season.
Morris must stay away from those trap coverages that bait him into a throw that ends up in the hands of someone like Miami's Kamren Kinchens or James Williams, two of the nation's most dynamic safeties.
In the end, a major factor for the Miami at North Carolina State winner will be how well Morris has performed.
Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.