Game Balls: Standouts from NC State football’s win at Wake Forest
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — NC State entered its house of horrors in recent history — Wake Forest’s Allegacy Stadium — on Saturday afternoon, but it did not look like that by halftime.
The Wolfpack led by three touchdowns at the break and raced past Wake Forest 26-6 to pick up its third straight win.
NC State did it in the midst of its second quarterback change of the season as sophomore signal-caller MJ Morris elected to redshirt, and graduate Brennan Armstrong returned to the starting spot.
While there were concerns about what the Wolfpack offense would look like with Armstrong back under center, those were quieted rather quickly. He helped pace the NC State offense to a season-best 268 rushing yards as the Wolfpack outgained the Demon Deacons 379-163 in total offense.
TheWolfpacker.com is acknowledging those that sparked the Wolfpack in the victory with four game balls after NC State’s second win of the 2023 campaign.
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DE Savion Jackson: It did not take long for Jackson to make his presence known to the Wake Forest offensive line, and its quarterback, Mitch Griffis. He was in the backfield early and often, and he logged a sack on each of Wake Forest’s first two drives of the afternoon. Jackson helped set the tone for NC State’s defense, which feasted on the Demon Deacons all afternoon. The junior defensive end finished the day with four total tackles, including the two sacks.
QB Brennan Armstrong: In his first start since Week 5, Armstrong played an all-around game for the most part. The Shelby, Ohio, native finished the day 12-of-17 passing for 111 yards with a touchdown. But his biggest impact on the game? His legs. Armstrong rushed for a team-high 96 yards on 15 carries, the most since the team’s season opener at UConn. He had multiple explosive runs, including a 38-yard dash to get to the 1-yard line in the first half. That drive was capped by a junior running back Delbert Mimms III 1-yard plunge.
CB Aydan White: Need a wideout to make a catch? Do not throw it towards White. The junior cornerback did not give up an inch to any Wake Forest wide receiver, especially star Jahmal Banks, who he limited to no catches on the afternoon. While White provided stingy coverage, he was great when the ball went his way. White recorded three pass breakups, including two to force a punt on third down and one near the goal line.
LB Jaylon Scott: As the season has progressed, the senior linebacker has continued to improve week-to-week. Scott showed that again at Wake Forest with a team-high eight tackles, including two solo stops. He also picked off Wake Forest quarterback Michael Kern on the Demon Deacons’ 2-point attempt in the fourth quarter and ran it back for a score.
