NC State OC Robert Anae discusses MJ Morris, Wolfpack offense
NC State scored 48 points against Marshall. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae made it clear Tuesday afternoon that he is not satisfied with that result.
For him, that win over the Thundering Herd was just the first step towards what he wants to see out of the Wolfpack attack. The offense finished the game with a season-high in passing (265 yards) and total yards (401) against an FBS opponent.
He started off his press conference by addressing the quarterback change. The coordinator believed it was a necessary adjustment, and he echoed what head coach Dave Doeren said last week. MJ Morris gives this team a spark.
Anae acknowledged that the first half was “rough,” but he complimented the sophomore’s poise against Marshall
“He’s a very, very collected kid under pressure and still competitive,” Anae said “That dynamic is very unique.”
Moving forward, the Wolfpack assistant said Morris’ focus is on taking the season one day at a time and improving from there.
When promoting the sophomore to the starting quarterback job, it also mean demoting graduate student Brennan Armstrong. He recruited the former UVA signal-caller and worked with him for four seasons with the Cavaliers. Anae effusively praised Armstrong’s reaction to the tough news.
“Of all my years, that’s the best most stand-up approach to now becoming a good teammate that I’ve ever been around,” he said.
Armstrong’s role with the Pack has not diminished completely. He leads the program in rushing, and Anae still sees him taking on some responsibility in the offense.
“There’s still stuff with an attack-type running quarterback, our team needs that,” Anae said. “The best is yet to come.”
In the receiving corps, Kevin Concepcion has been a significant part of the offense’s success, and Anae gave credit to the freshman’s ability to step up when program needed it. He finished the Marshall matchup with 102 receiving yards 2 touchdowns.
With that said, Anae stressed that Concepcion can not be the entire offense. The coordinator also emphasized that there are other members of the offense who can make the same plays, and he implored them to take a step up in the second half of the season.
“If that’s all you are, it’s going to be a rough road,” Anae said. “The invitation to all offensive players: to please join that effort, be relevant when your number’s called.”
Against Marshall, NC State generated 11 plays of 10 yards or more, including a 37-yard touchdown rush— the program’s longest of the season. Anae said the Pack has shown it can create big plays at times, but the program still needs to improve in plenty of areas.
“We’ve got a long ways to go to be consistent, efficient and secure with the ball,” Anae said. “So that’s the task, that’s the goal. We’ve shown we have the ability to be explosive on occasion.”
NC State’s next challenge comes against No. 17 Duke on the road. The program has not traveled to Durham since 2013—Doeren’s debut season as at the program’s head coach. During his first year with the Wolfpack, Anae said he can already feel the importance of this in-state rivalry.
He praised Duke’s defense, calling it a well-coached unit with talented players who compete.
“The scheme is excellent, and the players play hard,” Anae said. “We’ve got a really good scheme and really good players too, so I hope you boys come for four quarters because we are planning on a four quarter game, everything we’ve got.”
