RALEIGH, NC-- In the beginning of the season, the NC State defense faced its fair share of run heavy offenses. Last week, against Clemson, the workload shifted, and the Wolfpack secondary attempted to stop an offense that eventually caught for 380 yards.
A key player that has had to be fully prepared to face any style of offense, is Jarius Morehead. Whether they are racking up yards in the backfield or throwing the ball downfield, the strong safety has to stay alert and be ready to attack during every snap.
Morehead and his teammates are working to bury the Clemson game in the past. When asked several times about last week’s loss, his attitude on the topic stayed consistent -- which aligns well with his style of play.
“We are 5-1 we are in a good spot,” said Morehead. “We can’t let that loss turn the rest of our season. We’ve got six games left, we have to take it one game at a time which means we have to prepare each week.”
A five-win Wolfpack team heads to the Carrier Dome to face another five-win team. A new week means a new challenge and the defense sets to see two different quarterbacks in addition to an offense that leads the ACC with an average of 42.6 points per game.
“Offensively, they are maximum-speed tempo and they are running the ball well," Dave Doeren said. "They always have good receivers with big guys on the perimeter and quick guys in the slot.”
Syracuse is a team that is both successful in the run game and passing game, averaging 213 yards per game on the ground and 262 yards passing. This style of offense might explain why Morehead played one of his best games in 2017 against Syracuse.
Morehead was one of the defensive standouts against Syracuse last season with 8 tackles, 6 solo and one QB hurry. He saw the most playing time than any of the current defensive players, seeing a total of 84 snaps. Of the returning players from last year's squad, Morehead clearly has the most experience against the Orange.
How does he take his performance from last season and use it to help those with less experience prepare for Saturday?
“You can just tell them what happened last year and the year before," Morehead said. "You can't take [Syracuse] lightly because when I first got here Syracuse wasn’t really the team to worry about, but now they are legit ACC contenders and you can’t take them lightly.”
The difference between this year and last year for Morehead is that he will match up against a couple of new faces. A young receiving corps for the Orange doesn't the experience of last year's team, but still poses a threat.
Jamal Custis and Nykeim Johnson are home-run threats that Morehead will have to prioritize on the second level. Freshman Taj Harris runs hard and has the ability to throw strong screens. The key to slowing this fast tempo team for Morehead is communication.
“You just have to be quick," Morehead said. "Even if you are wrong just make sure everybody is on the same page and give out the call, so everybody can just get ready and play their jobs.”
Which luckily for Morehead, communication is the component to his game that he takes pride in. He says “communicating better” is where he has grown the most especially this season.
“I’m learning each and everybody’s weaknesses and strengths,” elaborated Morehead on his personal growth this season. “I’m getting a better relationship with the coaches and seeing what they are thinking. Picking their heads apart and seeing what I can do to better my game and help the people around me.”
Assistant Defensive Coordinator Ted Roof -- who is also serving as the safeties coach -- spoke highly of Morehead and his contributions to the defense this season.
“I am really proud of him and I love coaching him,” said Coach Roof. “He is a real student of the game. He applies himself and puts everything he has into it. He watches more tape or as much tape as any player I have ever coached. I just have a lot of respect for him and I admire that.”
The strong safety looks to finish the season with 100-plus tackles again and Saturday is another opportunity for him to creep closer to achieving this goal at the Carrier Dome.
LINK TO ARTICLE ON 247SPORTS: https://247sports.com/college/north-carolina-state/Article/Jarius-Morehead-X-factor-NC-State-defense-123724303/