In just three games, the North Carolina State football team has matched their win total from 2013. The turnaround from a year ago has in many ways paralleled the career of its new starting quarterback, Jacoby Brissett. Both have been about patience while overcoming hardships, showing how hard work and perseverance can overcome adversity.
Brissett, a former four-star recruit, is a transfer from the University of Florida. He backed up current starter Jeff Driskel for the 2012 season and watched him lead the team to a 11-2 record with an appearance in the Sugar Bowl. He watched that game from the sideline and made the decision to transfer to NC State shortly after. By doing so, Brissett ensured he would have to sit out an entire football season before being eligible to play again.
While doing so he watched Driskel get hurt for his former team in just the third game of the season. He watched Tyler Murphy get called upon to take the position that would have been his had he stayed in Gainesville. Instead of getting the chance to play and lead a football team, he was once again watching from the sideline.
However, Florida would go on to have a disastrous season and probably missed Brissett more than he missed the Gators. Instead of being bitter about the missed opportunity, Brissett continued to work and get better, knowing he would ultimately get the opportunity in Raleigh with a team that believed in him. Settled in with his new squad, Brissett is now showing flashes of what got people so excited about him coming out of high school.
Since being handed the reins for the Wolfpack, Brissett has shown great leadership and poise for a team that badly needs someone to stabilize the position, their offense, and the entire program for that matter. North Carolina State has been a floundering program for several years and getting Brissett as a transfer got fans excited. After juggling quarterbacks all of last season on their way to a 3-9 mark, the team has already matched their wins and is hoping to continue to improve on an offense that ranked 70th nationally a season ago.
Brissett is a junior and has two years left to help turn the program around. Thus far the offense is still going through some growing pains while they build consistency, struggling to move the ball and put points on the board in the first half of both of their first two games this season.
However, like Brissett has done his entire career, he shook off that adversity and persevered. He lead his team to second-half comebacks and victories in both games. All of that hard work continued to pay off when N.C. State hung 49 on South Florida this past Saturday, blowing out the Bulls on their home field. The Wolfpack continue to improve as Brissett gets comfortable in the pocket.
Brissett has completed 69 of 98 passes, an impressive 71%, amassed 810 yards, and thrown seven touchdowns to only one interception. He is making plays with his arm first, but has also shown an ability to escape the pocket and keep plays and drives alive with his athleticism. He’s scrambled 18 times for 96 yards. More importantly, he has only turned the ball over once and is playing smart football. The offense is continuing to improve every week, and more importantly they are not giving the ball away and putting their defense in tough spots either. This is allowing N.C. State to stay in games longer and gain the confidence that comes from being in competitive ballgames. They will likely win comfortably this week before their big showdown with Florida State a week later.
It’s still a work in progress, but if Jacoby Brissett and this Wolfpack offense can continue to improve and continue to grow together as they have over the first three weeks, N.C. State may have found the man to turn their program around. This team hasn’t had a double-digit win total since 2002, and have only won more than seven games three times in the 12 years since. They have only won three bowl games in the past ten years and have missed the postseason five times in that same span.
It may not be where Jacoby Brissett envisioned himself when he announced that he was heading to Gainesville on signing day, but it could be where he was meant to play all along. Much like the school, he has a lot to prove. He wants to show he IS good enough to play this position at the highest level. He wants to show he IS the right man for THIS job. He wants to be the man to turn N.C. State around.
From what I have seen from Jacoby Brissett thus far, I wouldn’t doubt him. His perseverance, strength, and and determination make him the perfect man for the job.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @CTaylorLWOS. Support LWOS by following the site on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and by “liking” our Facebook page.
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
