North Carolina State University Athletics
Football Drops Murray State, 65-7
9/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH — In the second week of this football season, Toney Baker and NC State’s Wolfpack just needed a “feel good” game.
They experienced it Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium with a 65-7 walloping of over-matched Murray State, an opponent from the FCS, formerly Division 1-AA.
In the season opening 7-3 loss to South Carolina 10 days ago, Baker had fumbled to set up the Gamecocks’ lone touchdown. But this time the senior running back rumbled, tallying three touchdowns and catching one of quarterback Russell Wilson’s four scoring passes.
Baker didn’t break into a wild dance, but he celebrated by hugging his offensive linemen, by hugging stoic coach Tom O’Brien. He had re-discovered the end zone. Sidelined with injuries the last two seasons, the TDs were his first since 2006 -- or 1,022 days.
“It’s great to get back in there; it’s been a long time,’’ said a smiling Baker after the Pack evened its record at 1-1. “I feel I’m back. I made good reads, felt I was in a rhythm. [And] it was huge for the offense to get some momentum.”
Baker -- who gained 74 yards on 12 carries -- netted two touchdowns on short runs and a third on a 39-yard screen pass that put the Pack ahead 45-0 at halftime. James Washington, a precocious rookie, also scored three times.
The Pack lived in the end zone and when the final buzzer mercifully ended, it had produced the highest point total since a 65-19 win over Navy in 2002.
Had this been boxing, the flailing would have been stopped before intermission. Murray State isn’t Florida State or Appalachian State and obviously is not in the same football family as NC State, which scored on its first 10 possessions.
The Wolfpack will find out more about itself when facing stronger D-I foes, of course. Still, Saturday’s rout was gratifying to the offensive and defensive unit, which turned in its second stout performance in a row.
How dominating was the “D?” The Racers netted one yard rushing on 25 attempts and 21 total yards on 36 snaps, a far cry from the 66 points they rung up a week ago against Kentucky Wesleyan.
“We came out and set the tone early,’’ said Leroy Burgess, whose two fumble recoveries set up two early N.C. State touchdowns. “When you cause turnovers you win games."
On offense, Wilson was in Russell rhythm, completing 15 of 21 passes for 228. He hit Jarvis Williams, Owen Spencer, James Washigton and Baker on scoring plays.
“It definitely felt more in synch,’’ said Wilson. “It gives us confidence, but we aren’t satisfied.”
Besides the win, Wilson, Baker, a protective line and 11 different receivers provided what the red-clad crowd wanted to see -- some offense (484 yards) after last week’s struggle against the aggressive Gamecocks. Pack fans also got another glimpse of backup quarterback Mike Glennon, who hit six of seven passes.
“This wasn’t South Carolina,’’ said O’Brien, keeping things in perspective. “But we still had to throw and catch the ball and get better.
“On defense, we got to play a lot of people and hopefully that helped depth wise...We made some improvement [overall], but we’ve got a long way to go.”
The suspense ended shortly after the coin toss Saturday.
Murray State fumbled on its first two possessions, the alert Burgess recovered both bobbles, and the Pack had a 14-0 lead before O’Brien could adjust his head set.
Wilson fired a 27-yard pass to Williams for the first touchdown 87 seconds into the game and hit wide open Spencer on a 19-yard strike about three minutes later.
That was just a warm up. He threw two more scoring passes -- to Washington and Baker (39 yards) -- while building that fat halftime lead.
In addition to flashing an accurate arm, Wilson displayed his baseball slide again and prudently ran out of bounds one time rather than risk taking a hit. That suits O’Brien, who wants his quarterback to stay healthy.
Unlike Wilson, Murray State’s quarterbacks were under harrowing pressure all night. Early in the fourth period, Nico Yantko connected with Daniel Ard on a two-yard touchdown pass against Wolfpack reserves to avert the shutout.
That was too late and much too little.
“We just need to take the momentum [now] and build on it,’’ Toney Baker said.
Story by A.J. Carr.
