Pack Earns First Win with Strong Ground Game

In a short amount of time, transfer quarterback Brennan Armstrong has earned the confidence of his teammates; enough to be selected one of the five captains for the 2023 season.

Thursday night in Connecticut, Armstrong earned a little more respect, after teammates and coaches watched him run the football. He finished four yards shy of 100 yards rushing, which no Wolfpack quarterback has done since Jacoby Brissett in 2015.

But it wasn't just the amount of yards that Armstrong amassed, it was how he did it. Some were designed runs, like his first rushing touchdown as a Wolfpack QB. He made the quick decision to keep it after faking a handoff to Michael Allen. His second rushing score was off of a scramble and after a few shifty moves, he powered his way into the end zone.

"The guy's a linebacker playing quarterback," head coach Dave Doeren said following the game. "I love that about him. He's a tough dude. Our kids will feed off that, having that kind of guy back there."

Armstrong added with a smile, "That's what this sport is all about right? Having that mentality is not a bad thing."

Through spring and fall camp Armstrong, like all quarterbacks, wear the non-contact green jersey. So Thursday night was the first time teammates and coaches had seen their new quarterback in full-contact mode.

"I've been waiting to see that because we don't hit the quarterback in practice," Doeren continued. "He runs and then you blow the whistle, then he just smiles at me like 'coach, you'll see.' I did. I saw it."

Armstrong complemented his physical running with some nifty moves to avoid a direct hit. Using his legs was part of the pregame plan and the importance of his mobility grew as the game unfolded.

"I just felt like running the ball was the key to win the game," Armstrong revealed. "I knew if I didn't take sacks and we stayed in front of the chains, we were going to win. Having that extra runner as a quarterback kind of helps you as an offense. The game needed my feet."

One of the measuring sticks the Wolfpack staff uses for a successful run game is having 4 or more yards per carry. Armstrong averaged 5.1 yards per carry, running back Michael Allen boasted a 7.5 yard average and Jordan Houston averaged 4.4 yards.

It all added up to a good night on the ground for the Pack with 209 yards collectively and three rushing scores; two by Armstrong and one from Delbert Mimms, III.

Nice first step. Or should we say run.

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Team Stats

Brennan Armstrong

Players Mentioned

Brennan Armstrong

Delbert Mimms, III