There was a lot to be excited about from the Deacs’ 44-10 win over VMI Thursday night. Plenty of players provided a spark, but here are the ones that stood out the most and earned our stars of the game:
QB Mitch Griffis:
Griffis settled in nicely during his first collegiate start, throwing for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21/29 passing. He looked confident in the pocket, getting multiple receivers involved early and largely making the right reads in the slow-mesh offense. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Griffis tonight, but he passed every test with flying colors, making him a shoo-in for our first star of the game.
This performance wasn’t a surprise to head coach Dave Clawson, who said he’s always been confident in Griffis’ ability to execute and play well in Hartman’s absence.
“I said going into this I think we could win a lot of games with Mitch,” he said. “For him to get this experience and for him to be able to play, whether it’s next week or two weeks or next year, it’s money in the bank.”
RB Christian Turner:
Turner caused problems for the VMI defense all night, and as a result he gets our second star of the game. The redshirt sophomore had a career night, taking 13 carries 100 yards and 2 touchdowns, including an improbable 35-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that set the tone for the rest of the game.
Sophomore Justice Ellison was no slouch either, adding 80 yards on 13 carries himself. Clawson discussed the backs’ performance after the game, praising their physicality throughout the night.
“Those guys broke tackles,” he said. “I thought they had good vision. They were productive and made plays.”
WR Taylor Morin:
Morin led the team in receiving (5 catches, 74 yards) on Thursday, and established a connection with Griffis early on, helping the new QB get his feet under him in his first start. On the first drive of the night, Morin broke open over the middle on 3rd and 5 to give Griffis an easy throw, moving the chains with an 18-yard gain. And of course, his touchdown grab in the first quarter was a thing of beauty.
When Morin took the podium postgame, he was reluctant to take credit for his performance, instead giving all the glory to his quarterback.
“It all goes to Mitch,” Morin said. “I try to make plays happen when he puts the ball where he needs to put it. I think it’s mostly a testament to the quarterbacks.”
Honorable Mention- P Ivan Mora:
While Mora had a solid night punting and pinned two balls inside the VMI 20, that’s not why I bring him up here. Early in the second half, a high snap on fourth down sent Mora scrambling to his right with several VMI defenders right on his tail. Somehow he got the punt off, sending a line drive kick that bounced out of bounds at the VMI 10-yard line, preventing disaster for Wake Forest.
Clawson commented on the heads-up play after the game:
“That was a great, great effort by Ivan,” he said. “It was a really athletic play.”
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