Grayson McCall’s first two games haven’t gone so well. The Wolfpack still has his back

N.C. State quarterback Grayson McCall stood near the locker rooms at Bank of America Stadium following Duke’s Mayo Classic on Saturday. Television camera lights reflected off his sweat; his face and eyes reflected the disappointment of the Wolfpack’s 51-10 blowout loss to No. 7 Tennessee.

McCall’s performance on Saturday against the Vols didn’t exactly inspire confidence and he didn’t look like the heavy-hitter N.C. State nabbed out of the transfer portal from Coastal Carolina.

“When you’re in that situation, somebody’s got to step in and make a play. I think I’m usually the guy for our team to do that. Tonight, I just wasn’t there,” McCall said on Saturday night. “Everything that could have gone wrong felt like it went wrong tonight. Got a lot of learning to do, gotta put our hard hats on tomorrow, go to work and not let one loss turn into two.”

The graduate student finished with 15 completions on 22 attempts for 104 yards without a touchdown. He threw a pick six and was sacked three times. McCall struggled on the ground, as well, and finished with just six rushing yards on nine carries.

Add in a pair of fumbles, neither of which the offense recovered, and it was a night worth forgetting for the Wolfpack captain.

“Things didn’t go his way the other night. There’s definitely plays he wishes he had back,” said N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren. “We can protect better for him as well.”

N.C. State trailed Tennessee 10-3 with 6:33 left in the first half and looked like it would hang around. McCall’s interception, however, started a snowball effect and the Pack never recovered.

The loss also came a week after N.C. State struggled early against Western Carolina. The Pack scored 14 points in the first half and 17 through three quarters.

Now comes a home game Saturday vs. Louisiana Tech, followed by challenges against No. 22 Clemson and No. 25 Northern Illinois.

Despite the shaky start, Doeren said Monday the team is better than what it’s shown and affirmed the staff’s choice to run its offense through McCall.

“We feel great about Grayson,” Doeren said. “He’s a really good player. He’s a good leader. He’s hard on himself. He’s motivated to play better. He owns everything that he can do, and he’s devout about going about his business the right way: respecting his teammates, doing his job.... I’m excited about Grayson McCall. He’s our guy, and he’s going to rebound well.”

Potentially even more importantly, McCall still has the faith and support of his teammates.

Offensive lineman Anthony Carter Jr., wide receiver Noah Rogers and safety Bishop Fitzgerald all expressed on Tuesday their belief in the QB, on and off the field. They said there aren’t concerns about his ability to play or lead the team.

“He’s a great guy. You want to run through a wall for him,” Carter said. “He’s gonna lead, he’s gonna keep it real with you. You always want a guy like that around you. You don’t want nobody around that’s just gonna tell you what you want to hear. He’s gonna be there for us. We’re gonna be there for him.”

Rogers said McCall approaches each day with a smile and sets a good example. He stays late, encourages others and doesn’t quit. He excels at balancing a positive attitude and demanding excellence from himself and others.

Meanwhile, Fitzgerald talked about McCall standing in front of the team on Sunday. He took accountability for his role in the loss and asked the team to keep fighting.

His teammates recognize he didn’t have a good game. The first couple of weeks haven’t exactly been up to standard, but players also say McCall has the characteristics of a great quarterback. They’re sticking by him while the Wolfpack figures things out.

“I believe in Him, and everybody else does. He’s one of our greatest leaders on this team,” Rogers said. “As long as he keeps bringing in good energy to our team, everything’s going to be alright. Because, at the end of the day, we play for each other.”