On a third-and-nine situation during the Wolfpack’s second drive of its 38-21 win over Virginia Saturday, it appeared freshman wide receiver Porter Rooks made the first touchdown catch of his college career.
NC State redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary dropped back in the pocket facing a corner blitz and launched a 34-yard pass in the last possible second before absorbing a hit from Cavaliers senior safety De’Vante Cross.
Rooks, who was wide open up the seam, had to extend his right arm over the goal-line to reel in the slightly overthrown ball from Leary. The extension forced the freshman to dive into the end zone, which caused him to bobble the pigskin before appearing to get his arm underneath it.
The 6-foot-1, 189-pounder immediately looked over and saw an official raising his arms to signal a touchdown before celebrating with his team.
It was short-lived. Moments later, the touchdown call on the field was overturned after a video review.
After a few days to reflect, the question remained. Did Rooks think it was a catch?
“Definitely,” Rooks said. “I got under it. I wish I could get that one back but it's all good. It is what it is. I'll get another one.”
Despite the disappointment of the called-back touchdown, the true freshman was able to quickly put it behind him and still put together a solid stat line of three receptions for 51 yards. He credits his older brother Patrick Rooks, who played basketball at Clemson from 2013-15, for helping him develop his short memory on the field.
“He always talked about shooting mentality,” Rooks said. “If you miss it, you got to come back because you got to be ready to fire again. Just like if you drop a ball. I guess that would be considered a drop, but I've got to come back and make the next one. When the ball is in the air, it has to be yours.”
NC State head coach Dave Doeren saw Saturday’s game as a breakout performance from his class of 2020 four-star receiver.
“I told Porter it was the first game I've seen him play where he had a different way about him,” Doeren said. “He was a very aggressive player in that game. Not that he's not a consistent player, but his personality came out a little bit Saturday.”
For Rooks, it was just another day in the office. After experiencing ACC competition in the first three games of his college career, the Charlotte, N.C., native is starting to get comfortable.
“Nothing purposely different, I try to come in with the same type of intensity every day,” Rooks said. “I'm just ready to compete. I felt like this was a game that I was going to get some good looks and I did. I was just trying to make a play on the ball. I just wanted to compete and be a person that my teammates can rely on.
“Game experience has helped me a lot. Just adjusting to the speed of the game, learning the ins and outs of college football and what you can and can't get away with. I feel like I'm doing a good job of adjusting and I'm going to keep building on that.”
Through four games, Rooks has pulled in eight receptions for 96 yards. The quick start hasn’t surprised the freshman.
“I've put in the work for it,” Rooks said. “I put in a lot of extra hours just studying, getting extra work in, catching, things like that. I feel like I've been ready for this and I will be ready when my next opportunity comes.”
Rooks isn’t the only one with a quick start in the 2020 season. The Wolfpack, now 3-1, has exceeded the expectations of many thus far as it prepares for back-to-back games against its local Triangle rivals.
“We're taking it week by week,” Rooks said. “You got to come each week ready to prepare for a new test and you can't look past it. As we know in college football, especially ACC football, we got to come to play each week. You know anybody can get upset so you have to come locked in and ready to go.”
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