News & Record: Stone's on-the-job training continues

Marcus Stone working hard to get better:

But even before Stone got his chance to replace Jay Davis as the starting quarterback, he was working hard on his flaws.

After each practice, Stone and Clark would stay late. Stone would throw an additional 150 passes to Clark. On each toss, Stone would refine his throwing mechanics and simulate working through his progressions -- looking where the primary target would be, then to the secondary receiver and so on.

"I'm a strong believer that after practice, when you're tired, you should go back and work on your fundamentals," Stone said.

Stone continued those extra workouts until this week, when Trestman -- a notorious workaholic himself -- actually asked Stone to take a break from it so Stone could rest his arm.

Trestman and Stone know what the sophomore quarterback really needs now can only be acquired in games: playing experience. The lessons Stone is learning throughout the week must be replicated at a much higher speed on game day.

"It's still fast to me," he said. "But every snap I take, it has started getting better and easier to see things."

The snap-to-snap progress Stone has made has the Wolfpack hopeful he can continue his education into December, when bowl season begins.