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Quiet Dayes Making Lots of Noise

Game 7: NC State (4-2, 1-1 ACC) vs. #7 Louisville (5-1, 3-1 ACC)
October 22, 2016 • 12 p.m. • ABC/ACC Network Extra
Louisville, Ky. • Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (55,000)

PACK HITS THE ROAD AGAINST SECOND TOP 10 TEAM
Last week, NC State packed its bags and hit the road to face a top 10 team on its home field. This week, Dave Doeren's Wolfpack squad will do it all over again.

For the first time in school history, NC State is facing top 10 teams on the road in back-to-back games. It marks only the fifth time that NC State has played back-to-back games against top 10 teams.

Year	Site	Opp.	Rk.	Result
2016	A	Clemson	4	L, 17-24 (OT)
	A	Louisville	7	???
2001	A	Florida State	10	W, 34-28
	H	Maryland	10	L, 19-23
1997	H	North Carolina	4	L, 7-20
	A	Florida State	3	L, 35-48
1981	H	North Carolina	4	L, 10-21
	A	Clemson	4	L, 7-17
1938	A	Duke	4	L, 0-7
	H	Carnegie Tech	6	L, 0-14

PACK BOASTS NATIONAL DISTINCTION
NC State is the only team in the FBS this season that has the privilege of facing top 10 teams on the road in back to back games.
The Wolfpack is one of six FBS squads that has had back-to-back top 10 opponents this season, but the only one that has faced both on the road.

Here's a look at FBS team that have faced back-to-back top 10 opponents in 2016:

Team	Week	Site	Opp.	Opp Rk.
Alabama	7	A	Tennessee	9
	8	H	Texas A&M	6
Indiana	6	A	Ohio State	2
	7	H	Nebraska	10
NC State	7	A	Clemson	3
	8	A	Louisville	7
Rutgers	5	A	Ohio State	2
	6	H	Michigan	4
Tennessee	6	A	Texas A&M	8
	7	H	Alabama	1
Wisconsin	4	H	Michigan State	8
	5	A	Michigan	4

OVERTIME HEARTBREAKER
The Wolfpack came as close to an upset as possible last week at No. 3 Clemson, taking the defending ACC Champion into overtime. NC State's defense was stellar in the contest, forcing the Tigers into four turnovers, no plays over 29 yards and only two plays over 20 yards.

RUSHING INTO THE RECORD BOOK
Although he doesn't receive as much national attention as some of his league counterparts, senior running back Matt Dayes is quietly having one of the best seasons in school history. Dayes enters Game 7 ranked 18th in the FBS in rushing with 111.5 yards per game - the third-best mark in the ACC.

An impressive 51% (342 of 669) of his rushing yards have come from yards after contact in 2016.

Dayes hadn't played a game in 306 days before this year's season opener due to a season-ending foot injury suffered last season against Clemson (10/31/15). He has now posted 100-yard rushing games in 10 of his last 13-1/2 outings (he was injured in the first half of game 8 last season).

Career Records

Category	Mark	Rk.
Rushing Yds./Att.	5.6	1st
Total TDs	34	4th
Rushing TDs	28	5th
100-yard games	10	t-5th
All-Purpose Yds.	3,658	8th
Rushing Yds.	2,359	11th
Rushing Att.	420	16th

Single Season Record Book

Category	Mark	Year	Rk.
Rushing Yds./Att.	6.5	2015	3rd
	5.6	2016	10th
Rushing Yds.	865	2015	14th
Rushing TDs	12	2015	t-7th

STOPPING THE RUN
NC State has been outstanding stopping the run in 2016, allowing just 95.3 ground yards per game. That mark leads the ACC and ranks 5th in the FBS.

Three Wolfpack opponents (William & Mary, Wake Forest and Notre Dame) posted rushing totals less than 70 yards, while the highest total this season has just been 148 yards by ECU. Last week, the Wolfpack held No. 3 Clemson to 117 yards - 61 yards less than the Tigers' average heading into the contest.

The opposition has scored just six rushing touchdowns this season and only two in the past four games.

This week, the Wolfpack, which ranks 16th in the FBS in total defense (315.7) will face the top rushing squad in the ACC, as Louisville averages 305.7 yards per game.

500 YARDS
NC State enters game 7 ranked fifth in the ACC - 48th in the FBS - in total offense with 436.5 yards per game. That number is despite gaining only 198 total yards while playing in driving rain and wind in the win over Notre Dame.

NC State has posted over 500 yards in total offense in three of six games in 2016. In 2015, the Wolfpack gained 500+ yards just three times the entire season, did so just twice in 2014 and just once in 2013. The Wolfpack has had more 500-yard offense games in entire seasons that this year's five-game total just twice: 2012 (four) and 2003 (five).

Prior to this season under new offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz, the Pack had never posted 500+ yard outputs in three of its first four games. The most was two of the first four in 1998.

FAB FIVE
One of the biggest question marks for the Wolfpack heading into the 2016 season was the offensive line. That group had to rebuild aftr three three-year starters from 2015 completed their eligibility: All-American tackle Joe Thuney (who is starting for the New England Patriots), guard Alex Barr and center Quinton Schooley.

First-year o-line coach Dwayne Ledford, also was without returning starters Tony Adams (injury) and Will Richardson (suspsension) during the spring and had only four linemen healthy during spring drills.

But that unit, named the "Band of Brothers" by Ledford, has solidified into something special and for the first time under head coach Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack has had the same starting five on the offensive line in each of the first six games to start a season.

LT Tyler Jones (427), LG Garrett Bradbury (432), C Joe Scelfo (428), RG Tony Adams (412), and RT Will Richardson (417) have combined to play 2,116 of a possible 2,180 snaps (97.1%) on the Pack's offensive line this season.

Last season and in Doeren's first year in 2013, NC State used three different OLine combos in the first six games, while in 2014 the Pack used a pair.

The Band of Brothers has yielded just nine sacks in 2016, the fewest amount under Doeren through the first half of a season. NC State ranks 30th in the NCAA in sacks given up this season.

NO TOs
The 2015 Wolfpack set a school record for fewest turnovers, losing the ball on an interception or fumble just 13 times. This season, the Pack is continuing that stingy patttern, with just seven turnovers in six games (3rd in ACC, 19th in the FBS).

The six interceptions thrown by quarterback Jacoby Brissett (now with the New England Patriots) last season tied as the second-lowest mark since 1953, while the seven fumbles lost in 2015 was also one of the lowest marks in school history.

Since 1953, only seven Wolfpack squads have posted single-digit totals in both interceptions and fumbles lost. In the past 48 years (since 1967), only four teams have accomplished that mark, and two of those squads were coached by Dave Doeren.

Here's a look at the squads that have posted single-digit totals in INTs and fumbles since 1953:

Year	INT	Fumbles	Turnovers
2016	3	4	7
2015	6	7	13
2014	6	9	15
2001	7	6	13
1991	9	8	17
1967	6	8	14
1965	7	8	16
1961	6	9	15

NO RETURNS
In 2015, the opponent's punt return yardage was the lowest in school history (52) and the Wolfpack ranked eighth in the FBS in punt return defense. The Wolfpack has ranked in the top five in the ACC in kickoff return defense each of the past two seasons.

This season, the Pack has been even more solid on its punt return defense. Opponents have returned just two punts against the Pack this season - one for 0 yards and one for 6 yards. NC State ranks 21st in the FBS with that 3.0 yards per return mark.

NC State ranks 14th in the FBS in net punting (42.06).

Players Mentioned

Tony Adams

Alex Barr

Garrett Bradbury

Jacoby Brissett

Tyler Jones

Will Richardson

Joe Scelfo

Quinton Schooley

Joe Thuney

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