North Carolina State University Athletics
Dayes Joins Elite Group
11/22/2016 8:54:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. - With an 11-yard fourth-quarter run Saturday against Miami in the Wolfpack's home finale, NC State senior Matthew Dayes became the eighth player in program history to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark in one season.
He has 1,015 yards on the season, one more than the late Willie Burden, the first Wolfpack running back to reach the 1,000-yard milestone, had during the 1973 season, as Burden led the Wolfpack to its only ACC title of the Lou Holtz era and was named ACC Player of the Year.
It's been a while since T.A. McLendon was the last Wolfpack back to top 1,000 yards, which he did in 2002. And his initial thought on Dayes' joining the select club?
"It's about time someone else joined us,' McLendon said Saturday afternoon, when Dayes rushed 20 times for 76 yards.
"Welcome to the club," said Stan Fritts, who ran for 1,169 yards in 1974. "It's a select group."
Added Tremayne Stephens, who rushed for 1,142 yards in 1997: "Whatever Matt needs, we're there for him. I'll teach him the handshake, the door-knock, everything he needs to know."
Willie Burden
150 carries, 1,014 yards, 1973
On his 1,000-yard season: "I was just in the right place at the right time. I had a lot of great opportunities, and the offensive line made them for me. I had no idea that something like this would happen for me when I started my sophomore year, but it's something I'll always look back on."
Stan Fritts
245 carries, 1,169 yards, 1974
On his 1,000-yard season: "I was really proud to be part of Willie's 1,000-yard season in 1973. He was a guy a looked up to and thought the world of. He was a premier running back. We had such great company, with him, Charley Young and Roland Hooks. The next year, we had a lot of new guys. We didn't have our All-American offensive lineman Bill Yoest, but we had our center Justus Everett and some other new faces. To be able to finish that season ranked 9th (UPI) and 11th (AP) was a really great accomplishment. However, there was never really any talk about getting 1,000 yards. I just played game-to-game. I didn't ever think about any kind of records. It just wasn't that important to me. We didn't talk about goals like that. I do know, however, that the offensive line wanted it to happen, and it mean a lot to them to have it happen in back-to-back seasons."
On Matthew Dayes: "I admire him a lot and wish him well. I've had a chance to talk to him a couple of times at practice. He's a good person. He's a good football player, a good running back. He's a great example for young players, a tremendous athlete who works hard and makes great adjustments. One thing I like about Matt is the number of yards he always gets after he gets hit. That shows a lot of toughness. He's really good at it.
"I hope he keeps going. I hope he ends up with more than 1,200 yards."
Ted Brown
302 carries, 1,350 yards, 1978
218 carries, 1,251 yards, 1977
198 carries, 1,088 yards, 1976
On his 1,000-yard seasons (and 1975, when he finished with 913): "When I got to NC State, it was something that I expected and something that I wanted to do. I didn't play the first few games, so I didn't even feel like I was part of the team. But when I did start to play, I was averaging a lot of yards that got me over 900 yards. I didn't carry the ball that many times in our last regular-season game. We were more focused on the bowl game. Back then, bowl game stats didn't count, or I would have made 1,000 yards as a freshman. [Brown had 159 yards on 21 carries in a 13-10 loss to West Virginia in the Peach Bowl.]
"I knew to reach that goal the next year, I had to be motivated and talented and have a whole lot of help. Getting 1,000 yards is not an individual accomplishment, it's a team accomplishment and a team honor. It was very exciting for all of us."
On Matthew Dayes: "I did get a chance to meet Matt when I was there for a practice and got to know him a little. You can tell he loves playing the game. I would just tell him to continue to do what he is doing. I am happy to welcome him to the 1,000-yard milestone. It doesn't happen very often. Tell him to thank his offensive line because without them he wouldn't be here. And tell him be humble, be gracious, be proud and take it all in."
Joe McIntosh
222 carries, 1,190 yards, 1981
217 carries, 1,081 yards, 1983
On his first 1,000-yard season: "It's nice to get to 1,000 yards," McIntosh said in 1981 when he became just the 15th freshman to rush for 1,000 yards, getting over the milestone with a 137-yard performance against Penn State. "But I'm not going to let it affect me."
Anthony Barbour
199 carries, 1,204 yards, 1992
On his 1,000-yard season: "For me, the whole experience was awesome because I was coming off a season where I had been injured [and redshirted] and I didn't know if I would be able to come back and do something like that. I was excited about it. It's something I really wanted to do, because of the injury. Of course, the offensive line might have been even more excited about it than I was. I give those guys all the credit for what I did that year.
On Matthew Dayes: "I haven't met Matt, but I look forward to the opportunity sometime soon. What impresses me about him is that he has great size, great speed and a great desire to keep moving forward. He's the total package. I think he's someone who should get a chance to play on Sundays. He's three guys rolled into one: He can block, he can run and he can catch the ball. He's done a little bit of everything."
Tremayne Stephens
204 carries, 1,142 yards, 1997
On his 1,000-yard season: "As a guy who was kind of a history buff, I knew there were only a few people who had done it before I got to NC State. It was something I wanted to achieve. The closer I got to it, it was something I wanted to do for my teammates and everyone on the offensive line. They wanted it for me as much as I wanted it for myself. I remember I had 99x number of yards and my line kept coming up to me on the sidelines saying "Have we got it yet? Have we got it yet?" I think it really meant even more to them than it did to me. When I did get it, the first thing I wanted to do was thank my line. They were a big part of it. You hope when you are done you have left a little legacy for the guys who come after you.
"Any time you have a person or your team who is approaching a record like that you take it a little more seriously. When Torry [Holt] was approaching his 1,000-yard receiving mark, we were all trying to get down field a little quicker to give him an extra block to get him a few more yards. That was a special thing about being part of the Wolfpack, we weren't just doing things for ourselves. It was for the whole team."
On Matthew Dayes: "I've enjoyed watching Matt over the years. When I first saw Matt play, I was impressed with his strength and the way he played. He has speed and size. I couldn't be happier for him. Welcome to the club. It's an elite membership, and I look forward to him being part of it. I'll be happy to teach him the handshake, the door-knock, whatever he needs to know."
T.A. McLendon
245 carries, 1,101 yards, 2002
On his 1,000-yard season: "My time at NC State was great. There were some highs and lows, but I still look back on my time there, especially the 2002, with a lot of fond memories. We had a lot of fun with the fellows and a great team. We knew each other really well, we played hard together and we play for one another.
"When I was in high school, I never had the chance to play with an NFL-caliber quarterback, but that's what we had at NC State [in Philip Rivers]. We probably had the best line we've ever had at NC State, we had a great running game, great receivers. It was probably the most complete offense I have ever been a part of. You had to pick your poison against us.
"It's hard to key in on one specific memory. It was an all-around team effort, and I was proud to be a part of it. That whole year was just awesome. When I got it, it was more of an honor for the offensive line. Our rushing offense could be really explosive at times, which just made Philip [Rivers] even better. We ran a lot of double tight ends. Those offensive line guys were just great. They should always get the praise and the credit."
On Matthew Dayes: "It's about ime someone else joined us. There have been some others who have gotten close since I had my 1,000-yard year, but never quite got there. I think Matt is really good. I haven't met him, but I have watched him here from home and I really like what I see. He's a tough guy who is talented."
NC State's all-time leading single-season rushers:
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By Tim Peeler
tmpeeler@ncsu.edu
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He has 1,015 yards on the season, one more than the late Willie Burden, the first Wolfpack running back to reach the 1,000-yard milestone, had during the 1973 season, as Burden led the Wolfpack to its only ACC title of the Lou Holtz era and was named ACC Player of the Year.
It's been a while since T.A. McLendon was the last Wolfpack back to top 1,000 yards, which he did in 2002. And his initial thought on Dayes' joining the select club?
"It's about time someone else joined us,' McLendon said Saturday afternoon, when Dayes rushed 20 times for 76 yards.
"Welcome to the club," said Stan Fritts, who ran for 1,169 yards in 1974. "It's a select group."
Added Tremayne Stephens, who rushed for 1,142 yards in 1997: "Whatever Matt needs, we're there for him. I'll teach him the handshake, the door-knock, everything he needs to know."
Willie Burden
150 carries, 1,014 yards, 1973
On his 1,000-yard season: "I was just in the right place at the right time. I had a lot of great opportunities, and the offensive line made them for me. I had no idea that something like this would happen for me when I started my sophomore year, but it's something I'll always look back on."
Stan Fritts
245 carries, 1,169 yards, 1974
On his 1,000-yard season: "I was really proud to be part of Willie's 1,000-yard season in 1973. He was a guy a looked up to and thought the world of. He was a premier running back. We had such great company, with him, Charley Young and Roland Hooks. The next year, we had a lot of new guys. We didn't have our All-American offensive lineman Bill Yoest, but we had our center Justus Everett and some other new faces. To be able to finish that season ranked 9th (UPI) and 11th (AP) was a really great accomplishment. However, there was never really any talk about getting 1,000 yards. I just played game-to-game. I didn't ever think about any kind of records. It just wasn't that important to me. We didn't talk about goals like that. I do know, however, that the offensive line wanted it to happen, and it mean a lot to them to have it happen in back-to-back seasons."
On Matthew Dayes: "I admire him a lot and wish him well. I've had a chance to talk to him a couple of times at practice. He's a good person. He's a good football player, a good running back. He's a great example for young players, a tremendous athlete who works hard and makes great adjustments. One thing I like about Matt is the number of yards he always gets after he gets hit. That shows a lot of toughness. He's really good at it.
"I hope he keeps going. I hope he ends up with more than 1,200 yards."
Ted Brown
302 carries, 1,350 yards, 1978
218 carries, 1,251 yards, 1977
198 carries, 1,088 yards, 1976
On his 1,000-yard seasons (and 1975, when he finished with 913): "When I got to NC State, it was something that I expected and something that I wanted to do. I didn't play the first few games, so I didn't even feel like I was part of the team. But when I did start to play, I was averaging a lot of yards that got me over 900 yards. I didn't carry the ball that many times in our last regular-season game. We were more focused on the bowl game. Back then, bowl game stats didn't count, or I would have made 1,000 yards as a freshman. [Brown had 159 yards on 21 carries in a 13-10 loss to West Virginia in the Peach Bowl.]
"I knew to reach that goal the next year, I had to be motivated and talented and have a whole lot of help. Getting 1,000 yards is not an individual accomplishment, it's a team accomplishment and a team honor. It was very exciting for all of us."
On Matthew Dayes: "I did get a chance to meet Matt when I was there for a practice and got to know him a little. You can tell he loves playing the game. I would just tell him to continue to do what he is doing. I am happy to welcome him to the 1,000-yard milestone. It doesn't happen very often. Tell him to thank his offensive line because without them he wouldn't be here. And tell him be humble, be gracious, be proud and take it all in."
Joe McIntosh
222 carries, 1,190 yards, 1981
217 carries, 1,081 yards, 1983
On his first 1,000-yard season: "It's nice to get to 1,000 yards," McIntosh said in 1981 when he became just the 15th freshman to rush for 1,000 yards, getting over the milestone with a 137-yard performance against Penn State. "But I'm not going to let it affect me."
Anthony Barbour
199 carries, 1,204 yards, 1992
On his 1,000-yard season: "For me, the whole experience was awesome because I was coming off a season where I had been injured [and redshirted] and I didn't know if I would be able to come back and do something like that. I was excited about it. It's something I really wanted to do, because of the injury. Of course, the offensive line might have been even more excited about it than I was. I give those guys all the credit for what I did that year.
On Matthew Dayes: "I haven't met Matt, but I look forward to the opportunity sometime soon. What impresses me about him is that he has great size, great speed and a great desire to keep moving forward. He's the total package. I think he's someone who should get a chance to play on Sundays. He's three guys rolled into one: He can block, he can run and he can catch the ball. He's done a little bit of everything."
Tremayne Stephens
204 carries, 1,142 yards, 1997
On his 1,000-yard season: "As a guy who was kind of a history buff, I knew there were only a few people who had done it before I got to NC State. It was something I wanted to achieve. The closer I got to it, it was something I wanted to do for my teammates and everyone on the offensive line. They wanted it for me as much as I wanted it for myself. I remember I had 99x number of yards and my line kept coming up to me on the sidelines saying "Have we got it yet? Have we got it yet?" I think it really meant even more to them than it did to me. When I did get it, the first thing I wanted to do was thank my line. They were a big part of it. You hope when you are done you have left a little legacy for the guys who come after you.
"Any time you have a person or your team who is approaching a record like that you take it a little more seriously. When Torry [Holt] was approaching his 1,000-yard receiving mark, we were all trying to get down field a little quicker to give him an extra block to get him a few more yards. That was a special thing about being part of the Wolfpack, we weren't just doing things for ourselves. It was for the whole team."
On Matthew Dayes: "I've enjoyed watching Matt over the years. When I first saw Matt play, I was impressed with his strength and the way he played. He has speed and size. I couldn't be happier for him. Welcome to the club. It's an elite membership, and I look forward to him being part of it. I'll be happy to teach him the handshake, the door-knock, whatever he needs to know."
T.A. McLendon
245 carries, 1,101 yards, 2002
On his 1,000-yard season: "My time at NC State was great. There were some highs and lows, but I still look back on my time there, especially the 2002, with a lot of fond memories. We had a lot of fun with the fellows and a great team. We knew each other really well, we played hard together and we play for one another.
"When I was in high school, I never had the chance to play with an NFL-caliber quarterback, but that's what we had at NC State [in Philip Rivers]. We probably had the best line we've ever had at NC State, we had a great running game, great receivers. It was probably the most complete offense I have ever been a part of. You had to pick your poison against us.
"It's hard to key in on one specific memory. It was an all-around team effort, and I was proud to be a part of it. That whole year was just awesome. When I got it, it was more of an honor for the offensive line. Our rushing offense could be really explosive at times, which just made Philip [Rivers] even better. We ran a lot of double tight ends. Those offensive line guys were just great. They should always get the praise and the credit."
On Matthew Dayes: "It's about ime someone else joined us. There have been some others who have gotten close since I had my 1,000-yard year, but never quite got there. I think Matt is really good. I haven't met him, but I have watched him here from home and I really like what I see. He's a tough guy who is talented."
NC State's all-time leading single-season rushers:
Â
| Player | Year | Att. | Yds. |
| Ted Brown | 1978 | 302 | 1,350 |
| Ted Brown | 1977 | 218 | 1,251 |
| Anthony Barbour | 1992 | 199 | 1,204 |
| Joe McIntosh | 1981 | 222 | 1,190 |
| Stan Fritts | 1974 | 245 | 1,169 |
| Tremayne Stephens | 1997 | 204 | 1,142 |
| T.A. McLendon | 2002 | 245 | 1,101 |
| Ted Brown | 1976 | 198 | 1,088 |
| Joe McIntosh | 1983 | 217 | 1,081 |
| Matthew Dayes | 2016 | 214 | 1,015 |
| Willie Burden | 1973 | 150 | 1,014 |
By Tim Peeler
tmpeeler@ncsu.edu
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Players Mentioned
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