The Wolfpacker

Nov.-Dec. 2020

The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 ■ 41 have come at a better time for the former four-star running back who was ranked No. 91 overall nationally in the 2018 class by Rivals.com. "Coming into the 2020 season, I feel great, I feel 100 percent," Person said in September. "I've taken the time we had off as a blessing in disguise. Everybody needed time off. Everybody knows the injuries that I had last season. I took advantage of that." The Pack has relied on a two-pronged rushing attack for the most part this season, which Person is a key part of, along with sophomore Zonovan "Bam" Knight. The lat- ter boasts a team-high 406 rushing yards and has averaged 5.9 yards per carry, while tying Person for the lead with three rushing scores. The duo has helped the Pack total 10 touchdowns on the ground, which was good for second in the ACC and tied for fifth nationally as of Oct. 30, prior to NC State's bye week. Even after the open date, Knight (10th, 67.7) and Person (17th, 55.8) were still among the ACC's top 20 in average rushing yards per game, and they have also combined to snare 21 passes. "We've got a lot of great talent inside the running back room," Person said. "It's something we take pride in. We're always in the film room and on the field, getting that extra work in. We all work the same, and everybody has their own different type of playing style. "Our identity is hard, tough, together. Whether it's running the ball or catching the ball, anything. It's something that we all work on. Everybody plays a role on the field." Aside from the improvement in execution from one season ago, Person credits new offensive coordinator Tim Beck — a Power Five coordinator since 2011 — for his role in the offense improving from 107th nationally (out of 130 teams) in scoring, at 22.1 points per game, to tied for 41st (out of 103 teams), at 31.5 points an outing, through Nov. 1. "Coach Beck is an awesome coach, he knows exactly what he's talking about and has taught the system well," Person said. "He's just so smart in what he brings to the table. He just pours it into us. It's just about us going out there and making the plays." Doubts about the Wolfpack in the pre- season following a 4-8 campaign in 2019 have also motivated the team. Despite the youth of the roster, Person maintained that this is not the same group from one year ago. "Everybody's been counting us out based off of last year, saying we were young and didn't have any depth," Person said. "We actually have a lot of depth this year, and everybody's mindset is on the same page." The Pack has proven that by matching its win total from last fall already, despite a global pandemic and an anything-but- normal offseason and season, while Person has shown he is recovered from injuries of years past by playing a consistent key role in an emerging offense. ■ " There was one point where I was like, 'Is football still for me?' … The answer was yes. Person on the mental obstacles of returning from injury Person missed nine games in his first two seasons, but has appeared in all six contests so far this year and eclipsed 100 all-purpose yards in a pair of outings. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN

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