The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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22 ■ THE WOLFPACKER That was evident after he rushed for a career-best 164 yards on 24 carries in the Wolfpack's 34-24 victory at Wake Forest on Sept. 11. When Smothers walked off the field at Allegacy Stadium, Doeren was there to praise him for his dominant effort, but it didn't seem to do much for the tailback. "I don't care about that," Smoth- ers told Doeren. "We won." A little while later, when Smoth- ers walked into the postgame press conference, he was eager to point the spotlight toward the offensive line that had opened the holes for him. "I think the guys up front are getting more comfortable and are blocking their ass off," he said with a smile. "It's just me trusting them — trusting the guys up front." While Smothers has been able to chan- nel the same team-first mindset that Gal- laspy used to his advantage, he has also shown resilience, bouncing back from some disappointing outcomes this fall. That's a critical part of chasing 1,000 yards, Gallaspy said, and Smothers hasn't let his two sub-70-yard rushing games affect his approach. Gallaspy said the toughest part of reaching 1,000 yards was the fact that opponents were building their schemes around containing him. So far, Smothers has worked through it with ease, leaning on the ad- vice he was given at the begin- ning of his quest. "He's pretty calm. He doesn't really beat himself up about it," Gallaspy said. "It's never like, 'Oh, I need to get the ball. I need to do this. I have a goal. I need to get 1,000 yards. I need 20 carries a game.' It's never anything like that. He's more team-oriented. He's more fo- cused on 'Let's go down there, let's go score and let's go beat these guys.'" Defining An Elite Back There's an easy way to tell how good a player is. Usually, if he's someone an opposing team is worried about going into a given game, the other coach will bring him up unprompted. Smothers is one of those players. His elite running ability has vaulted him to the top of every opposing defense's scouting report this fall, leading to the highest praise he can receive from opposing coaches. "If he's not the best back in the country, he's one of them," Virginia Tech interim coach Philip Montgomery said earlier this fall. "He's a definite weapon." Added Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, "Holly- wood Smothers is really good. The tailback is special. He's the best tailback that we will have faced at this point. He's a bounce runner. He's got speed. He's really good." And Notre Dame coach Marcus Free- man, a defensive savant, said Smothers was "as good as anyone we'll see all year. He's a really talented foot- ball player. And you'd better tackle him, because if he gets in open space, he can take it all the way." Freeman's last observation is what usually keeps opposing de- fensive coordinators up at night. Positioning a defender to be in the right spot to hit Smothers is only the first part of the challenge that he presents. Getting him on the ground is even harder. Smothers tends to pinball off defenders with ease, fighting for every yard he can possibly gain every time he touches the ball. The tail- back had posted 36 forced missed tackles through the first eight games according to Pro Football Focus. Smothers' ability to keep his legs churning through defend- ers has allowed him to log 524 yards after contact, an average of 4.37 yards per at- tempt. Gallaspy, who has worked to help Smothers build strength in the weight room, has been impressed with how the tailback has surged through defenders this fall. "Being able to bounce off tackles, twist and bend his body in exceptional ways to be able to continue to fight for yards has stood out," Gallaspy said. "I think that's one thing that scouts are going to be very dialed in on when it comes to Hollywood." Smothers has a real case to enter the NFL Draft next spring after just two seasons in Raleigh. His unique running style will make him a com- modity at the next level. Add in his ability to make something out of nothing, and Smothers is unlike most at the collegiate level. The tailback is on the verge of history. And his teammates, including senior tight end Jus- tin Joly, all believe in him each time he touches the ball, no matter what defense is on the other side of the line of scrim- mage. "He's someone you can count on," Joly said. "If you need to make a play, he's your guy." ■ NC State's 1,000-Yard Rushers Rk. Name Year Att. Yds. 1. Ted Brown 1978 302 1,350 2. Ted Brown 1977 218 1,251 3. Anthony Barbour 1992 199 1,204 4. Joe McIntosh 1981 222 1,190 5. Stan Fritts 1974 245 1,169 6. Matthew Dayes 2016 249 1,166 7. Tremayne Stephens 1997 204 1,142 8. Nyheim Hines 2017 197 1,112 9. T.A. McLendon 2002 245 1,101 10. Reggie Gallaspy Jr. 2018 228 1,091 11. Ted Brown 1976 198 1,088 12. Joe McIntosh 1983 217 1,081 13. Willie Burden 1973 150 1,014 Smothers has displayed an ability to bounce off would-be tacklers and continue running. Through eight games, he had 524 yards after contact. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS