The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/535299
36 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2015 He confidently states that when oppo‑ nents have just one defender trying to end one of his scrambles, "they're not going to tackle me." After averaging 113.3 rushing yards in the first four ACC contests, the Pack increased its clip to 242.6 over the final five contests. Brissett noted that the ground uptick that powered the 4‑1 closing stretch was due to the offense finding its identity and stellar play up front. "Towards the end, we knew what we did best and we did it well," he said. "We wouldn't be the strength of the offense if it wasn't for the offensive line. They have a really solid foundation and keep getting better." All three veterans noted their goal for the upcoming season is an ACC championship. It may seem unreasonable, but they didn't put a ceiling on last year when they made a five‑win improvement, and they now think another big jump is possible. "I want to win it all, every game," Brissett said. "If we win every game, then it's more than an ACC championship." Sharing The Load Dayes admits every running back wants as many carries as possible, but he saw the benefits of sharing carries last year after all three rushers stayed healthy. He's especially excited about the possibilities of stressing defenses by having himself and Thornton on the field at the same time. Both veterans will welcome the tal‑ ented newcomers with open arms. Gal‑ laspy II led all players in the spring game with 131 yards, while fellow blue‑chip‑ pers Johnny Frasier and Nyheim Hines arrive this summer. "We'll never get tired since we have a ro‑ tation going on," Dayes said. "Competition only brings the best out of all of us. They'll be a great addition to the team and we can utilize those guys." "We want to have a legacy of good backs, so it's always good to have a bunch of good ones coming in," Thornton added. "We've just got to get those guys going." Fortunately for the freshmen, they've got two pairs of footsteps to follow. Thornton and Dayes might get things done in different ways thanks to their complementary styles — Brissett compares them to the former Carolina Panthers "smash‑and‑dash" duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart — but both have been successful. The veterans are on track to end their careers among the Pack's most productive backs of all time. They will lead the young‑ sters in the right direction this fall, the fresh‑ men just need to keep up. Opposing defend‑ ers have shown that can be hard to do. ■ Fifth-year senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett rushed for 529 yards and three touchdowns in 2014, but with sack yardage taken out he netted 721 yards on the ground. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Junior running back Matt Dayes finished second on the team with 573 yards and eight touch- downs on the ground last year. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN