NC State football has produced plenty of great running backs over the year: 1978 Heisman candidate Ted Brown still sits at second in ACC history in career rushing yards, and 2018 NFL draft pick Nyheim Hines has grown into a significant role in the Indianapolis Colts’ backfield, just to name two. With the abundance of talent at the position, it can be difficult to stop and appreciate running backs like Matt Dayes.
Dayes played four seasons at NC State from 2013 to 2016, amassing almost 3,800 yards and 40 touchdowns from scrimmage over 45 games. Known for his speed, Dayes would go on to post faster 40-yard-dash times than both first-round running backs in the 2017 NFL Draft Combine, besting Tampa Bay Buccaneer Leonard Fournette and Carolina Panthers Christian McCaffrey. Dayes made sure to showcase his speed from the very beginning by scoring three touchdowns in his collegiate debut against Louisiana Tech.
The rest of 2013 was less fortunate for the then-freshman, as it would be for Wolfpack football as a whole. Dayes scored only two more touchdowns from scrimmage in NC State’s 3-9 2013 campaign that concluded in eight consecutive losses. Similarly, Dayes struggled to put up numbers as the season progressed due to decreased usage, never eclipsing 10 scrimmage touches in the final 10 games.
2014 saw the peak of Dayes’ powers as a receiving back, as the then-sophomore logged 321 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions, both career-highs. Dayes’ sophomore season was anything but a proverbial slump, as his scoring output also peaked with 13 touchdowns from scrimmage.
Just like 2013, Dayes started off the season with a bang, but this time in a more suspenseful fashion. In the season opener against Georgia Southern, Dayes took a pass from quarterback Jacoby Brissett 35 yards to the end zone to tie the score at 23 apiece with 1:37 left in regulation. The extra point kick would seal the 24-23 victory for the Pack.
2015 marked a change in Dayes’ use in the offense. While catching fewer passes out of the backfield, Dayes’ offensive stats experienced a renaissance. The then-junior racked up 12 touchdowns on the ground and posted a career-high 6.5 yards per carry.
This renaissance was cut short by injury. After scoring nine rushing touchdowns in the first four games of the season, Dayes’ junior year was cut short after eight games. The running back suffered a foot injury in the second half of the Wolfpack’s game against Clemson, sidelining him for the rest of the season.
Dayes’ ran with a vengeance in his final year in an NC State uniform. His 2016 senior campaign constituted his only 1,000-yard rushing season and also included career highs in rush attempts and scrimmage yards. Keeping with his schtick of big performances in season openers, Dayes put up two touchdowns against William & Mary to start the year. However, his explosiveness declined into more consistent production in his senior year, save for a showcase against Syracuse that featured three trips to the end zone for Dayes.
Dayes went on to get drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft. His college success did not translate to the professional level, as he only had five carries for 13 yards and no scores in his time in the NFL. Instead he was utilized as a returner in his short time in the league. Despite his struggles in the professional ranks, Dayes remains a noteworthy back in NC State history, ranking in the top five in the program’s history in yards per carry and rushing touchdowns.
