He thought he would break the streak last year, but a toe injury sidelined him for the final five games of the season. The numbers 865 sat frozen next to his name.
When spring came around, NC State running back Matt Dayes felt good. But he re-injured his toe and rather than go through another surgery, doctors told him he had to let it heal on its own. Coach Dave Doeren says now, “There was a time in the spring we weren’t sure if he’d be able to play.”
Doeren and the coaching staff took a cautious approach with Dayes for the remainder of the offseason.