The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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146 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Top Five Wins For 2013 Class 1. 27-21 at Florida State, 2017 This victory marked the first time a member of the 2013 class defeated a ranked opponent (FSU was No. 11). Linebacker Jerod Fernandez had nine tackles and cornerback Johnathan Alston added seven stops. 2. 39-25 vs. Louisville, 2017 The Cardinals, featuring Heisman Trophy-winning and first-round NFL Draft pick Lamar Jackson at quarter- back, came into Raleigh for a Thurs- day night showdown on ESPN ranked No. 17, but the Pack controlled most of the game. Fernandez did his best to keep Jackson in check with seven tack- les, and Alston added four hits. 3. 35-7 at North Carolina, 2014 Dayes played a modest role in a beatdown, helping to lead a physical whooping of the Tar Heels by rushing five times for 26 yards. Defensively, Joshua Jones had an interception, and Pharoah McKever — then playing de- fensive end — had two sacks. 4. 28-21 at North Carolina, 2016 NC State needed a win to ensure it would play in a bowl game. Dayes rushed for 104 yards and two scores. On defense, Fernandez led the team with 10 tackles (1.5 for loss). Dravious Wright tied for the second most hits with six. 5. 10-3 vs. Notre Dame, 2016 The 2016 version of the Fighting Irish was not up to normal Notre Dame standards, but it is still one of the big- gest brand names in college football. The Irish made their first-ever trip to Raleigh amidst the torrential down- pours and gusty winds of Hurricane Matthew. Dayes ran for 126 yards and caught three passes for 14 yards. Bra'Lon Cherry had the longest recep- tion of the game for NCSU — 13 yards. Fernandez led the defense with nine tackles, but the most memorable play of the afternoon belonged to McKever, who blocked a punt that was scooped up by NC State safety Dexter Wright for the game's lone touchdown. Ten Individual Performances 1. Matthew Dayes at Wake Forest, 2015 NC State had a six-game losing streak in Winston-Salem before Dayes almost personally made sure it would be broken (the Pack won 35-17). He rushed just 16 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns. It is the fifth most rushing yards in a single game at NC State and one of just seven of at least 200 yards. He is the only Wolfpacker to get to 200 yards in less than 20 carries. Dayes' 85-yard touchdown burst in the game is the fifth-longest run ever at NC State. 2. Dayes vs. Notre Dame, 2016 After the game that was more famous for being played in the full affects of Hurricane Matthew, Dayes professed to having some of the most fun of his life playing in a football game. He somehow was able to rush for 126 yards on 23 carries in those conditions, help- ing NCSU win 10-3. 3. Safety Joshua Jones vs. Boston College, 2016 It came in a 21-14 loss, but this was the game that probably put Jones on the radar of NFL teams. He set a new career high with 15 tackles, including assisting on one for a loss, and made an interception. 4. Nickel Dravious Wright at Clemson, 2016 At one point during the national broadcast, play-by-play announcer Steve Levy felt the need to inform viewers at home that they had not turned up the field microphones and that NC State's defense was actually hitting that hard. Wright led the way. He forced two fumbles, one of which he recovered at the goal line and had nine tackles in the 24-17 overtime loss. 5. Dayes at North Carolina, 2016 With bowl eligibility on the line, Dayes didn't let a leg injury slow him down. He rushed 26 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns to help NC State race out to a 28-7 lead on its archrival and hang on for a 28-21 victory. 6. Linebacker Jerod Fernandez at North Carolina, 2016 In the win over the Heels, Fernandez led the defensive effort with a team-high 10 tackles, including 1.5 for loss. 7. Wide receiver JuMichael Ramos at Boston College, 2013 In a 38-21 loss, Ramos, then a true freshman, caught five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown — and became just the fifth true freshman to have a 100-yard receiving game. 8. Wide receiver Bra'Lon Cherry at South Florida, 2014 He ran twice on sweeps for a total of 20 yards, both of them touchdowns. He caught three passes for 50 yards, including one more score. NC State rolled to a 49-17 win. 9. Cornerback Jack Tocho vs. Syracuse, 2013 In his first career start, Tocho had three tackles and two interceptions in what would be a 24-10 Orange victory. 10. Running back Dakwa Nichols vs. Syracuse, 2015 Dayes was injured, and his partner in the backfield, Shadrach Thornton, had been dis- missed from the team earlier in the season. That forced Nichols to take on a larger role against the Orange and he responded with 12 rushes for 78 yards and a touchdown in the best effort of his career. Linebacker Jerod Fernandez helped lead the Wolfpack to a 28‑21 at North Carolina in the regular‑season finale in 2016, notching 10 tackles (1.5 for loss). PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN