Some players set goals.  Others want to make history.

NC State running back Matt Dayes has lofty goals for himself, but he told me that he’s always been wired this way.

“My goal is to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving.  It’s just a goal that I set pretty high for myself.  It might seem impossible for anyone to reach it,” said Dayes. “I work hard and get my mind ready in the offseason, so that I can attain these goals.  It’s a goal I’d like to accomplish, and I’m working hard to get to that.”

To put this goal in perspective, Brian Westbrook is the only college football player at any level with 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.  In 1998, Westbrook recorded 1,046 rushing and 1,144 receiving yards for Villanova.  Marshall Faulk and Roger Craig are the only two NFL players to ever pull off this feat.

In 2014, Dayes was one of three players nationally with more than 300 yards rushing, receiving, and on returns.  He was the only player to reach those marks with 5 or more touchdowns rushing and receiving.  His 13 total touchdowns were the 6th highest total in school history for a single season, and were good for 3rd in the ACC last year.  Dayes collected 1,278 all-purpose yards, which led all Wolfpack players.  His sophomore numbers impressed many, but don’t count Dayes as one of them.

“A lot of people say I had a really good year last year.  I don’t think I had that good of a year last year.  I think I could have done a lot more,” said Dayes. “There were more yards on the field that I should have gotten.  I’ve been pushing myself extra hard in the offseason, working on my conditioning, because I know I have to run routes in games.  I’m just getting stronger and faster.  I feel great right now.”

Dayes has set big goals for himself, but he also has to compete with Senior running back Shadrach Thornton to reach them. Thornton was right on the cusp of 1,000 rushing yards last season, and he hopes to become the first 1,000 yard rusher at NC State since T.A. McLendon did it back in 2002.

“We push to get the best out of each other.  When Tony Creecy was here last year, he was pushing to get the best out of us also.  We bring the best out of each other, and perform on Saturdays.  We compete and have great practices.  We’re competitors on the field, but really good friends off the field.  It’s all love.”

If Matt Dayes ever reaches his goals he will be one of the best running backs in college football history. If he even gets close, he would be one of the best in NC State history.