NC State running back Shadrach Thornton has served his 2-game suspension after violating a team rule, and he is ready to get back out on the field. According to running backs coach Des Kitchings, he is REALLY ready.
“We are going to have to ease him in because Shad is an ultra competitor. He wants to make up for lost time, obviously. It’s his Senior year. He wants to continue our momentum of winning,” said Kitchings. “He just has to be under control and not force the issue in the game. He just has to let it come to him, let his instincts take over, and go from there.”
Matt Dayes has obviously made the most of Thornton’s absence. He has crossed the century mark, and is off to the best start by an NC State running back since Joe McIntosh in 1983. From the outside looking in, this type of competition with two talented running backs might seem negative, but Kitchings believes that the two are at their best when both of them are on the field.
“Those guys work well together. Shad’s been cheering for Matt on the sidelines. They are always communicating with each other. They tell each other if they might have missed a cut or something. That’s the beauty of the running back room,” said Kitchings. “There is great communication amongst the guys, because overall we want to impact the team. It’s not about I’m getting my carries or Shad’s getting his carries. It’s about what are we doing collectively to help the offense win.”
According to Kitchings, Thornton has made the most of his 2-game stint on the Wolfpack sidelines.
“He’s been great. He’s been like an assistant coach on the sidelines. He’s been another set of eyes on the sidelines. He is seeing what is happening in the game and communicating. He even had Johnny Frasier beside him explaining the play calls,” said Kitchings. “He was telling him that ‘this is what is probably going to happen and this is what you should be looking for.’ It’s been good for Shad to be tuned in mentally, but it’s also been good for the other guys.”
In his weekly press conference, NC State head coach Dave Doeren affirmed that he believes the NC State is much more dangerous, and Thornton and Dayes are individually more dangerous, when both of them are on the field.
“It gets us back to where we want to be, playing Shadrach and Matt together, and rotating them to keep them fresh. I think it will help both of them throughout the season. We look forward to having him,”
said Doeren. “Their running styles are so different, even though it’s the same play, they are fit differently because of how they play. Shad is a guy that presses through things and runs through contact, where Matt makes people miss and has really good cutting ability.”
After news broke that NC State had dismissed Redshirt Freshmen Elliot Davis and Micah Till earlier this week, some were left wondering what Thornton had done to remain on the team after numerous violations of team rules. Doeren set the record straight at his press conference.
“In every situation I always ask is there a reason for me to keep working with this guy. Is he remorseful? Is he going to get better? At some point you reach the place where you say ‘I can’t help you anymore. I’m done.’ With him I didn’t feel that way,”
said Doeren. “He is the best him that he has been since I have been here. I’m excited that he gets to play. He’s been through a lot. Some of it he brought on himself and he has learned from it. If I felt like I couldn’t help him anymore, he wouldn’t be here.”
