NC State RB Michael Allen had a season-best day; a healthy OL was a key reason why

Standing inside the Close-King Indoor Practice Facility on Tuesday afternoon, NC State sophomore running back Michael Allen and a smirk on his face as the question asked. The tailback, knowing graduate center Dylan McMahon wasn’t too far from the podium, had a witty answer. 

Allen had a season-high 70 yards in McMahon’s return to the lineup in the Wolfpack’s 48-41 win over Marshall on Saturday, so did that help make it easier to run?

“No, Dylan is not good,” Allen said in a sarcastic tone. “Nah, not really.”

His eyes darted to his left to see if McMahon heard it, which he did. But after that, Allen shared his true feelings about his world-class center. 

“I definitely saw a difference with Dylan back in there,” Allen said, this time honestly. “That’s the most rushing yards we’ve had in a minute, so for sure, he made a difference.”

Allen led the team in rushing against the Thundering Herd, which was just the second time this season that a running back paced the Wolfpack in that department. Through the first five games, graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong held that title for the first four FBS contests, and freshman running back Kendrick Raphael did it against VMI. 

But with sophomore quarterback MJ Morris at quarterback, and Raphael out with an undisclosed injury, it was redshirt junior Delbert Mimms III and Allen’s time to shine. It forced NC State offensive coordinator Robert Anae to use more designed runs for the backs, since Morris isn’t nearly the same type of running quarterback as Armstrong. 

“Without that type of quarterback, we’ve now hit a different brand of running the ball here, running the ball there,” Anae said Tuesday. “So yeah, very different.”

That new brand of running the ball in Raleigh paid off against the top-20 defense that the Thundering Herd boasted entering the contest. Allen and Mimms combined to carry the ball 25 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns — one score apiece. 

For Allen, the 37-yard scamper into the end zone in the third quarter was his first-career score, so to do it at Carter-Finley Stadium was the ideal scenario for the back. 

“I’m glad it came at home, a home game in front of a home crowd,” Allen said. “That means the world to me to go ahead and get that first blood out the way, in a sense. I was extremely excited.”

The Greenville, N.C., native had not rushed for more than 47 yards this season before Saturday. But on his second carry of the afternoon, he broke off a 14-yard dash — a drive that ended in a freshman wide receiver Kevin Concepcion 17-yard touchdown catch. 

Allen’s five carries on NC State’s second drive of the day allowed him to settle into the contest, which he said he enjoyed. 

“Just getting the ball early in the game to get into a rhythm, that’s how it’s always going to be with me,” Allen said. “That’s a huge thing for me, just to get that initial contact out the way, and get into a roll. I love it.”

The running back finished with nine carries on the day, which equaled his number of snaps played against Marshall. While he knows that his snaps are limited in the backfield rotation, Allen said each time he carries the ball is a chance to earn more reps. 

“Just being able that I know that I need to maximize my opportunities,” Allen said. “When I go in out there, knowing that I’m probably going to have to contribute in a type of way. So being as effective as I can, and produce as much as I can out there — when my number’s called, just make something happen.”

Allen and Mimms were able to use the designed gaps at a season-high rate, a combined 16 times, which outpaced zone runs for the first time this fall. And a big reason for that was McMahon’s return to the offensive line. 

The talented center allowed redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Lyndon Cooper to return to his usual spot at right guard, and the run game exploded. The offensive line as a unit came back with a renewed energy, and they channeled that with trying to hold their block just a hair longer. 

“We really emphasized one more second,” McMahon said. “Blocking one more second because we saw on plays where if we just pushed this guy five more inches or one more yard, they would break. … Really just emphasizing one more second of straining, that’s the biggest difference, I think.”

That mindset worked, and allowed the tailbacks to do their thing on the field against the Herd. And as NC State coach Dave Doeren has said it takes 11-man football for things to go the right way on the field, the five up front have immense trust in the running backs bursting through the holes they create. 

It was evident against Marshall, and the team hopes the tailbacks can continue to make an impact over the final six games.

“Our running backs, I swear, run the hardest in the nation,” McMahon said. “They run hard, they don’t stop. It’s just a blessing to be able to block for them, and to open holes. Having two, three, four guys in our running back room, whoever’s in there, we know they’ll give it their all.”