NC State’s rushing attack finds its footing in win over Marshall

NC State’s running backs have not been able to establish a consistent effort this season. But against Marshall, the Wolfpack did, and it was led by sophomore tailback Michael Allen. 

Allen, who previously rushed for a season-high 47 yards on six carries against VMI in September, soared past that total with the Thundering Herd in town. He logged eight carries for 70 yards and a touchdown in NC State’s 48-41 win Saturday afternoon at Carter-Finley Stadium. 

The Greenville, N.C., native had shown flashes of his ability this season, but he found his footing in the Marshall contest. Allen accounted for three of the Wolfpack’s five explosive runs: a 14-yard scamper and a 12-yard gain in the first quarter, and a 37-yard touchdown dash in the third period. 

While Allen paced the Wolfpack in the rushing department — the second-most yards by a running back this season behind freshman Kendrick Raphael’s 85 yards against VMI — he wasn’t alone. Redshirt junior running back Delbert Mimms III added another 65 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Mimms added two explosive runs, an 18-yard touchdown in the second quarter and an 11-yard carry in the fourth.

NC State coach Dave Doeren was happy with the effort from his running back corps. 

“We need to be efficient in the run game,” Doeren said. “I feel like those backs really played hard tonight. Proud of them, proud of Michael. It was great to see him finally get to show his burst there in a run. Delbert has been great for us all year. He’s been a great short-yardage back, and showed that he’s got a little bit more than that in him today.”

While the running backs were able to find the end zone twice on Saturday night to take a load off the scoring burden, they also helped sophomore quarterback MJ Morris, who made his first start of the season. 

Allen and Mimms combined to average 5.6 yards per carry across 24 attempts. Their effectiveness allowed Morris to take a “mental break” at times during the game as he could hand the ball off and not have to worry about reading a coverage during the play, Doeren said. 

“The run game is a quarterback’s best friend,” Doeren said. “If he has to stand back there with drop back protection all game, it’s going to be a hard day. So keeping the defense in check, and being balanced, and having a physical run game, it helps the quarterback in more ways than you know.”

While only two of NC State’s running backs received carries against Marshall, redshirt junior Demarcus Jones II entered in pass protection situations. The Wolfpack were without Raphael, but Doeren said there’s a chance he could return next week at Duke. 

Morris, who threw for a career-best 265 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions on 17-of-32 passing in the win, called NC State’s running backs room “really special.”

He was appreciative of their ability to create big plays, which paid off against the Thundering Herd. 

“It’s definitely important to have running backs that can get the ball in space and create positive yards,” Morris said. “The run game helps the pass game, the pass game helps the run game. Me just trusting them, I’m gonna give them the ball and let them do what they do. That’s what they’re here for.”