Matthew Dayes is a Featured Back for NC State. Matthew's 2016 season ranks in the 0th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 288 plays — a developing rate for the RB.
The centerpiece of the run game — high carry volume, used in early downs and goal-line, true workhorse role.
Players from 2014–2024 matched on EPA efficiency, play volume, and adjusted value tier — not just one metric.
| Player | Team | Yr | Plays | WEPA/play | Line val | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2016 | 288 | 0.340 | 3.9 | 97.9 |
| Donnel Pumphrey | San Diego State | 2016 | 344 | 0.320 | 4.2 | 110.1 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2016 | 292 | 0.340 | 4.3 | 99.3 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 2020 | 301 | 0.340 | 4.5 | 102.3 |
| Eno Benjamin | Arizona State | 2018 | 316 | 0.330 | 4.6 | 104.3 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | Car | Rush Yds | Avg | Rush TD | Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TD | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsWilliam & Mary | W48-14 | — | 23 | 138 | 6.0 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0.36 |
| 2 | @East Carolina | L30-33 | -9.0 | 14 | 103 | 7.4 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Chart shows per-game EPA (bars) and rolling 5-game average (line). Season breaks marked with dashed lines. Line value = est. points over replacement per game.
Car 9 · Rush Yds 47 · Avg 5.2 · Rush TD 0
| 0 |
| 4 |
| 15 |
| 0 |
| -0.10 |
| 3 | vsOld Dominion | W49-22 | -0.7 | 14 | 71 | 5.1 | 0 | 4 | 49 | 0 | 0.25 |
| 5 | vsWake Forest | W33-16 | -0.6 | 24 | 125 | 5.2 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.19 |
| 6 | vsNotre Dame | W10-3 | 15.7 | 23 | 126 | 5.5 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0.04 |
| 7 | @Clemson | L17-24 | 28.7 | 22 | 106 | 4.8 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 0 | 0.25 |
| 8 | @Louisville | L13-54 | 22.9 | 5 | 13 | 2.6 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 0 | -0.02 |
| 9 | vsBoston College | L14-21 | -1.6 | 19 | 45 | 2.4 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 0 | -0.20 |
| 10 | vsFlorida State | L20-24 | 24.0 | 23 | 104 | 4.5 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 0 | 0.04 |
| 11 | @Syracuse | W35-20 | -2.7 | 27 | 108 | 4.0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0.01 |
| 12 | vsMiami | L13-27 | 18.6 | 20 | 76 | 3.8 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | -0.19 |
| 13 | @North Carolina | W28-21 | 15.9 | 26 | 104 | 4.0 | 2 | 3 | 36 | 0 | 0.15 |
| 1 | vsVanderbilt | W41-17 | -1.2 | 9 | 47 | 5.2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | -0.55 |
