CHAPEL HILL — With cold and rain in the forecast, NC State football knew it would need a big game from its running backs in Chapel Hill Saturday. That’s exactly what it got from senior Reggie Gallaspy in a 34-28 overtime win over the Tar Heels.
Gallaspy carried the ball 27 times for for 129 yards and all five of the Wolfpack’s touchdowns, including the game winner in overtime. The five touchdowns were a career high for Gallaspy, and the fifth tied the school record for rushing scores from one player in a single game. Gallaspy’s standout game allowed him and the Wolfpack’s senior class to close out their chapter in this rivalry with a third straight win.
“It’s amazing,” Gallaspy said. “I’m 3-1 now against UNC. Just leaving here with one of the best records, being able to have that bragging mark to say that I only lost once to UNC and that was my freshman year. It’s just amazing to be able to put it on my shoulders like that. Just a tribute out to Dr. Rubin who just passed away through Thanksgiving. He’d been with me through thick and thin, all my injuries. I did it for him, my daughter, just did it for the whole university.”
In overtime, after the Tar Heels missed a field goal from 37 yards out, the Pack took the ball from its 25, and Gallaspy went “best mode”, according to graduate quarterback Ryan Finley. He rushed six times for 20 yards, culminating in a 1-yard plunge that secured the Wolfpack’s third straight victory at Kenan Memorial Stadium.
“I thought Reggie Gallaspy was a war daddy, the way he ran at the end of the game,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “I’m so proud of that kid.”
The guy they call “the bus” showed some big-play ability in the third quarter, breaking free for a 34-yard touchdown and his longest run of the season. Gallaspy has battled injuries and adversity throughout his career, emerging as a leader for the Wolfpack out of the backfield in his senior season.
“Reggie’s got heart,” Doeren said. “I was just hugging him in the locker room, my sons were next to me. I told him that I hope my boys have the same heart he has when they get older. That kid is 100 percent heart. He’s tough; he won’t be denied. He plays behind his pads, he’s big, all that. But he’s so mentally and physically there. Playing for his daughter, he just has it all together right now. You’re not going to stop that guy. He’s going to square you up and he’s going to fall forward. It was fun having the bus rolling today.”
For Gallaspy, who has a two-year-old daughter, that’s the highest praise he could receive from his coach.
“It’s amazing,” Gallaspy said. “As your head coach, that’s somebody that’s supposed to be a role model for you to sit there and tell you that you’re a role model for his kids. That’s one of the things, also me being a father of a two-year-old daughter and knowing that me being a role model for her is impacting other kids. It’s just amazing just how god opened a lot of things for me, a lot of doors, a lot of opportunities. I can’t thank him enough for it.”
Gallaspy has provided the NC State running game with a spark all season in his first chance to be the lead back. He’s taken 190 carries for 792 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season. He has one regular season game remaining next week against East Carolina, plus a bowl game.
Putting the team on his back for a victory against its archrival in his last opportunity to do so will almost undoubtedly be the capstone of Gallaspy’s NC State legacy.
“The memory is just the fact that me and my boys did everything we can to beat UNC,” Gallaspy said. “It’s an amazing feeling. They knew I grinded everytime I stepped out on the practice field, anytime I stepped in the weight room. I busted my ass for them. They respect me for that. And they respect me because no matter how down I get on myself or how hurt I am, I’ll do whatever it takes for them. I love them boys, I love coach Doeren, coach Kitchings, all the coaching staff, all of this university. They’ve done so much for me, so I feel like I’ve got to do a lot for them.”
Senior running back Reggie Gallaspy Jr. follows blocks for the first touchdown of the game against UNC-Chapel Hill on Saturday, Nov. 24 in Kenan Memorial Stadium. Gallaspy tied the record for all time rushing touchdowns against UNC with five and also posted 129 yards. The Wolfpack took down the Tar Heels 34-28.
