Saturday’s 58-3 win over East Carolina was a special one for NC State football for a number of reasons. It gave head coach Dave Doeren a measure of revenge against an in-state opponent he came into the game 0-2 against. It saw redshirt junior receiver Jakobi Meyers break the school’s single-season receptions record, senior running back Reggie Gallaspy Jr. the single-season total touchdowns record and freshman kicker Chris Dunn the field goals record.
It also, after an excruciating loss to Wake Forest on the team’s official senior night, gave a senior class that has done a lot to elevate this program one last home game.
Among the players that walked off the field for the final time after the blowout win Saturday were Gallaspy, quarterback Ryan Finley, linebacker Germaine Pratt, offensive linemen Garrett Bradbury, Terronne Prescod and Tyler Jones, defensive linemen Darian Roseboro and Eurndraus Bryant, kicker Kyle Bambard and punter A.J. Cole III. Junior receiver Kelvin Harmon is almost certain to turn pro a year early as a potential first-round draft pick.
“This, for me, was senior week,” Doeren said. “Not that I didn’t make a big deal about it on Senior Day, but I’m not going to do the things I did for them this week. After everything they did for us, this one, for the coaching staff, was more of a senior sendoff.”
Depending on what decision he makes about playing in the bowl game and potential draft protection, Finley may have played his final game against ECU Saturday. If he did, he’s cemented his legacy among a great group of quarterbacks to come through NC State.
Finley now has 10,362 yards in his NC State career, second to only Philip Rivers, and 59 touchdowns to 23 interceptions. He made the decision to come back to school for one more season to lead this team, and help lead it to an ACC title. While the Wolfpack did not accomplish that ultimate goal, Finley played a key role in two years of continued growth for the Pack.
“I think it means a lot to all of us, and all of us seniors,” Finley said. “I’ve only been here three years, but there’s some seniors that have been here for four or five years. The transformation that the program’s been through in the three years I’ve been here and the four or five years they’ve been here is what college football is all about. It’s about coming to a program and leaving it better than you came to it.”
Bradbury, who has served as the leader of one of the best offensive lines in college football over the past two seasons, went out with a bang. With the Wolfpack’s offense on the 1-yard line following a fumble recovery by the defense, Bradbury got the call to plunge into the end zone.
The wild celebration saw Prescod punt the football into the stands. For Bradbury, getting to see all the milestones his teammates accomplished Saturday was a fitting end to the regular season.
“You always want to finish on a win, especially at home,” Bradbury said. “I think that’s how it’s supposed to look. A lot of guys had a lot of season and career milestones today. It was awesome to see. It’s a celebration for them individually and as a team.”
One player that’s certain to go down in Wolfpack lore is Gallaspy. After everything he’s gone through in his career, sitting behind other running backs as a backup and suffering multiple injuries, Gallaspy had a banner senior season.
His 220 yards Saturday gave him over 1,000 on the season, and this is the first time in school history NC State has had three separate 1,000-yard backs three years in a row. Gallaspy’s five touchdowns in this year’s win at UNC-Chapel Hill will be etched in Wolfpack fans’ memory forever.
For Gallaspy, the memory of giving his all to this program is all he needs.
“The fact that I was able to help the team win, that’s the thing that I’m proud of,” Gallaspy said. “Being able to do things like that with a great group of guys, that’s all that matters to me. All the accolades, it’s there, I’ll be proud of it. But the bond that you have with the brothers you have spent four or five years with is the most important thing.”
While NC State would have liked itself to test itself against West Virginia in week 3, replacing that game with this one offered a silver lining of allowing this group to end the season at home. It gave Wolfpack fans one last chance to see this senior class, one that has more than earned its place in the NC State record books.
