NC State running back Matt Dayes out for season with foot injury

NC Staterunning backMatt Dayeswill miss the remainder of the season because of a foot injury, coach Dave Doeren announced Thursday.

Dayes will undergo surgery Friday.

"I'm disappointed for Matt because he was having a really good year," Doeren said in a release. "But in football you've got to have a 'next man up' mentality, and I'm confident that his teammates will be ready to take on bigger roles and be successful."

Dayes sat out the second half of last weekend's loss toClemsonwith what Doeren described afterward as a toe injury. Speaking after Thursday morning's practice, Doeren said Dayes hadbeen rehabbing the injury but was still sore and had done "very little" in practice this week.

Doeren said Dayes was meeting with a medical specialist later in the day to discuss the injury, though the school hasn't specified the exact nature of the injury.

"Matt's a tough guy," Doeren said after practice. "His pain tolerance is incredibly high. He wanted to come back in the game on Saturday, but the docs just didn't feel that was the right thing to do."

Dayes, a 5-foot-9, 203-pound junior, leads the ACC in rushing touchdowns with 12. He is third in the league in rushing yards (865), and his 108.1 rushing yards per game this season are the most for a Wolfpack player since 1981 (Joe McIntosh).

Dayes became an even bigger focal point for NC State upon fellow running back Shadrach Thornton's dismissal from the program Sept. 30.

NC State (5-3, 1-3 ACC) travels Saturday to Boston College before going to Florida State the following week.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.