Ask NC State running back Matt Dayes about his breakout year in 2014, and he quickly issues a correction.

"I wouldn’t call it a breakout year for me," Dayes says.

A double-check of the stats shows Dayes was one of just three players nationally with more than 300 yards rushing, receiving and in returns; he led the Wolfpack with 1,278 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns; and he won team Offensive MVP honors.

If that doesn’t qualify as a breakout season, what does?

"Make it to an ACC championship and individually, I would love to have 1,000 rushing yards this season and 1,000 receiving yards -- if that’s even possible," he said. "Those are my personal goals and team goals."

To do that, Dayes would have to accomplish the nearly impossible. Brian Westbrook is the only player in Division I history (FBS or FCS) to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in one season, accomplishing the incredible feat at Villanova in 1998.

Plus, he shares running back duties with Shad Thornton -- not to mention quarterback Jacoby Brissett getting carries of his own. But Dayes says he always has had high standards for himself, going back to his days in high school.

For him, being good is not good enough. Though he played as a true freshman and ran for 252 yards, he called that season a bad time in his life because he came into camp out of shape, did not produce enough, and he had a hard time juggling his schoolwork.

He rededicated himself last spring and became an integral part of the offense, helping NC State average 204.5 yards rushing, its highest average since 1992. With Dayes, Thornton, and Tony Creecy in the backfield -- and Brissett a big part of the run game as well -- the Wolfpack became one of the most balanced offenses in the ACC.

Dayes had hoped for a 1,000 yard season, but ended up with 573 yards on the ground to rank third on the team. He was second with 32 receptions, which went for 321 yards; and he added 384 yards in returns.

Among the players who hit 300 yards in all three categories, Dayes is the only player with five or more touchdowns rushing and receiving. He ended up ranking No. 3 in the ACC in scoring, with 80 points.

"I thought it was down year for me because I expected so much more," Dayes said. "I’m happy with what the team did, but I’m not really happy with what I did. I always want more."

Why does he put so much pressure on himself?

"I always try to be the best at everything that I do," he said. "Someone else is always working hard, so I have to work harder and outperform someone else."

Dayes already has set sky-high goals for himself, but he also wants to make sure he slims down a little more and stays in the 203-205 pound range while building muscle. So far this spring, his teammates have noticed a renewed energy out of him.

"He’s always been fast and explosive," receiver Bra'Lon Cherry said. "He’s being more of a leader, and everybody is looking up to him to make big plays. He’s another big playmaker on our team. We’re going to make sure that he does all he can and plays to his best, and he’ll make us play to our best."

There should be plenty of opportunities. Not only is Dayes expected to get a few more carries, the NC State receiver group is young and trying to build depth, so it would not be a huge surprise if the Wolfpack uses Dayes more out of the backfield to help out the passing game.

"He’s very versatile," offensive coordinator Matt Canada said. "He has great hands, he’ll catch it and find a hole. He’s a great football player. He was our offensive MVP because of his versatility."

If he has an even bigger year, Dayes could be a repeat winner.

ACC reporter Jared Shanker contributed to this report.