NC State’s Matt Dayes and East Carolina’s Zay Jones both enhanced their NFL draft prospects with a strong week of practice leading up to the Senior Bowl. Saturday, both sealed the deal with even more impressive performances in the game itself. Dayes averaged 9.4 yards per carry and scored what turned out to be the decisive touchdown in a 16-15 victory for the South team in Mobile, Ala. The former Wolfpack running back gained 66 yards on seven carries in the prestigious college football all-star game in Mobile, Ala. Jones, meanwhile, showed Biletnikoff Award voters and his other detractors what they’d have seen all season had they been paying attention by catching a game-high six passes for 68 yards and a score that nearly helped the North team force overtime. As much of an impact as Jones made on the game, his two best catches came on plays that didn’t count. The first was high stretching catch in the back of the end zone that was ruled to be out of bounds, even though replays showed that he got his second foot down in play. Replay was not being used in the game. The second was a 43-yard touchdown catch in which he came down with the ball while falling backward between two defenders. The play not only showed off his catching ability, but also helped dispel the notion that he is nothing more than a short-yardage slot receiver, even though it was nullified by a holding penalty at the line.North Carolina wide receiver Ryan Switzer also had a productive week of practice, but didn’t play in the game because of what he termed via Twitter as “a nagging ankle injury.” Charlotte defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi played, but did not record any statistics.
