The NC State football team finally ended a four-game losing streak in Saturday’s 35-20 victory against Syracuse. This was a must-win game as the team is doing what it can to keep hopes of a bowl game alive; it will need to upset either Miami or UNC-Chapel Hill to get to the six wins required for postseason play. Here are the top performers from the victory.
Bradley Chubb
In a season filled with “what ifs” for the Wolfpack, the junior captain has been incredible this season. With sophomore quarterback Eric Dungey out for the Orange, it needed to get the running game going to help out junior Zack Mahoney. It failed to do that, rushing for just 28 yards on the day, and Chubb was a big reason why.
Chubb accounted for two of the three sacks by the Wolfpack defense that applied constant pressure to Mahoney. He was also a force to be reckoned with against the run, leading the team with seven tackles, four TFLs and a forced fumble. The defense as a whole combined for 13 TFLs. On the season, Chubb has 47 tackles, leads the team with 18 TFLs and eight sacks and is tied for the first on the team with four quarterback hits and four forced fumbles.
Airius Moore
The junior linebacker also played a big part in limiting Syracuse’s rushing attack. Moore finished the game tied for second in tackles with five, four of which were behind the line of scrimmage, and a pass breakup. On the season, he is third on the team with 64 tackles and second with 12 TFLs.
Moore’s most impressive play came on third and 18 in the second quarter when he read a screen pass from Mahoney to sophomore Dontae Strickland perfectly and brought him down for a 6-yard loss. This forced Syracuse to punt from deep in its own territory, resulting in the Wolfpack starting its next drive in great field position.
Matt Dayes
After a rough two-game stretch against Louisville and Boston College, the senior running back once again eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the second time in as many games and the seventh time on the season. Dayes also tied his career-high with three rushing touchdowns to go with his 118 yards from scrimmage.
The offensive line has struggled in the trenches over the last four games, as the majority of Dayes’ yardage in the last two weeks have come on runs outside the tackles. Despite his smaller build, he is a tough runner who fights for every yard and offers versatility as a receiver as well. He is just 61 yards away from becoming the first NC State player to run for 1,000 yards or more in a season since 2002.
Player to Watch: Kelvin Harmon
In case you haven’t been watching him up to this point, the freshman wide receiver has been a human highlight reel for the Wolfpack this season and added to that against Syracuse. In the beginning of the third quarter, Harmon caught a pass on a slant route, bounced off two would-be tacklers and broke away from another en route to a 68-yard touchdown.
This was his longest play of the season as he showed off his unique combination of size, speed and strength. He now leads the team with five receiving touchdowns and ranks fourth with 390 yards. Additionally, he eclipsed 100 receiving yards for the first time of his career, finishing with four catches for 101 yards. According to NC State Athletics, he became the fifth receiver to earn at least 100 receiving yards in a game this season, a school record.
Other takeaways
This was NC State’s first road victory of the season, as it lost to ECU, Clemson and Louisville on the road before this. Additionally, this was the first time the Wolfpack scored more than two touchdowns in a game this season since the 33-16 win against Wake Forest Oct. 1, as the offense struggled against some of the premier defenses in the ACC.
It’s amazing to see this offense roll when it gets junior tight end Jaylen Samuels involved. Against the Orange, he had six catches for 66 yards and three rushes for 26 yards and a touchdown. In the three losses against Clemson, Louisville and Boston College, he combined for one carry for no yards. In all other games, he has 25 carries for 157 yards and five touchdowns, and the Pack is 5-2 in those games.
Redshirt sophomore Ryan Finley briefly left the game in the second quarter, allowing redshirt sophomore Jalan McClendon to get some playing time. He was a good weapon in the running game but struggled as a passer, completing three of five passes for 20 yards and two interceptions, one of which was a costly pick in the end zone.
Finley, on the other hand, threw for a career-high 340 yards and a touchdown and completed 20 of 29 passes, further establishing himself as the starting quarterback. McClendon appears to have more potential, as he possess a stronger arm and superior athletic ability, but has struggled in the opportunities he has gotten.
As previously mentioned, this was a must-win game for the Wolfpack team that now only needs one more win to earn bowl-eligibility. Its best chance will come in the home finale against Miami Nov. 19, but it will have another shot in the season finale against the Tar Heels Nov. 25. Either way, it will have to upset a team that has ranked in the top 25 at some point this season.
