The NC State football team achieved its first conference victory in two years after a nail-biting, 24-17 clash against the Syracuse Orange on Saturday.
“It’s good to be back on the winning side of things,” Head Coach Dave Doeren said. “You can just see the light in our players’ faces right now. I’m proud of them for fighting the way they did today. It’s not about me at all, it’s about them.”
The first quarter saw rock-solid defense from the Pack, which only allowed two first downs and 14 total yards. The Wolfpack front seven limited the Orange to -3 yards on nine carries.
The Wolfpack offense took advantage, as senior place kicker Niklas Sade booted a pair of field goals in the opening quarter. His second score broke the NC State record for all-time field goals made, beating Mike Cofer (1982-86), who previously held the record with 50.
NC State’s closest chance in the first half of breaking the end zone came midway through the second quarter, as a short pass and sideline dash by sophomore Bra’Lon Cherry, as well as a late hit to Jacoby Brissett brought the Pack to the 5-yard line, but Syracuse forced a field goal, giving NC State a 9-0 lead.
The Syracuse offense got rolling in the final minutes of the first half. Freshman quarterback A.J. Long heaved a 30-yard pass under pressure to senior receiver Jerrod West before finishing the drive in the final seconds of the half by finding junior wideout Ben Lewis for a 15-yard touchdown.
Long continued to make plays as the second half opened. After rushing for two first downs in the first drive of the third quarter, Long connected on a 25-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Steve Ishmael to take the lead, 14-9.
As the Wolfpack offense struggled to gain first downs, the defense stepped up to shift the game’s momentum. Redshirt freshman defensive end Pharaoh McKever intercepted a Long pass late in the third quarter and returned the ball 82 yards for a touchdown.
“My intention was to jump in front of the quarterback lane,” McKever said. “When I got the ball in my hands, my intention was to go. I hadn’t run in a long time.”
State added two more points after the touchdown with a shovel pass to sophomore running back Matt Dayes and entered the fourth quarter with a 17-14 advantage.
With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, senior linebacker Rodman Noel stripped the ball from Long, who tried to rush up the middle. Redshirt freshman defensive end Kenton Gibbs recovered the ball on the Orange’s 35-yard line.
Doeren and offensive coordinator Matt Canada then unleashed the one-two punch in its power combo of running backs. The short drive saw effective running up the middle by Dayes, who secured a first down. On third down at the 18, Brissett made a quick throw to junior running back Shadrach Thornton who ran past three defenders for the score, seemingly securing the win for the Pack.
Syracuse hurriedly initiated a drive that needed a score to put the game within reach. The team advanced to the doorstep of the end zone but was denied the six points. Pack grad student defensive end Art Norman accrued two hard-hitting sacks on the drive, forcing a field goal.
After putting the team within seven, Syracuse narrowly recovered an onside kick that bordered the 10-yard line and carried it to the end zone. The touchdown was called back due to the rule that the kicking team is not allowed to advance the ball.
Syracuse started at the 46-yard line with 17 seconds remaining. The team’s hopes relied on a hail-Mary pass headed toward the end zone, but it was intercepted by redshirt freshman safety Josh Jones to seal the victory for the Pack.
Saturday’s win lifted a tremendous weight off the shoulders of Doeren, who achieved his first-ever ACC win. The Wolfpack also escaped below .500 status, as the team now moves to 5-4 (1-4 ACC) on the season.
“This win was the start of our new season,” Brissett said. “It’s a four-game stretch, and we need all of them. We need one to be bowl eligible. It’s one game at a time, and if we go out with that mindset, then anything’s possible. We could win every one.”
Brissett was 20-for-32, throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown. Freshman fullback Jaylen Samuels led the team in rushing with 46 yards in two attempts. Cherry led the receiving corps with four catches for 64 yards. Syracuse’s A.J. Long was 22-for-42 with 307 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense clearly affected the outcome of the game for the Pack, accruing eight total sacks and causing three second-half turnovers.
The Wolfpack will play against Georgia Tech for homecoming on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
