Then-No. 14 NC State football defeated Florida State Oct. 8 to move to 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. NC State struggled mightily in the first half, going down 17-3 by halftime and looking completely hopeless on offense. Even with injuries to redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary, sophomore running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and junior wide receiver Devin Carter, the Pack found a way to defeat the Seminoles 19-17.
Defense Saves the Day, Again
The NC State defense gave up 17 points in the first half, which was not ideal, but responded by shutting FSU out in the second. The Seminoles had six drives in the second half, two of which resulted in interceptions, three in three-and-outs and one where FSU got one first down before punting. Junior linebacker Drake Thomas played incredibly, winning ACC Linebacker of the week and the Bednarik Award Player of the Week. Thomas had 14 tackles, two tackles for loss, two pass breakups and a QB hurry. Sophomore defensive back Devan Boykin was the hero, picking off Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis in the end zone in the fourth quarter to seal the game for the Wolfpack.
Dunn Stays Perfect
Graduate kicker Chris Dunn was easily the MVP of this game for the Wolfpack, going 4-for-4 on field goals. Dunn made field goals from 38, 40, 53 and 27 yards, good enough to be named the Lou Garza star and ACC specialist of the week.
When Leary got injured, the Wolfpack struggled to move the ball, only gaining 91 yards from scrimmage after losing QB1. The Pack managed to win this game by creating favorable field position off of a turnover and a special teams mistake by Florida State, presenting the opportunity for Dunn to kick three field goals in the second half, giving the Pack a two-point advantage which the defense held on to for the final six minutes of the game.
Looking Ahead to Syracuse
This week, the Pack travel to Syracuse, New York to take on the No. 18 Orange, as an underdog for only the second time this season. Despite the Wolfpack’s higher preseason rankings and current advantage in the polls, the Orange finds itself as 3.5-point favorites.
This could be attributed to injury concerns and the fact the game is in the JMA Wireless Dome. Graduate quarterback Jack Chambers will most likely be the starter in this game for the Pack. Chambers transferred to NC State from Charleston Southern where last year he made All-Big South Second Team throwing for 2,490 yards and 17 touchdowns, also rushing for 477 yards and seven touchdowns. However, if the Pack is going to win this game and keep its ACC championship hopes alive, the recipe for success will be similar to what it was against Florida State — the defense forcing turnovers and creating opportunities for Dunn to put points on the board.
