No. 15 NC State football dropped to 5-2 with a 24-9 loss at No. 18 Syracuse on Saturday, Oct. 15. It was more of the same for the Wolfpack as the defense created opportunities the offense couldn’t capitalize on.
The loss of redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary, sophomore running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and redshirt junior wide receiver Devin Carter hampered the Wolfpack (5-2, 1-2 ACC) who didn’t score a touchdown, only posting nine points on three field goals against Syracuse (6-0, 3-0 ACC).
The game was pretty even from a pure numbers standpoint; Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader threw two interceptions, while the Pack didn’t turn the ball over at all. NC State created 255 yards of total offense and moved the ball into the red zone three times. The problem was the Pack’s inability to finish off drives and put touchdowns on the board.
This game felt like a microcosm of NC State Athletics over the past couple decades. There were so many little plays and mistakes, and it feels like this could’ve been a completely different ballgame. A couple missed tackles here and there and missed opportunities in the red zone, and it feels like the Wolfpack season is completely dead. This was a team that had aspirations to win the ACC, but going into its week 8 bye, there is zero chance it wins the Atlantic.
There are few positives that can be taken away from this performance, but graduate transfer quarterback Jack Chambers showed flashes that he can give the Wolfpack some solid production the rest of the season. The defense once again showed up, causing two turnovers and giving Pack a chance to win this game.
Credit has to be given to Syracuse head coach Dino Babers and his team. The Orange had a lot of injuries on the defensive side of the ball and continued to make big plays when it needed to. Oronde Gadsden II had a monster game, going for eight receptions, 141 yards and two touchdowns.
With the loss of Leary, it feels like the Wolfpack is going to struggle the rest of the season to win games due to the lack of offense that will be produced. The offense struggled when Leary was playing, and now with the ACC Preseason Player of the Year out, it’s hard to imagine how NC State is going to move the ball. However, the schedule gets easier when a struggling Virginia Tech team comes to Raleigh on Oct. 27 before the biggest test left on the schedule against No. 14 Wake Forest on Nov. 5.
Kickoff against the Hokies is set for 7:30 p.m.
