The NC State football team returns to Carter-Finley Stadium Saturday to face the Syracuse Orange in its second conference matchup of the season.
The Wolfpack (3-1, 1-0 ACC) is riding high from the biggest win in head coach Dave Doeren’s tenure, last week’s upset of No. 12 Florida State, 27-21; as a result, the matchup against the Orange (2-2, 0-0 ACC) could be considered a “trap game” for the Pack.
In the 2016 season, NC State was narrowly defeated by the eventual national champion Clemson Tigers in Death Valley, 24-17. After a stellar performance, the Pack laid an egg against Louisville, resulting in a 54-13 drubbing.
This time around, the Wolfpack’s opponent isn’t nearly as formidable as the Cardinals; however, Syracuse isn’t a team to scoff at.
Quarterback Eric Dungey is at the helm of the Orange offense, leading the team in passing and rushing yards. Dungey has thrown for 1,052 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. He currently ranks second in the ACC in pass attempts, airing it out to star wide receiver Steve Ishmael.
Ishmael has hauled in 45 receptions for 512 yards and a touchdown. He ranks first and second in the ACC in catches and receiving yards, respectively. He has started the 2017 season on a roll with four-straight 100-yard games. Furthermore, Ishmael also added to the Biletnikoff Award watch list on Tuesday, given to the nation’s best receiver regardless of position. Ishmael could be a headache for the injury-riddled NC State secondary.
On the defensive side, linebacker Parris Bennett is coming off a career day in last week’s loss to LSU, 35-26. Bennett recorded a season-high 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, a safety, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. Bennett helped end the Tigers’ streak of 12 consecutive nonconference games with a 100-yard rusher. His performance against LSU earned him ACC Linebacker of the Week honors.
In Syracuse’s loss to LSU, the Orange showed determination despite being down 28-10 with five minutes left in the third quarter. Syracuse closed the deficit to 28-26 with 5:40 left in regulation after the Bennett safety, a Dungey touchdown run and a Dungey touchdown pass to Ishmael. The Tigers would go on to run out the clock, sealing the victory with a touchdown run with less than two minutes to go.
While the Orange did lose to a struggling LSU team, it was still a solid effort against one of the top perennial SEC schools.
To smother the Syracuse passing attack, NC State’s defense will aim to mirror last week’s effort, and it begins with the defensive line.
Though Seminole wide receiver Auden Tate had a field day in the NC State secondary for nine catches, 138 yards and a touchdown, the offensive line struggled against the Pack’s front four. Headlined by an ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week in senior defensive end Bradley Chubb, the men in the trenches were in the backfield all afternoon, recording four sacks.
NC State has no shortage of offensive firepower with redshirt quarterback Ryan Finley, junior running back Nyheim Hines and senior all-purpose back Jaylen Samuels to name a few. However, if the defense fails to get to the quarterback, Dungey will air it out and turn this game into a shootout.
The Wolfpack takes on the Syracuse Orange Saturday in Carter-Finley Stadium at 12:20 p.m. NC State opens as the 12-point favorite.
