A week after No. 20 NC State football’s 45-42 loss at Wake Forest, the Syracuse Orange will try to stomp out any remaining embers of hope for a ACC Atlantic title for the Pack when Syracuse comes to Raleigh on Saturday, Nov. 20.
The Orange (5-5, 2-4 ACC) sports one of the most run-heavy offenses in the nation, ranking fifth in the nation and first in the ACC in rushing yards per game. A tenacious front seven will also seek to stifle the Wolfpack (7-3, 4-2 ACC) by winning the battle in the trenches.
“They’ve got a good defensive line,” said head coach Dave Doeren. “I think it’s really important — [offensive line] coach [John] Garrison and [offensive coordinator Tim] Beck will do this, and [running backs] coach [Kurt] Roper — what part of the blocking schemes for the protections and play actions in the run game fit best.”
On the offensive end, running back Sean Tucker is Syracuse’s stalwart in the rushing attack. The freshman measures in at a stout 5-foot-10, 210 pounds, and he is not afraid to throw that weight around. Tucker leads the ACC in rushing yards per game, so the Wolfpack defense will have to take on the tall order of bottling him before he can get going.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader is a solid running threat in his own right, averaging 71.3 rushing yards per game, but calling him a dual-threat quarterback is a stretch. Shrader rushes almost as much as he passes with 140 and 190 attempts, respectively, but his seven touchdowns through the air compared to 13 on the ground establish that Shrader is much more threatening while carrying the ball than while slinging it around the field.
“They’re No. 1 in the conference in rushing offense and have the top running back statistically in the league,” Doeren said. “Their quarterback rushes the ball well and is a North Carolina native. And they embrace [head coach] Dino [Babers]’ mentality. …I have a lot of respect for him. You can see that they’ve changed a lot; he’s playing to his personnel.”
Simply put, if the Pack stops the running game, it will stop the Syracuse offense altogether. NC State will have opportunities to nip drives in the bud and keep its defense well-rested, as the Orange hold the second-worst third down conversion percentage in the ACC. In the absence of long, grueling drives that wear down the defense, Syracuse doesn’t have much going for it on offense.
The Orange defense is another story. Although it specializes in overwhelming the opposing offensive line, Syracuse can use this pressure to affect both the passing and rushing attacks of its opponents. This versatility of the Orange front seven is demonstrated by Syracuse allowing the third-fewest passing yards per game and the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game in the ACC.
A solid core of linebackers and defensive lineman make the Orange defense operate, but chief among them is linebacker Mikel Jones. With 82 tackles on the season, Jones leads the Syracuse defense in its charge towards opposing ball carriers, but right there with him is a solid supporting cast of defenders.
Most notably, defensive lineman Cody Roscoe sits at third in the ACC in tackles for loss and is tied for third in sacks. Linebackers Stefon Thompson and Marlowe Wax as well as defensive lineman Kingsley Jonathan round out the defensive core for the Orange.
Suffice it to say that NC State’s offensive line needs to be on its A-game if it wants to protect redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary and create lanes for State’s backfield core of sophomore Zonovan Knight and junior Ricky Person Jr. But if the offensive line can rise up to the challenge and hold Syracuse at bay, Leary should have a relatively easy time picking apart the Orange secondary in the Pack’s penultimate game of the regular season.
Although the Wolfpack’s chances of winning the ACC Atlantic now sit at just 15% according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, head coach Dave Doeren’s squad has an opportunity to stay afloat in its quest for an ACC Championship. That quest will continue against the Orange on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
“We got a lot to play for and it starts with this game with Syracuse, a very physical team,” Doeren said. “They’re a very good defensive football team. They’re in the top 20 in a couple categories and top three in our league in several.”
