No. 6 Syracuse (4-0) plays its first away game of the 2016 season when it kicks off against North Carolina State (1-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. The Orange comes off a double-overtime win over St. John’s. The unranked Wolfpack surrendered a goal in the 77th-minute to fall to North Florida, 3-2 on Sunday. The contest is the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

If Syracuse wins, it’ll be the first year it won its first five games since 1984, when SU started 7-0. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s game.

All-time series: Syracuse leads 3-2-1

Last time they played: The Orange played the Wolfpack twice last year in a two-week span. On Oct. 23 at SU Soccer Stadium, a Louis Cross front-post header with less than five minutes left gave No.15 Syracuse the 2-1 win. In the first round of the ACC tournament on Nov. 4, the Orange shut out NC State 2-0 en route to its first ACC championship and College Cup appearance.

The North Carolina State report: The Wolfpack is off to a somewhat slow start, coming off two losses to unranked nonconference opponents. Only three different Wolfpack players have scored a goal this year, whereas six SU players have already scored. But NC State has a strong team, Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre said. The Wolfpack went 2-3-3 last year vs. Top 25 teams. Two of those three losses came to Syracuse.

How Syracuse beats North Carolina State: Continue to spread the wealth and maintain possession. Syracuse has dominated its first four opponents, and it’s shown on the scoreboard. But SU has dominated possession, too, and kept opponents’ playmakers silent. Limit Ade Taiwo, and Syracuse should come out on top in the first game of conference play.

Stats to know:

667:36 — Minutes of gameplay Syracuse had gone without trailing, dating back to last year, until St. John’s took a 2-1 lead Sunday night.

45 — Percent of Syracuse goals scored by either Johannes Pieles or Chris Nanco this season.

3 — Number of goals the Orange has given up in four games this season. Syracuse has scored 11.

Player to watch: Ade Taiwo, forward, No. 9

Taiwo has taken just five shots on goal to score three times already. No other NC State player has scored more than once. Taiwo, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound redshirt sophomore, has overcome two ACL tears to become one of the conference’s best offensive players thus far this year. The 2012 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year scored two goals last year. He’s already surpassed that total in three games.

“I think what you’re seeing now is what he’s capable of,” Wolfpack head coach Kelly Findley said.

Published on September 9, 2016 at 11:50 am

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21