No. 22 North Carolina State (5-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) visits Syracuse (5-2, 2-2) in the Carrier Dome on Saturday night.

The Orange is coming off a double-overtime squeaker against North Carolina, and the Wolfpack got thumped by No. 2 Clemson, 41-7, last weekend. Led by NFL prospect quarterback Ryan Finley, NC State is the first obstacle in the way of a five-win SU team trying to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2013.

Here’s what to know before Saturday’s matchup.

All-time series: North Carolina State leads, 10-1.

Last time they played: Syracuse visited Raleigh, North Carolina, a season ago and got clipped 33-25. NCSU built a 26-7 lead early in the third quarter, and despite Eric Dungey’s best efforts —  30 of 47 passes for 385 yards, 44 rushing yards and three total touchdowns — SU didn’t have the momentum to come back.

Running backs Nyheim Hines and Jaylen Samuels dominated against the Orange — the two combined for 28 carries, 189 yards and two touchdowns. Finley was efficient, completing 20 of 33 passes for 186 yards and a score. Defensive lineman Bradley Chubb finished with 3.5 tackles for loss, two of them sacks.

The North Carolina State report: The offense this season — sans Hines — revolves around Finley, the quarterback. In featuring Finley this season, the Wolfpack has allowed only three sacks in six games, the second-best sacks per game number (0.5) out of 129 FBS teams. The NCSU offensive line has earned Pro Football Focus’ top grade for an ACC offensive line so far this season.

 

With consistently clean pockets, Finley has completed 68.3 percent of his passes for nearly 300 yards a game — 15^th nationally. He has 10 touchdowns to five interceptions and has accounted for 66.8 percent of the Wolfpack’s total yardage. His top target is Kelvin Harmon, who is second on the Wolfpack with 35 receptions and averages 15.6 yards per catch, top on the team among players with 10 or more receptions.

Last season, the defense, led by Chubb, the eventual No. 5-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, featured a fearsome pass rush. NCSU tallied nine tackles for loss in 2017’s matchup with SU, including three sacks. That passing rush unit has 15 sacks through six games this year.

How Syracuse beats North Carolina State: Get after Finley and build a lead.

The key to stopping NC State’s offense is stopping Finley. With two starting cornerbacks — Chris Fredrick and Scoop Bradshaw — questionable heading into Saturday, Syracuse might have to lean on its pass rush to disrupt the precise passer. To date, Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson have combined for 13 sacks, but production’s been slow in recent weeks. If Finley is under constant stress, the Wolfpack offense will struggle.

Syracuse is at its best when it scores early and often. Against Western Michigan, Syracuse pummeled the Broncos in the first quarter thanks to a blistering start. By getting out and taking a lead, SU can get the Wolfpack off its game plan and create advantageous situations for the defense to get after Finley.

Player to watch: Ryan Finley, quarterback, No. 15

Finley makes this whole team work. Projected to be taken at some point in the 2019 NFL Draft, he’s the key to stopping the Wolfpack. The graduate student is currently having one of the best statistical seasons of his career, posting high in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating. If the offensive line keeps up the high-level play and Finley has time to work, it’ll be an uphill battle for the Orange.

 Player to watch: Kelvin Harmon, wide receiver, No. 3

Harmon is currently NC State’s leading wide receiver, continuing his role from a season ago. At 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds with some of the best hands in college football, Harmon is currently CBS’ No. 20-ranked NFL prospect in the nation. He has tremendous size and the athleticism to beat nearly any cornerback in a foot race or over the top. Harmon didn’t start playing organized football until he was 13, but quickly became one of the top wide receivers in the country. In his first two years at NC State, he’s put forth two of the top freshman and sophomore seasons in school history. Last year as a sophomore, he posted the first 1,000-yard season at NC State since 2003. His best asset is his hands — Harmon works on the jug machines every day, he said, working different angles and different hand positioning to try to account for anything he may see on the field. The biggest key for NC State to succeed, Harmon said, is double coverage against a wideout.

“Sometimes times teams try to bracket one player and that allows us to go deep across the board,” Harmon said. “Someone’s gonna be open.”

Published on October 25, 2018 at 12:31 am

Contact Andrew: aegraham@syr.edu | @A_E_Graham