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In its fourth and final game of the midseason home stretch, Syracuse University will take on No. 15 NC State, the first of seven opportunities remaining for the Orange to earn their one remaining victory needed to qualify for their first bowl game since 2018. Syracuse had two weeks and much of the Wagner game to fine-tune its units and recharge for the highly anticipated top-20 matchup on Saturday.

The Wolfpack are rolling following their 2021 9-3 finish, the second-straight winning season under head coach Dave Doeren, one in which they throttled Syracuse at home 41-17. They narrowly escaped East Carolina in the opening week, only pulling out the victory after the Pirates’ kicker missed an extra point. They rattled off three straight wins before almost beating then-No. 5 Clemson and beating Florida State 19-17. Quarterback Devin Leary went down last week with an injury to his throwing shoulder, and while the MRI over the weekend came back clean, Doeren wouldn’t give an indication as to whether or not he’d play against SU.

Ahead of Syracuse’s first top-25 matchup and third Atlantic Coast Conference opponent of the season, here’s everything you need to know about NC State.

All-time series

NC State leads 13-2.

Last time they played

Last November, the Orange blew their second chance to qualify for a bowl game after allowing a 28-point second quarter in a 24-point loss to NC State. Those four touchdowns came in the final 6:14 of the first half. Leary finished with 303 passing yards on a 17-of-24 performance. On the other side, Garrett Shrader threw a pick-six and the special teams unit gave up a 97-yard kickoff return to Zonovan Knight.

Thayer Thomas gathered four catches for 80 receiving yards and a touchdown as well. The game marked the first time since the 2016 Independence Bowl that NC State had scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams in the same game.

Despite just rushing for one touchdown, Sean Tucker finished with 105 yards on the ground, his ninth 100-yard game of the season to that point. Tucker rattled off a 17-yard run in the second quarter to break Joe Morris’ Syracuse record for rushing yards in a single season.

The Wolfpack report

NC State returned a great deal of its offensive starters from last year, including Leary and Thomas. It features a two-headed rushing attack as well, likely the best the Orange will face so far this season. Junior Jordan Houston is averaging 52 rushing yards per game and also has 130 total receiving yards this season. Sophomore Demie Sumo-Karngbaye enters Saturday’s game as the Wolfpack’s rushing leader. Despite garnering fewer carries than Houston, Sumo-Karngbaye has 299 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns.

On defense, though, they’ve allowed more total first downs than Syracuse’s defense. The Wolfpack have seven players who have double-digit unassisted tackles. Led by Drake Thomas, a 2021 first-team All-ACC selection and the Wolfpack’s reigning tackles leader, the defense has only allowed 30 points once this season. On offense, they average four yards per rushing attempt and 10.8 receiving yards per catch.

“A lot of their guys played a lot of games. A lot of our guys played a lot of games. And they know each other,” head coach Dino Babers said. “The only thing we don’t know is how much they improved in the last 12 months.”

How Syracuse beats NC State

Syracuse needs to stick to its formula — balance an air raid offense with Sean Tucker’s rushing ability. The Orange are fourth in the conference in points per game and average the second-most yards per catch. Despite being a middle-to-bottom of the pack offense on paper, they rank third in the conference with a 172.6 efficiency rating — something must be working for Robert Anae and Babers.

NC State also flashes a 3-3-5 defense, the perfect counter attack to a spread offense. With as many interceptions as the Wolfpack have this season, the game should stand as a legitimate test of whether or not Shrader can rely on long passes. Bearing this, it’s important for Syracuse to not shy away from Tucker too much.

Defensively, the Orange must capitalize on Leary, who’d play injured, or the former Football Championship Series backup Jack Chambers, whose talent is far inferior. It’s a tall order to prepare for both quarterbacks in just one week. Babers said they had to go back to researching for both quarterbacks after Leary’s injury on Saturday. Thomas will have to be locked up early and often, and the other five receivers that already have over 100 yards this season need to be neutralized as much as possible. On top of that, Syracuse’s depleted defensive line has to hold its own against a two-pronged rushing attack.

Stat to know: 9 interceptions

Only six teams in the country have more interceptions than the Wolfpack, who also rank 14th in the country in interception return yards. Aydan White, Shyheim Battle and Tyler Baker-Williams all have two interceptions this season, and Devan Boykin, Jalen Frazier and Jakeen Harris each have one. NC State has grabbed at least two interceptions in all but two games.

The Wolfpack’s secondary against SU’s receiving corps should be a matchup to watch throughout Saturday’s game. It’s arguably the first legitimate test of whether or not receivers like Courtney Jackson, Oronde Gadsden II and Damien Alford can successfully operate in Anae’s offense. It will also give the Orange a much clearer understanding of where Shrader’s arm stands on intermediate and deep balls heading into the final stretch of the season.

Player to watch: Isaiah Moore, linebacker, No. 1

Moore not only has 31 total tackles, but he’s racked up four quarterback hurries and a sack. As one of the oldest members of the defense, he’s the spearhead of a 3-3-5 unit that can be considered one of the best in the conference. He also has 6.5 tackles for loss throughout the six games played for a total loss of 20 yards.

Tucker, when given a good hole, can shed the first-touch tackle attempt — usually from a linebacker — before taking off for a big gain. If Moore is shoved into the box, he can provide a stop-gap between Tucker and another prolific performance. Moore can also act as an additional defensive end or quarterback spy to help stop Shrader when he scrambles.

Published on October 13, 2022 at 12:29 am

Contact Anthony: aalandt@syr.edu | @anthonyalandt