Fast reaction: Syracuse drops its 8th straight game, this time to N.C. State
Logan Reidsma | Photo Editor
N.C. State players celebrate during the Wolfpack's 42-29 win over Syracuse on Saturday. The Orange is now 0-5 on the road this season.
RALEIGH, N.C.— Syracuse (3-8, 1-6 Atlantic Coast) lost to North Carolina State (7-4, 3-4), 42-29, on Saturday afternoon at Carter-Finley Stadium. With the loss, the Orange officially fell out of bowl eligibility as the chance to squeak into one with five wins became unattainable. The loss also extends SU’s losing streak to eight games.
Here are three quick takeaways from the game:
1. Cut short
Syracuse struggled extending drives, going 0-for-7 on third down in the first three quarters. The Orange continued to be forced into third and longs. Quarterback Zack Mahoney repeatedly overthrew receivers in one-on-one coverage downfield and SU drives stalled as a result. Mahoney finished 10-of-21 and his inability to convert on deep passes did Syracuse in on Saturday.
2. Out of rhythm
Syracuse was out-gained 511-292 as the Wolfpack ran 81 plays compared to the Orange’s 53.
N.C. State worked quickly on offense, giving the SU defense little time to catch its breath between plays. The Wolfpack scored 14 offensive points on two touchdowns drives at the beginning of third and fourth quarters, respectively. The first one took just 2:23, and the second took 2:47. After gashing SU for 75 yards in nearly six minutes on its opening drive, the hosts never looked back.
3. Efficient hybrids
A large chunk of the Orange’s offense came from its hybrids. Ervin Philips and Ben Lewis were the only SU players to catch passes into the third quarter. With 1:31 left in the second quarter, Mahoney threw a pretty lob over the middle of the field to Philips who caught it in the end zone. The play cut N.C. State’s deficit to 12 and sparked a potential comeback for SU.
On Syracuse’s first offensive drive, the Orange ran several plays in which either Philips or Brisly Estime went in motion pre-snap. After repeated variations of the same play, Mahoney found Lewis downfield for a 37-yard gain that set up a field goal a few plays later. Lewis left the game with an upper-body injury but his 62 receiving yards led SU. Philips finished with 36 receiving yards and 32 rushing yards.
Published on November 21, 2015 at 4:05 pm
Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds
