NC State Going For Their Fourth Win Of The Season As They Host Syracuse

NC State is coming off a statement win in Tallahassee as they edged Florida State a week ago. Now they return to the confines of Carter Finley Stadium in Raleigh as they welcome Syracuse where they will look to get in the win column for the fourth time this season. 

Saturday’s meeting will mark the fourth time the Pack and the Orange have met as Atlantic Coast Conference foes and the 10th meeting overall in the series. NC State posts an 8-1 record against Syracuse, with the only loss coming in the 2013 game. The Wolfpack posts a 4-0 mark at Syracuse, 4`-1 in Raleigh.

The 1997 contest, played in the Carrier Dome, was literally one for the record book. That year, the unranked Pack took the No. 13 Orange into overtime, eking out a 32-31 victory. That contest was the first overtime game in ACC history. In 2014, the Wolfpack also had a big win at the Carrier Dome, earning the first ACC victory under Dave Doeren. The Wolfpack won that contest 24-17 with the winning TD an 82-yard pick six by DE Pharoah McKever. Here’s a look at the series history between NC State and Syracuse:

In 2014, the Wolfpack also had a big win at the Carrier Dome, earning the first ACC victory under Dave Doeren. The Wolfpack won that contest 24-17 with the winning TD an 82-yard pick six by DE Pharoah McKever. Here’s a look at the series history between NC State and Syracuse: Date St Res Score 9/16/72 H W 43-20 9/28/74 A W 28-22 9/17/77 A W 38-0 9/16/78 H W 27-19 8/30/97 A W OT32-31 10/1/98 H W 38-17 10/12/13 H L 10-24 11/1/14 A W 24-17 11/21/15 H W 42-29 CLOSE CALLS FOR WOLFPACK

CLOSE CALLS FOR WOLFPACK NC State has suffered its share of heartbreak in 2016. Four of the Wolfpack’s five losses have been by seven points or less, two have been by four points or less and one went into overtime. Since the beginning of ACC play in 1953, only four other Wolfpack squads have suffered more one-score losses: 1. 2006 7 2. 1959 6 1958 6 4. 1984 5 5. 2016 4 STOPPING THE RUN NC State has put together one of the most solid run defenses in school history in 2016. If the season ends.

As for NC State's last game, Dave Doeren's team edged Jimbo Fisher's team to drop Florida State to 0-2 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. 

 Wins come few and far and in between when you go up against Jimbo Fisher and Florida State but Dave Doeren and NC State found the winning combination Saturday at  Doak Cambell Stadium in Tallahassee.

 Leading from start to finish, NC State opened the ACC portion of its schedule with a 27-21 win at No. 12 Florida State in Tallahassee. The Wolfpack (3-1, 1-0 ACC) jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter, and a fourth-quarter touchdown with 9:16 left gave the Pack its first road win over a ranked foe since 2008. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx

NC State opened the scoring with a 10-0 lead after a pair of scores on its first two possessions of the game – a 24-yard Carson Wise field goal then a two-yard TD run Jaylen Samuels. Florida State answered with a touchdown early in the second quarter, only to be answered by Jacoby Meyers' 71-yard catch and run with 1:34 left. FSU added a field goal seconds before the half, as NC State had a 17-10 halftime lead "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx
 
The two teams traded field goals in the third quarter, as the Pack held a 20-13 lead going into the fourth. FSU cut the lead to 20-16 with a field goal to start the fourth, but Samuels scored his second TD of the game on the next possession to increase the lead. Florida State added a safety and another field goal to cut the lead to 27-21 with 3:01 left, but NC State got a first down and kept possession the rest of the game. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx

10 plays, 76 yards in 4:28 –Jaylen Samuels  2-yard TD run . "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx
 
After taking its opening possession down for a field goal, the Pack tacked on a TD on its second drive to open up a 10-0 lead. The drive started with Jaylen Samuels completing a 25-yard pass to TE Dylan Parham on the first play to move the ball to midfield. Samuels then capped the drive with a two-yard TD run on fourth & goal for the Pack's first TD. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx
 
WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE – 2nd half
10 plays, 75 yards in 4:52 – Ryan Finley  to Jaylen Samuels 14-yard TD pass. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx

After a Florida State field goal cut the Pack's lead to 20-16, NC State went 75 yards in 10 plays for the game-clinching TD. At the FSU 14, QB Ryan F threw a shovel pass to Jaylen Samuels who went untouched into the end zone for his second score of the game. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx

 QB Ryan Finley
22-of-32 for 230 yards, 2 TDs
 
• H-Back Jaylen Samuels
12 catches for 64 yards, 1 TD
5 rushes for 11 yards, 1 TD
1-of-1 for 25 yards
 
• WR Jakobi Meyers
5 catches for 112 yards, 1 TD
 
 RB Nyheim Hines
24 rushes for 94 yards
 
 DE Bradley Chubb
7 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble

"according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx

Today's win was the Pack's first over a ranked foe since defeating No. 3 Florida State in Raleigh in 2012, 17-16. The win was the first road win over a ranked opponent since winning at No. 25 North Carolina 41-10 in 2008, and the last time the Pack defeated an opponent ranked as high as No. 12 Florida State today was a 2005 road win also at No. 9 Florida State. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx
 
 Over the last four years, NC State has held the lead over Florida State each year after the first quarter, outscoring the Seminoles 58-14 total in the first quarter. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx
 
 NC State has scored on its opening offensive possession in every game this season – 2 field goals, 2 touchdowns." according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx
 
 WR Jakobi Meyers' 71-yard TD reception in the second quarter was the Pack's longest play this year. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx
 
 Meyers set a new career-high with his xxx receiving yards on the day – he had 158 all of last season. Meyers recorded the Pack's third 100 receiving yard game of the season (Kelvin Harmon – 2). "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx
 
For the second time, this season – and the second time in his career – H-Back Jaylen Samuels had double-digit catches, today finishing with xx for xx yards. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/23/football-pack-leads-from-start-to-finish-for-27-21-win-at-12-florida-state.aspx

Syracuse meanwhile has a record of 2-2 on the season and is coming off a 35-26  loss to Lousiana State University. 

 Syracuse (2-2) tallied 23 second-half points, but couldn't overtake No. 25 LSU (3-1) and lost to the Tigers 35-26 in front of a crowd of 96,044 at Tiger Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 23. Wide receiver Steve Ishmael recorded his fourth consecutive 100-yard receiving game with 123 yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions. Linebacker Parris Bennett led the defense with a season-high 12 tackles. "according to http://cuse.com/news/2017/9/23/football-orange-come-up-short-at-25-lsu.aspx?path=football
 
Junior quarterback Eric Dungey completed 32-of-52 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 24 yards and another score. "according to http://cuse.com/news/2017/9/23/football-orange-come-up-short-at-25-lsu.aspx?path=football

LSU's Darrel Williams, DJ Chark and Derrius Guice each ran for a touchdown. Quarterback Danny Etling was 10-for-17 passing for 188 yards and two scores to help the Tigers extend their home non-conference winning streak to 49 games. "according to http://cuse.com/news/2017/9/23/football-orange-come-up-short-at-25-lsu.aspx?path=football

HOW IT WAS DECIDED
Down 28-10 late in the third quarter, Syracuse rattled off 16 straight points to cut the LSU lead to two. Bennett tackled Williams in the end zone for a safety with 3:29 left to play in the third. A 14-yard Dungey touchdown run with seven seconds to go in the quarter followed, capping a 10-play, 72-yard drive that made the score 28-19. In the fourth quarter, Dungey found Ishmael for a 22-yard touchdown at the 5:40 mark and Cole Murphy's ensuing PAT trimmed the margin to 28-26. "according to http://cuse.com/news/2017/9/23/football-orange-come-up-short-at-25-lsu.aspx?path=football

Following Ishmael's score, Syracuse tried an onside kick that was recovered by the Tigers at their own 44-yard line. Etling moved LSU 56 yards in seven plays with Chark sealing the game on a 20-yard touchdown run with 1:52 remaining. "according to http://cuse.com/news/2017/9/23/football-orange-come-up-short-at-25-lsu.aspx?path=football

BABERS' TAKE
"Honestly, it was a well-played game. Playing a team like that in a venue like this is extremely difficult. I'm extremely proud of my young men, but by no means are we satisfied with coming here and getting a close loss. We felt like there were enough plays out there for us to make and if we made the plays we would have had the opportunity to win. We're disappointed that we didn't." "according to http://cuse.com/news/2017/9/23/football-orange-come-up-short-at-25-lsu.aspx?path=football

OF NOTE
Sophomore wide receiver Devin C. Butler played quarterback at Frederick Douglass High School in Maryland. On Saturday, he got an opportunity to show of his arm. Butler completed two passes (the first of his career) for 43 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown strike to Ervin Philips for Syracuse's first points of the second half. "according to http://cuse.com/news/2017/9/23/football-orange-come-up-short-at-25-lsu.aspx?path=football

Like Ishmael, Philips also made 11 receptions against LSU. The duo served as the engine for Syracuse's offense, combining for 22 of the Orange's 34 catches against the Tigers. In the process, they became the first pair of Syracuse receivers to recorded double-digit receptions in the same game this season. "according to http://cuse.com/news/2017/9/23/football-orange-come-up-short-at-25-lsu.aspx?path=football

Punter Sterling Hofrichter turned in a stellar effort for the second week in a row. After averaging 51 yards per punt against Central Michigan, Hofrichter averaged 46.7 yards per boot against LSU. He landed five of his seven punts against the Tigers inside the 20-yard line, including four inside the 10. Hofrichter's ability to flip the field helped Syracuse remain within striking distance until the end. "according to http://cuse.com/news/2017/9/23/football-orange-come-up-short-at-25-lsu.aspx?path=football

The Syracuse defense did not allow a Tiger ball carrier to run for 100 yards, snapping LSU's streak of 12 straight non-conference games with at least one 100-yard rusher dating back to 2014. LSU amassed 151 yards as a team on the ground. Williams led the way with 92 yards on 16 carries. "according to http://cuse.com/news/2017/9/23/football-orange-come-up-short-at-25-lsu.aspx?path=football

Kick-off is set for 12:20 pm. The game will be televised on the ACC Network. "according to http://gopack.com/schedule.aspx?path=football