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RALEIGH, N.C. — Carter-Finley Stadium has been a house of horrors for Syracuse in recent memory. The Orange had not won in the Wolfpack’s home since 2013. Previous head coach Dino Babers was 0-2 in Raleigh. However, this NC State squad has proven to be an unimposing group. Meanwhile, SU increased its stance in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Fran Brown’s first year at the helm.

On Saturday, in primetime, Brown and Co. flipped the script on the series. Coming off a thrilling overtime win over then-No. 25 UNLV, the Orange traveled to Raleigh for their first road bout in conference play.

Syracuse took care of business against the Wolfpack, forcing three turnovers and never trailing in the game. Quarterback Kyle McCord continued his torrid campaign, throwing for 346 yards and two touchdowns on a 74% completion mark.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (5-1, 2-1 ACC) 24-17 win over NC State (3-4, 0-3 ACC) Saturday evening:

McCord’s continued heater

McCord had produced a historic start to his Syracuse career. The Ohio State transfer attempted the most passes in the nation entering Saturday’s contest while throwing 17 touchdowns for 1,814 yards through five games.

While the Wolfpack entered the game with one of the worst rushing defenses in the ACC — allowing over 160 rushing yards per game — McCord continued to sling it. His first drive featured an extremely pass-heavy look, throwing on six of the first eight plays.

McCord looked to Trebor Peña early and often, attempting four of his first six passes to the slot receiver. He also found Oronde Gadsden II three times on the opening drive. The Orange stalled out, but McCord threw 11 times.

Following a run and then a pass to open the second drive, McCord used his legs to avoid a pass rusher, rolling to his right and firing a missile between multiple defenders to Peña for a 28-yard gain. With under three minutes to play in the second quarter, McCord worked out of a play-action, dropping it perfectly on the back shoulder of Umari Hatcher for the first touchdown of the day. At the half, McCord was 18-for-28 with 231 yards and a touchdown, finding seven different targets along the way.

SU turned to the running game more in the second half, pushing its lead further while winding down the clock. But McCord still ended with another stellar day despite his least passing attempts in a game at Syracuse.

Defensive line adjustments

Before SU’s matchup with NC State, the Orange lost two key contributors on the defensive line, as injuries have Dion Wilson Jr. and Kevin Jobity Jr. likely to miss the rest of the season. Wilson Jr. appeared in 4-of-5 games, notching 10 tackles. Jobity Jr., a junior, had 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks through five games.

The losses create a hole in the defense that will force SU to use its depth further. Syracuse did just that Saturday, fluctuating between a flurry of defenders. Usual interior defensive linemen Maraad Watson and Isaiah Hastings were lined up on the outside at times. Fadil Diggs was moved all over, coming downhill for added pressure through the middle while also providing pressure on the edge.

On the second NC State drive, freshman KingJoseph Edwards was used more, playing multiple snaps to bring added pressure. Lysander Moeolo, a redshirt junior listed as a left guard on SU’s depth chart, even saw some snaps in the interior. The new-look line was efficient in the first half, allowing just 46 rushing yards.

As it began to bend on the first drive of the second half, cornerback Devin Grant swooped in from the edge, stripping NC State quarterback CJ Bailey of the ball. David Omopariola recovered the ball for the turnover. The defensive line wasn’t perfect but made necessary adjustments to stand tall in the first game without two key pieces.

RB usage

Facing the worst scoring defense and one of the worst rushing defenses in the ACC opened a door for the Orange to further establish their run. Syracuse posted its best rushing day of the season versus UNLV a week ago, using Allen Jr. more. However, it lost Will Nixon to an injury from the Holy Cross game, further diminishing its group.

Along with feeding Allen Jr. as a lead back, Jeff Nixon and the offense used tight Dan Villari on multiple direct snaps, an ode to the offensive identity of the 2023 Syracuse offense. Villari started with a four-yard rush in the first quarter. On a third-and-1 early in the second quarter, Villari pushed forward for two yards, moving the sticks. A few plays later, he rushed for four yards.

Villari was even used for some deception on SU’s late first-half score. He was set up as the fullback, looking to block for Allen Jr. on a third-and-1. But McCord pulled the ball back from Allen Jr., lofting it to the left pylon for six. Freshman Yasin Willis saw just one attempt in the first half while Allen Jr. ran for 33 yards on nine attempts.

Allen Jr. broke through for a 20-yard rush on the first drive of the second half, the biggest run of the day for the Orange. On the same drive, the Orange ran five times, including Allen Jr. bulldozing into the end zone to stretch the lead to 10.

Allen Jr. finished the game with 91 rushing yards on a season-high 21 carries.

Special teams miscues

Syracuse’s special teams unit has been one of its biggest question marks halfway through 2024. The kicking competition has been fluid, with Brady Denaburg and Jadyn Oh competing for reps since the Holy Cross game. Versus then-No. 23 Georgia Tech, the Orange failed to recover an onside kick and had both a punt and kick blocked.

The issues extended in the win over UNLV, with two blocked punts, and one resulting in a touchdown. The unit continued to struggle against NC State. Oh, who has been taking all kicks since the end of the Holy Cross game, missed a 43-yard attempt in the second quarter.

To close out the second quarter, Syracuse’s defense made a stop in the red zone, but an illegal formation nullified the NC State field goal, giving the Wolfpack a first-and-5 from Syracuse’s nine-yard line. The Wolfpack capitalized on the next play, with Bailey hitting Justin Joly in the end zone to cut the lead to three.

Even after a prolific scoring drive in the beginning of the third quarter, the Orange allowed a 32-yard kick return from DK Kaufman. Brown mentioned Monday that he knows it can’t always be this way.

“I have to make sure that our special teams are better, because we got lucky two games where special teams could have cost us a loss and we won, but it’s going to come around where that won’t be able to happen that way,” Brown said.

The miscues again didn’t cost Syracuse a game. Two forced fumbles, an interception and another strong offensive showing resulted in a win. But the special teams unit continues to be one of the glaring weaknesses for the Orange.

Published on October 12, 2024 at 11:28 pm

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky