NC State Looks To Bounce Back, Become Bowl Eligible As They Visit Syracuse
For the second straight week NC State is on the road as they will visit Syracuse.
A week ago NC State suffered their first loss of the season as Clemson dominated NC State down in Death Valley.
When NC State takes on Syracuse on Saturday they not only will look to bounce back but become bowl eligible as well while Syracuse will also look to become eligible.
NC State comes into the game with a record of 5-1 while they’re 2-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and second in the Atlantic Division. Syracuse meanwhile comes into the game with a record of 5-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference while they’re 2-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. “according to http://www.espn.com/college-football/standings/_/group/1
As for NC State’s previous game, as stated above they suffered their first loss of the season to Clemson.
In the battle of the unbeatens on Saturday, #16 NC State took on #3 Clemson at Death Valley. The Wolfpack suffered its first loss of the season, 41-7, moving to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in ACC play. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/20/football-wolfpack-falls-at-clemson.aspx
Clemson was the first to strike with a 57-yard opening drive, scoring on a three-yard rushing touchdown by Travis Etienne. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/20/football-wolfpack-falls-at-clemson.aspx
Tee Higgins scored on a 46-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence late in the first quarter to increase the Pack deficit, 14-0. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/20/football-wolfpack-falls-at-clemson.aspx
The first spark of the game came for the Wolfpack with 5:41 in the second quarter. Larrell Murchison recovered a fumble at the NC State 16-yard line during a fake field goal attempt by Clemson on fourth & one. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/20/football-wolfpack-falls-at-clemson.aspx
The Wolfpack offense was shut out in the first half for the first time this season and trailed at half, 24-0. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/20/football-wolfpack-falls-at-clemson.aspx
NC State scored on a nine-yard rushing touchdown by Reggie Gallaspy, Jr. in the first play of the fourth quarter. The 10 play, 75-yard drive closed the gap on the Tigers, as the Pack trailed 31-7. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/20/football-wolfpack-falls-at-clemson.aspx
Clemson answered in the fourth quarter with a field goal and a touchdown. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/20/football-wolfpack-falls-at-clemson.aspx
STAT LEADERS
QB Ryan Finley: 21-of-34 for 156 yards
RB Reggie Gallaspy, Jr.: 9 rushes for 59 yards, 1 TD
WR Jakobi Meyers: 8 catches for 61 yards
CB Nick McCloud: 10 tackles, two pass breakups
“according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/20/football-wolfpack-falls-at-clemson.aspx
As for Syracuse’s previous game, they topped North Carolina in double overtime last Saturday.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Tommy DeVito came off the bench to throw three touchdown passes, including two in overtime, to lead Syracuse (5-2, 2-2 ACC) to a 40-37 win against North Carolina (1-5, 1-3 ACC) on Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Carrier Dome. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
DeVito, who entered the game with Syracuse down 27-20 late in the fourth quarter, completed 11-of-19 passes for 181 yards. His 4-yard touchdown strike to tight end Ravian Pierce in the second overtime provided the winning points. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
DeVITO RELIEF JOB EXTENDS CONTEST
With North Carolina ahead 27-20 and 5:07 left to play, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers called DeVito's number. The Cedar Grove, N.J. native energized the Dome crowd with a 50-yard pass to Jamal Custis on his first play. Another completion to Custis and back-to-back connections with Taj Harris gave Syracuse a first down at the Tar Heel 11-yard line. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
A penalty stalled the series and DeVito threw incomplete on fourth down from the 10. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
Following a North Carolina punt, DeVito got another chance. This time he hit Sean Riley for 16 yards and then connected with Nykeim Johnson for a 42-yard, game-tying touchdown. The drive took three plays and lasted 58 seconds. Andre Szmyt's extra point made it 27-27 with 1:39 left in regulation. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
Remarkably, the Orange got the ball back again, this time at their own 28 with 1:07 remaining. DeVito's Cinderella slipper almost fell off when his second-down pass was intercepted by Patrick Rene. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
The Tar Heels started from the Syracuse 39 with 54 seconds to go after the interception. The Orange defense came up big as North Carolina threw three straight incomplete passes and was stopped for no gain on a rushing attempt. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
Syracuse ran one more play, as DeVito heaved the ball deep. The pass fell incomplete and sent the game to overtime. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
THE FIRST OVERTIME
Syracuse had the ball first and immediately went to work. After DeVito was unable to connect on an end-zone pass to Johnson, he threw deep again and Custis for a 25-yard touchdown. Szmyt made the extra point to give Syracuse a 34-27 advantage. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
The Tar Heels answered the touchdown with one of their own. An 18-yard run by Antonio Williams put the ball at the Syracuse 12-yard line, and two plays later, Nathan Elliott zipped a throw to Beau Corrales for a 9-yard touchdown. Freeman Jones kicked the extra point to knot the score and force a second extra session. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
THE SECOND OVERTIME
North Carolina began the second overtime with the ball. Elliott misfired twice and was sacked on third down for a loss of six yards by Kendall Coleman. Jones kicked a 46-yard field goal, his third make of the day, to give the Tar Heels the lead. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
Needing three points to tie and a touchdown to win, DeVito immediately rifled a 9-yard completion to Johnson. After an incomplete pass, DeVito optioned to Dontae Strickland, who picked up 10 yards. DeVito kept the ball for a 2-yard gain on the next play, then off of play action, he found Pierce wide open for the game-winning touchdown. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
SECOND-QUARTER MOMENTUM SHIFT
Two big defensive stops and a special teams play turned the momentum of the game in the second quarter. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
Carolina led 7-3 and started off on an 11-play drive. Faced with a fourth-and-1 at the Orange 21, the Tar Heels went for the first down. Chris Slayton stopped UNC quarterback Nathan Elliott for a 1-yard loss and the Orange took over. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
Although Syracuse was unable to advance the ball, redshirt junior Sterling Hofrichter flipped the field with a 58-yard punt. Linebacker Shyheim Cullen covered the return perfectly, tackling Dazz Newsome at the UNC 30. A holding penalty against the Tar Heels moved the ball to the 20-yard line. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
The Orange forced a three-and-out on UNC's subsequent series and punter Hunter Lent shanked a punt just 10 yards to give Syracuse the ball at the Tar Heel 32. Orange quarterback Eric Dungey directed a quick scoring drive that was finished by fullback Chris Elmore's 1-yard plunge into the end zone. The extra point extended the Orange advantage to 10-7. “according tohttps://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
Syracuse added a 46-yard Szmyt field goal as time expired in the second quarter to open up a 13-7 lead at the half. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
DUNGEY HEATS UP
After completing just two of his first six throws, Dungey found his rhythm. He went 9-of-14 to finish the first half and then teamed with Custis on a 68-yard bomb to start the third quarter. Dungey
capped the drive with a 16-yard run for Syracuse's second touchdown. His rushing score put Syracuse up, 20-7. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
TAR HEELS REGAIN THE ADVANTAGE
North Carolina shook off the deficit relatively quickly. On its second possession of the third quarter, Elliott flipped the ball to Newsome on a jet sweep that went 55 yards. On the next play, Williams ran it in from 12 yards out, and the extra point trimmed the Orange margin to 20-14.”according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
The Tar Heels added a special-teams touchdown later in the third quarter. Hofrichter launched another 58-yard punt, but Newsome fielded it at the Syracuse 25 and ran it back for a 75-yard touchdown. The score put North Carolina ahead for the first time since the beginning of the second quarter, 21-20. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
North Carolina tacked on three more points on a 34-yard Jones field goal with six seconds left in the third to extend its lead to 24-20. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
A 56-yard, fourth-quarter run by Williams, put a blemish on Syracuse's otherwise strong effort against the Tar Heel ground game. It led to another Jones field goal, this time from 25 yards out, to make the score 27-20 and led to the game-ending dramatics. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
BABERS BITE
"I thought that was one heck of a football game. I'm glad we won, but it just goes to show you how good that North Carolina football team was," Babers said. "We had to win on Homecoming. We are 5-2 with a couple more games left. Yeah, we're banged up, but other people are banged up, too. It's going to be exciting, it's going to be fun." “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
OF NOTEThe victory was Babers' 50th as a collegiate head coach. He owns an overall record of 50-34 (.595) in his seven seasons.
It marked the first time in the Syracuse-North Carolina series that the home team won. The Orange are now 3-2 against the Tar Heels with a pair of overtime victories.
The game was the Orange's second straight overtime contest and Syracuse's first OT win since defeating Central Michigan 30-27 on Sept. 19, 2015.
Linebacker Ryan Guthrie led the Orange with 12 total tackles.
Custis finished with seven catches for 162 yards to record the second 100-yard receiving game of his career.
Johnson logged his first 100-yard receiving game with five receptions for a career-best 102 yards.
The Orange remained perfect at home this season, improving to 4-0.
Szmyt had made 11 consecutive field-goal tries before missing a 44-yard attempt in the first quarter. He bounced back by hitting from 25 and 46 yards out.
Szmyt has 18 field goals in seven games, tying him for second on Syracuse's single-season list with Ross Krautman (2010) and Gary Anderson (1981). Cole Murphy owns the school record with 20 made field goals last season.
Sterling Hofrichter had another stellar outing. He punted eight times for an average of 45.1 yards. Three of his boots traveled 50+ yards. He also kicked off five times for a 65-yard average. Four of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx
Kick-off is set for 7:00pm from the Carrier Dome. The game will be televised on ESPN2. “according to https://cuse.com/news/2018/10/20/NCGame102018.aspx