NC State's Bowl Eligibility Is On Hold After Falling To Syracuse
For the second straight week the team that is located in North Carolina’s state capital lost on the road and their bowl eligibility was once again put on hold.
In an ACC battle that saw a combined 1,102 yards of total offense and both quarterbacks over 400 yards, NC State fell on the road at Syracuse in a shootout, 51-41. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
Syracuse opened the scoring with a field goal on their first possession. The two squads then traded deep touchdown passes. First NC State's Ryan Finley found Emeka Emezie for a 67-yard score, quickly to be answered by a Syracuse 82-yard TD catch-and-run. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
The Orange added another pair of short TD drives, four and three plays, to take a 24-7 lead after the first quarter. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
Christopher Dunn opened the second quarter with a 25-yard field goal. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
After a roughing the punter penalty gave NC State the ball back, the Pack then went deep once again, as Finley found Kelvin Harmon for a 74-yard score to cut the lead to 24-17 midway through the second quarter. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
The teams traded field goals and went into the half with Syracuse leading 27-20. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
Syracuse took the opening kick of the second half 75 yards in 14 plays for a TD that pushed the lead to 34-20. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
The Pack answered back on the next possession, Brady Bodine scored from one-yard out to complete a 7-play, 75-yard drive. The key play was a Finley to Cary Angeline 49-yard pass play on a flee-flicker. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
The Orange answered on their next drive, taking just five plays to retake the 14-point lead, and the score was 41-27 after three quarters. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
The lead was once again cut in half, just 32 seconds into the fourth quarter, with a Reggie Gallaspy, Jr., one-yard score, his ninth of the season. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
A Syracuse 44-yard field goal made it 44-34, and the Pack answered with Finley finding Harmon from 12 yards out to make it 44-41 with 7:23 left. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
NC State got the ball back with 3:19 left at its own 15-yard line, but a Ryan Finley interception gave the ball back to Syracuse, which scored the final touchdown with 1:05 left. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE – 1st half
2 plays, 75 yards in 0:36 – Ryan Finley to Emeka Emezie 67-yd TD pass “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
After falling behind 3-0, NC State scored its first TD of the game just two plays later. Ryan Finley found Emeka Emezie over the middle for a 67-yard TD catch-and-run, to cap a two-play, 75-yard drive. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE – 2nd half
6 plays, 75 yards in 2:16 – Ryan Finley to Kelvin Harmon 12-yd TD pass “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
The Pack got within a field goal with their final score of the day, a Finley to Harmon 12-yard TD pass midway through the fourth quarter. Down 10, the Pack drove 75 yards in six plays. Harmon had two catches for 63 on the drive. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
STAT LEADERS
• QB Ryan Finley
26-of-44 for 473 yards, 3 TDs
• RB Reggie Gallaspy, Jr.
19 carries for 65 yards, 1 TD
• WR Kelvin Harmon
11 catches for 247 yards, 2 TDs
• WR Emeka Emezie
4 catches for 89 yards, 1 TD
• LB Germaine Pratt
16 tackles, 2 sacks
“according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
NOTABLES
• Kelvin Harmon's 247 yards receiving are the second-most in a single-game in NC State history (Torry Holt, 255 in 1998). “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
• QB Ryan Finley threw for a career-best 473 yards, the fourth-highest total in school history and the most for a Pack player since 2012. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
• A pair of Pack players made their first career starts, filling in for injured regular starters. OT Tyrone Riley started at RT and true freshman Teshaun Smith started at CB. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
• NC State's opening TD (Ryan Finley to Emeka Emezie for 67-yard) was the longest pass reception of Emezie's career. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
• Kelvin Harmon's 74-yard TD catch was the Pack's longest pass play of the season. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
• After being -164 in total offense in the first quarter, NC State was +132 in the second. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
• With his fourth quarter rushing score, Reggie Gallaspy, Jr., has now scored at least one TD in every game this season. His scoring a rushing TD in seven straight games is the second longest such streak in school history, behind only Ted Brown's eight straight in 1976. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx
UP NEXT
The Pack returns to home action next weekend, as the Wolfpack will host Florida State at 3:30 p.m “according to https://gopack.com/news/2018/10/27/football-pack-falls-in-shootout-at-syracuse-51-41.aspx