Syracuse surges to 24-17 road victory over NC State
Syracuse surges to 24-17 road victory over NC State
Defense shines as Orange build momentum with third consecutive victory.
The Syracuse Football team kept rolling as their win streak continued, winning their second straight road game and defeating the North Carolina State Wolfpack.
In a game where the Orange dominated on both sides, the Wolfpack, led by quarterback CJ Bailey, cut the lead to seven with less than two minutes left. Bailey’s 329 passing yards ultimately couldn’t overcome the Wolfpack’s turnovers, as the Orange would win 24-17.
Turnover and possession battle
Through the first five games, the Cuse ranked 55th in the nation in turnover margin, and after this weekend, that ranking will be higher after forcing three turnovers to their zero.
The Orange controlled possession in this game by a plus 13 minutes more than the Wolfpack and won the first down category by plus six.
High-powered offense
Entering Saturday’s game, the Cuse offense ranks 15th in the nation in total offense behind Penn State.
Quarterback Kyle McCord came into Saturday’s game top five in the country in passing yards. McCord threw for 436 yards and two touchdowns, completing 74 percent of his passes.
One of McCord’s touchdown passes went to senior wide receiver Jackson Meeks, who caught a career-high 11 receptions for 116 yards.
Running back star LeQuint Allen has recently been stacking up the stat sheet, totaling 119 yards and one touchdown against the Pack. Allen on the season has averaged 4.8 yards a carry this season and ranks top 100 in total points scored by a player in Division One football.
Stifling defense
Defensively Syracuse locked down the Wolfpack, giving up only seven points in three quarters and five minutes of play. The effort was led by senior defensive back Justin Barron, who filled the stat sheet with one fumble recovery, interception, a sack and eight tackles for the game.
Syracuse’s defense was ranked 67th in total defense coming into this weekend.
Looking ahead
The Orange move to 2-1 in ACC games and 5-1 on the season, and in two weeks, play one of 11 undefeated teams left in Division One football, the Pittsburgh Panthers. This game could be Syracuse’s ticket into the top 25 rankings for the first time since 2022.
If the Orange win versus Pitt, it would be the first time in 26 years that the Orange beat three ranked opponents in one season.