Leading up to one of its biggest games of the season, the NC State football team dominated the Syracuse Orange Saturday, 42-29.
The Wolfpack (7-4, 3-4 ACC) offense flourished for much of the day, totaling 511 yards, 276 coming on the ground, while the Orange (3-8, 1-6 ACC) tallied just 292. NC State also gained 27 first downs, three of which came on fourth down, compared to Syracuse’s 15.
NC State started off quickly, driving down the field 75 yards in 11 plays, capped off by a 7-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett to sophomore fullback/tight end Jaylen Samuels to give the Pack a 7-0 lead with 9:04 remaining in the first quarter. Brissett threw to five different receivers on the opening drive.
Syracuse fired back with a 9-play, 71-yard drive all the way to the 1-yard line. However, the Wolfpack defense was able to hold the Orange to a field goal.
On State’s next drive, freshman wide receiver Nyheim Hines showcased his versatility, catching a 25-yard pass on the first play and rushing for 38 yards two plays later. The drive ended with a 1-yard touchdown rush by Reggie Gallaspy II to give the Wolfpack a 14-3 lead with 3:07 remaining in the first quarter.
After coming away with no points on its previous two drives, the Pack drove 87 yards in 14 plays, converting on twice on third down and once on fourth. Hines scored on a 4-yard jet sweep to give the Wolfpack a 21-3 lead with 3:08 left in the half.
On the ensuing drive, Cuse went 70 yards in four plays with help of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on redshirt sophomore linebacker Jerod Fernandez. It scored on a 30-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Zack Mahoney to running back Ervin Phillips to close the gap 21-9 with 1:31 remaining in the half.
In the first half, NC State had 25 rushes for 192 yards and two touchdowns while Syracuse had just 13 rushes for 14 yards. Additionally, the Pack had 15 completed passes for 125 yards to eight different receivers while the Orange had just four completions for 92 yards to two different receivers.
On the first play of the second half, freshman running back Jordan Fredericks ran the ball 75 yards to the house to close the gap 21-16.
On the ensuing drive, the Wolfpack went 73 yards in nine plays, including another fourth down conversion to keep the drive alive. Junior wide receiver Jumichael Ramos made an incredible one-handed catch on a back shoulder throw for the 5-yard touchdown to extend the lead 28-16.
Later in the third, with both teams struggling on offense, freshman defensive end Darian Roseboro quietly dropped into coverage and intercepted the pass and returned it for the 20-yard score to extend State’s lead 35-16 with 5:20 remaining in the quarter.
The Pack’s offense sparked back up in the fourth quarter, going 80 yards in just six plays and 2:47, capitalized by a 17-yard rush from redshirt sophomore running back Dakwa Nichols, giving State a 42-16 lead with 12:05 left in the game.
However, that is when Syracuse almost staged a comeback. Defensive end Oliver Vigille picked up an NC State fumble and took it 29 yards to the end zone.
The Orange then recovered its own onside kick, eventually turning it into a 3-yard touchdown to wide receiver Steve Ishmael. However, the Pack recovered its next onside kick and didn’t give the ball up for the rest of the game, effectively stopping Syracuse’s efforts.
Brissett finished the game 21-of-33 for 235 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Ramos led the team with eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. Hines was a factor in both the running and passing game, totaling six carries for 70 yards and a touchdown and five catches for 69 yards.
NC State looks to carry its momentum into its final game of the season Nov. 28 against its biggest rival, No. 17 UNC-Chapel Hill.