Coming off of last week’s thrilling double overtime victory over the University of North Carolina, the Orange (5-2 overall; 2-2 ACC) look to remain undefeated at the Dome this Saturday night against a tough NC State (5-1/2-1) squad. The game is important to both teams as Syracuse looks for its sixth overall victory to secure bowl eligibility for the first time since 2013, while NC State looks to rebound after its embarrassing loss to Clemson last week.
NC State, currently ranked number 22 in the national polls, had been undefeated prior to being throttled by Clemson 41-7, which has elicited questions about its national ranking. NC State, which has a small favorite over Syracuse, comes into the matchup with a four game winning streak over Syracuse.
The biggest issue facing the Orange and its Head Coach Dino Babers is its quarterback situation. While Senior Eric Dungey has been the starter all season long, the Orange relied on the outstanding performance of Redshirt Freshman Tommy DeVito last week in its victory over UNC. Babers benched Dungey late in the second half when the Orange was down by 7 points. DeVito threw a game tying 42-yard touchdown to receiver Nykeim Johnson with 1:39 left that tied the game and forced the game into overtime. DeVito then threw touchdowns in both the first and second overtimes that led to the Orange’s victory.
SU host NC State in the Carrier Dome at 7:00 this Saturday. Tune into 88.3 FM WAER for Countdown to Kickoff at 6:30.
DeVito provided the Orange with confidence and an energy boost it needed to defeat the Tar Heels. He ended the game 11 for 19 for 181 yards with three touchdown passes. While Babers has not officially named the starter for this week's game, Dungey remains first on the depth chart ahead of DeVito. While Babers continues to laud the skills of both players, he wants both quarterbacks to be ready for duty to help the Orange become bowl eligible. Babers has a tough decision as he must choose between the experience of Dungey versus what looks to be a more skilled, but less experienced DeVito.
Putting the quarterback battle aside, the Orange look to get their defense on track against a highly skilled Wolfpack passing offense. The Orange look to rebound after giving up more than 500 total yards last week against the Tar Heels, who had been one of the lower ranked offenses in the ACC. The Wolfpack bring a powerful passing attack led by Ryan Finley, one the ACC’s best quarterbacks. Finley has a completion percentage of 68.3 and has thrown 10 touchdowns this year. Finley looks to rebound after a poor performance last week against Clemson where he threw for only 156 yards, much lower than his 296 yards per game average. The good news for the Orange is that the Wolfpack’s running attack is near the bottom of the ACC averaging only a 138 yards per game. The Orange should be able to hold the running game in check while concentrating on Finley and the passing attack.
Despite its tough loss last week, NC State is still viewed as one of the better teams in the ACC. The matchup should be a good test on whether the Orange can compete with ACC’s top teams after the Orange’s devastating loss earlier this year to Clemson. The Orange hope to gain a victory over a ranked opponent and possibly find its way into the national rankings while becoming bowl eligible.