Leaving Las Vegas a winner is a celebratory accomplishment, especially after an overtime road win against a ranked opponent. That’s what Syracuse football (4-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) did in its’ 44-41 triumph over then-No. 25 UNLV (4-1, 1-0 Mountain West).
The victory gave the Orange a lot to relish in. SU running back LeQuint Allen tripled his season touchdown total with four scores, quarterback Kyle McCord threw for his fifth-straight 300-yard game, and the ‘Cuse snagged its second-ranked win in a regular season for the first time since 2001. But as Syracuse prepares to travel to NC State (3-3, 0-2 ACC), Orange head coach Fran Brown is letting what happened in Vegas stay in Vegas.
“NC State is a really good football team,” Brown said Monday. “(We) have to try and forget about last game.”
Even though SU has departed from the Sin City, the cards are leaning in favor of the Orange ahead of Saturday’s showdown. The Wolfpack, whose offense ranks towards the bottom of the ACC, will likely be without starting quarterback Grayson McCall. The Coastal Carolina transfer was carted off the field and placed in concussion protocol last week after a trio of Wake Forest defenders collided with his helmet.
“(McCall’s) a tough kid. He’s been through a lot of stuff,” Brown stated. “I just pray he’s doing well.”
Last season with the Chanticleers, the North Carolina native was placed on a stretcher following another brain injury. He also missed two games this season with a separate concussion.
If McCall can’t go, the Wolfpack will turn to freshman CJ Bailey, with whom Brown is familiar.
“I got a chance to know Bailey a little bit from down in Florida during the recruiting trail,” the Orange headman said. “I know he’s a good player.”
The former three-star recruit has thrown for over 700 yards and four touchdowns in four appearances this season. Those numbers rank sixteenth in the ACC. But, the Orange are fifth in the conference in passing defense, surrendering just 209 yards per game.
As NC State has been plagued with the injury bug, so has SU. The ‘Cuse’s defense has been depleted through five games, with standouts Marlowe Wax and Marcellus Barnes having missed time. However, Brown is optimistic the Orange will see their cornerback on the field Saturday.
“Marcellus will be practicing, and he’ll be back. It’ll be good to have him,” the coach said. “Hopefully he looks good in practice and can compete with the guys out there to be able to play again.”
Brown failed to comment on Wax’s status. However, any help Syracuse can get, it will need. Although the NC State offense has proven subpar, Wolfpack wideout Kevin Concepcion can turn a football game into a track meet with his speed. The sophomore marked a 4.4 second 40-yard dash time.
KC, and the C stands for CAN'T CONTAIN CONCEPCION#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/FrktJcHh9V
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) September 23, 2023
“Concepcion’s electrifying. He’s a guy that’s explosive,” Brown said. “(He’s) a gadget player, but he can also beat you deep. He’s a complete wide receiver.”
The biggest challenge for SU, however, might be location. Syracuse has not won in Raleigh since 2013, while NC State has only suffered four defeats at Carter-Finley Stadium this decade. However, as Fran Brown showed last week, his team has no problem breaking streaks.
Gametime from NC State is at 8:00 EST on Saturday night. Our coverage starts with Countdown to Kickoff at 7:30 on 88.3 FM and WAER.org.