Syracuse football and wide receiver Calvin Russell surge to take down NC State 34-31 on the road

Syracuse football (5-5, 3-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed NC State (4-6, 2-5 ACC) 28-13 after three quarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, and its chances of becoming bowl-eligible were fading. But the Orange stormed back in the fourth quarter to win 34-31. How did it happen?

It’s simple: Syracuse flipped the script from the third quarter to the fourth. NC State held a one-point lead at the start of the third. Then the ‘Cuse was outscored 14-0 and outgained 220-93 in that quarter. But as previously mentioned, the tide turned.

The comeback began about three minutes into the fourth quarter, when SU quarterback Steve Angeli and wide receiver Calvin Russell teamed up for a touchdown to make it 28-20. That touchdown was one of 17 catches for the true freshman Saturday. The 17 receptions tied a Syracuse program record for most catches in a single game. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown believes Russell’s impact goes beyond his performance.

“He cares about everybody,” Brown said. “It ain’t just about him, he doesn’t care what he does, he cares what everyone else does.”

But if you ask Russell about his performance, the freshman gives all the credit to his faith.

“Whenever my number gets called, God is going to be with me,” Russell said.

After that score, the Wolfpack marched down the field to make it an 11-point game. But the ‘Cuse responded in a way that one would not expect. SU defensive lineman Tunmise Adeleye intercepted NC State quarterback CJ Bailey and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. The pick-six was the Orange defense’s first of the season. After a missed two-point conversion, the score was 31-26 with about five minutes to go.

The ‘Cuse defense forced a three-and-out, and then it was down to Angeli and the offense. The Orange worked their way down the field and found the end zone with 48 seconds to go. Angeli connected with wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons in the right corner of the end zone for the touchdown. On the ensuing two-point conversion, the two teamed up again to make it successful.

But Syracuse lived up to its “bend, don’t break” mantra in this game. After NC State worked its way into SU territory, ‘Cuse linebacker Chris D’Appolonia came away with an interception that sealed the win. In the fourth quarter, Syracuse outscored NC State 21-3 and outgained the Wolfpack 136-78. Brown believes everyone should be proud of the team’s effort.

“I’m happy for the community, for the fan base, and for the alums,” Brown said. “It’s just a great win for these guys, they showed me they can fight.”

With five wins, Syracuse needs one more victory to become bowl-eligible. Next up, the ‘Cuse takes on Boston College (4-6, 2-4 ACC) on Saturday, Nov. 21, at noon. WAER’s pregame coverage of SU’s push to clinch a bowl game begins with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Kickoff at 11:30 a.m., live on waer.org and 88.3 FM.