Syracuse football tries to get back on track at NC State Saturday

Syracuse football (4-5, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) aims for a bounce-back win Saturday when it travels to face NC State (4-5, 2-4 ACC). SU suffered an 18-13 loss to Clemson last Saturday, tying its lowest point total of the season.

On the other side, the Wolfpack could use a get-right game of their own. In their second game under interim head coach Todd Goebbel, NC State fell 41-3 to Duke last Saturday, its worst loss to an unranked opponent since 2014. The Wolfpack allowed nearly 250 rushing yards in the rout.

Despite SU’s loss, running back Ahmad Miller continued to shine. The junior rushed for 101 yards on 20 carries, his third 100-yard performance in the last four games.

“That’s why we recruited him to come here out of the portal,” SU head coach Fran Brown said. “He works extremely hard. He does everything like a pro. So, it’s no surprise that he’s doing well.”

While the ‘Cuse’s rushing attack was no slouch, the passing game was a different story. Quarterback Steve Angeli completed 18 of 40 passes, a career-worst 45% completion rate. On Monday, Brown shared the blame for Angeli’s performance.

“It was a bad day. He and I both had a bad day,” Brown said. “I got to put him in better positions, so he could make some throws and do other things like that. We got to bounce back this week.”

SU’s battle with NC State could provide a prime opportunity for Angeli to do exactly that. The Wolfpack allow more than 230 passing yards per game, sixth most in the ACC. If Angeli finds success, there’s a good chance wide receiver Umari Hatcher plays a big part in it.

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Hatcher made only two catches for 12 yards last Saturday, his lowest output of the season. But Brown expects the wideout to respond.

“I think that it’s good that happened to Hatch because he’s a competitor, and it’ll only help guys be able to see how he responds to adversity,” Brown said. “He’s ready to go out and compete, play this weekend.”

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Hatcher has already totaled more than 950 receiving yards and eight touchdowns this year, both second in the ACC. The fifth-year receiver has topped 100 yards in three of SU’s four wins this season.

Defensively, Syracuse allowed only 18 points Saturday, its fewest against a power-conference opponent this season. Meanwhile, NC State enters coming off one of its worst offensive outings of the year. The Wolfpack managed a season-low three points and just over 200 yards of total offense.

Quarterback CJ Bailey threw for just over 120 yards, his second-lowest total of the year. But NC State’s passing attack has shown flashes. Bailey threw for nearly 400 yards and two touchdowns in the Wolfpack’s win over Louisville on Oct. 3.

Find out if Syracuse can shut down NC State on WAER on Saturday. Kickoff in Raleigh is set for noon. WAER’s pregame coverage begins with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Kickoff at 11:30 a.m. on 88.3 FM.