NC State usually has a tricky time playing at Syracuse, and this year’s matchup should be no different.
Despite a 41-7 loss at Clemson last Saturday, the Wolfpack still has a lot of big goals looming in front of them at 5-1 overall. However, so does the Orange, which are off to a 5-2 start and fresh off of defeating North Carolina 40-37 in double overtime.
Syracuse elected to bench senior quarterback Eric Dungey late in that contest in favor of redshirt freshman Tommy DeVito, and the move worked. SU head coach Dino Babers played coy this week on who would start against NC State.
Here is a full scouting report on Syracuse.
Five Syracuse Players To Watch
Senior wide receiver Jamal Custis — The big, physical Custis was an afterthought in previous years for the Orange, but has emerged in his last season. The 6-5, 213-pounder has 32 catches for 592 yards and four touchdowns, leading the team in the latter two categories. Custis had just 13 catches for 142 yards and two scores going into the season. He had six receptions for 168 yards and two scores against Western Michigan in the season opener to set the tone Aug. 31. He proved that wasn’t a fluke by snagging seven passes for 162 yards and a touchdown last week against North Carolina.
Senior quarterback Eric Dungey —There has always been drama about Dungey playing against NC State, but usually it involves injury. This time, he is fresh off of being benched in favor of redshirt freshman Tommy DeVito, who sparked the 40-37 double overtime win against North Carolina last week. We’ll play a hunch that Dungey starts, but he could get a quick hook. The 6-4, 226-pounder has completed 119 of 203 passes for 1,433 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions, plus rushed 92 times for 477 yards and eight scores this season. He has thrown for 7,905 yards and 50 touchdowns and rushed for 1,716 yards and 28 scores in his career.
Redshirt junior punter Sterling Hofrichter — He ranks tied for 18th in the country in punting with an average of 45.2 yards on 36 punts. He has been consistent each week, with a 43.8 average or better in all but one game. He was part of the preseason All-ACC squad and Ray Guy Award watch list for the nation’s top punter. He is second in school history at 43.4 yards per punt.
Junior defensive end Alton Robinson — The 6-4, 249-pounder has quietly become one of the top defensive ends in the ACC. He has 23 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery this season. He has 11 sacks in 19 games played at Syracuse. The former junior college transfer earned ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after having eight tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles in the 44-37 overtime loss at Pittsburgh Oct. 6.
Senior weakside linebacker Kielan Whitner — The former safety is second in the ACC with 8.57 tackles per game, and leads the squad with 60 plus has one interception and one forced fumble. The 6-0, 215-pounder made the move to linebacker in 2017 and had 10-plus tackles against both Clemson and Florida State.
What To Expect From Syracuse
1. More balance this season. Syracuse has the reputation of being a pass-happy offense, but the numbers this season tell a different story.
The Orange has rushed 309 times and thrown 257 times this season. Part of that is the ability of senior quarterback Eric Dungey to take off and run, and he is arguably Syracuse’s best short-yardage runner with eight touchdowns and 477 rushing yards.
Both junior Moe Neal and senior Dontae Strickland are less than 204 pounds and rely more on quickness than power. Neal, who is from Gastonia, N.C., has tallied 95 carries for 473 yards and two scores, and Strickland had chipped in 247 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Both have combined for 19 catches for 132 yards. Freshman running back Jarveon Howard is the bruiser of the group at 5-10 and 210 pounds, but his role is uneven week to week.
2. Aggressive pass rush. The Orange can credit their improved pass rush as a key to the defense improving this season. Junior defensive end Alton Robinson was a given going into the season, but he doesn’t even lead Syracuse in sacks. That honor goes to junior defensive end Kendall Coleman, who entered the year with 1.5 sacks but already has seven in seven games this season. Robinson is right behind with six sacks and the defense has 21 on the season, which is five more than last year’s total (16).
That said, Syracuse could only sack North Carolina once in 54 passing attempts last week and NC State has been stingy in allowing sacks this season.
3. Strong special teams. A lot of ACC teams have good special teams, and maybe playing in the Carrier Dome helps, but the Orange are right there with anyone. Redshirt junior punter Sterling Hofrichter is averaging an impressive 45.2 yards on 36 punts, and has averaged 43.4 in his career. Redshirt freshman kicker Andre Szmyt has proven clutch this season and has gone 18 of 20 on field goals with a long of 54 yards. He is second in the Football Bowl Subdivision in field goals per game (2.57) and No. 1 in points scored in kicking (88).
Junior Sean Riley handles the punt returns and kickoff returns, but has been more successful in the former. He is averaging 21.1 yards on seven punt returns and has a 69-yard touchdown against Connecticut. Riley has 88 kickoff returns in his career with an average of 21.7 yards, but has dipped down to 18.0 on six kickoff returns this season. UNC’s Dazz Newsome did return a punt for a 75-yard touchdown against the Orange last week.
Three Keys To The Game
1. Wolfpack cornerbacks will get challenged, again: NC State junior Nick McCloud and sophomore Chris Ingram were challenged at Clemson last week, with the Tigers passing for 380 yards and a touchdown. The two cornerbacks will see plenty of action Saturday. Five different Syracuse wide receivers have at least 12 receptions this season, with junior Sean Riley leading the way with 33 catches for 324 yards and two touchdowns. The big-play size of the 6-5 Jamal Custis is a new wrinkle for the Wolfpack secondary to deal with. The last “big” receiver NCSU has faced was James Madison junior Riley Stapleton, who at 6-5 and 229 pounds, grabbed nine passes for 88 yards and a touchdown in the season opener Sept. 1.
2. Continue to give Ryan Finley time: Syracuse might have 21 sacks on the season, but NC State has only allowed three sacks in six games. If sixth-year senior quarterback Ryan Finley has the time, he should do well in spreading the ball around against an Orange defense that allowed 321 passing yards against UNC quarterback Nathan Elliott. NC State leads the ACC with 311.7 passing yards per game, but Finley is coming off his worst game with 156 passing yards and two interceptions against Clemson.
3. Good health: NC State had freshman running back Ricky Person Jr., fifth-year senior wide receiver Stephen Louis, redshirt sophomore right tackle Justin Witt and fifth-year senior left guard Terronne Prescod exit the Clemson game last Saturday. NCSU head coach Dave Doeren didn’t detail the injuries during Monday’s press conference, but the Wolfpack would have to scramble to replace Person with former walk-ons Brady Bodine, a senior, and Damontay Rhem, a junior. Redshirt sophomore Joe Sculthorpe filled in for Prescod and redshirt junior Tyrone Riley played for Witt. The Wolfpack still features five capable receivers if Louis is unavailable.
Three Syracuse Numbers Of Note
4.7 Average margin of Syracuse’s last three games, which have been decided on the last minute of the game or overtime and during which the Orange has a 1-2 mark. SU lost 27-23 at Clemson, lost 44-37 at Pittsburgh in overtime and defeated UNC 40-37 in double overtime.
17 Amount of takeaways for the Syracuse defense, which ranks seventh in the country and already surpassed last years total of 12. The Orange has 10 interceptions, which is third in the ACC, and has have recovered seven fumbles for a plus-eight in turnover margin, which is the best in the ACC.
42.6 Points per game by the Syracuse offense, which just edges Clemson (42.0) for tops in the ACC and tied for ninth with Penn State nationally.
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