NC State overcame a scoreless first quarter to roll past Syracuse 41-17 on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The No. 20-ranked Wolfpack exploded in the second quarter for 28 points, with touchdowns coming on a pick-six, kick return and two on offense.
NCSU improved to 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the ACC, and host North Carolina at 7 p.m. Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack Central reviews the various components of the win over the Orange.
Most important play
NC State middle linebacker Drake Thomas read the eyes of Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader, and jumped the slant pass intended to wide receiver Sharod Johnson. Shrader never saw Thomas on the play. Thomas broke the weak tackle attempt from Shrader and eluded wide receiver Devaughn Cooper to return the interception 38 yards for the touchdown. NC State took a 14-0 lead with 5:25 left in the second quarter and never looked back in the victory.
Three game balls
1. Middle linebacker Drake Thomas
Thomas sparked the Wolfpack by catching a fastball from Syracuse quarterback Shrader, and returning it 38 yards for a touchdown. He had already gotten two sacks at that point in the game. Thomas finished with a team-leading eight tackles (two solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception in the win.
2. Quarterback Devin Leary
Leary did a great job of managing the game but also airing out the football on a few occasions. He had an efficient 17-of-24 passing for 303 yards and two touchdowns, and it marked the fifth-straight game he had passed for over 300 yards this season. He also rushed five times for a yard, and didn’t commit a turnover.
3. Running back/kick returner Zonovan Knight
This is deja vu with Knight, who returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to give the Wolfpack a comfy 21-7 lead with 3:16 left in the second quarter. The former Bailey (N.C.) Southern Nash product had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Wake Forest last week, plus a 72-yard return. Knight added eight carries for 37 yards and one reception for 26 yards, plus recorded two kickoff returns for 113 yards against the Orange.
Key statistic advantage
At some point during the first half, it became clear that Shrader’s recent struggles weren’t a fluke, and that completing passes was going to be hard for Syracuse. Credit NC State’s defense for not allowing anything cheap from Shrader, who has now gone three-straight games of throwing for less than 65 yards.
The fact that freshman JaCobian Morgan — former Rivals.com two-star prospect from Canton, Miss. — can’t beat out Shrader is telling. Shrader finished going 8-of-20 passing for 63 yards and the pick-six interception to Drake Thomas. He rushed 17 times for 70 yards and a score, but 48 yards came on one rushing play.
What NC State did well
NC State showed off big-play speed, which was welcomed. Knight had his 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Thomas went 38 yards for an interception return for a score, as previously described. It wasn’t just those two plays though. Wide receiver Devin Carter caught a 58-yard reception, and fellow wideout Thayer Thomas added a 49-yard reception.
NC State had three other plays over 20 yards — running back Knight and wide receiver Porter Rooks each had 26-yard receptions, and running back Ricky Person had a 27-yard catch.
What needs improvement
NC State was the far superior team to Syracuse, which wasn’t all that surprising. The Orange had lost 41-3 to Louisville the previous week. What was surprising is that NC State committed 12 penalties for 96 yards, which was part of the first-quarter frustration.
The penalties would be written off if not for what happened a week ago at Wake Forest. The Wolfpack committed 14 penalties against the Demon Deacons, and now it is a trend instead of maybe something easily written off.
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