NC State Prepares For A Battle Against Syracuse
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The Wolfpack struggled to get anything going against a red-hot Blue Devils team that outgained State 461 to 217 yards.
State Struggled to Stop the Run
NC State’s defense had its second-worst outing in stopping the run since the early loss to Virginia in Week 0.
State gave up 238 yards to Duke, including 217 yards to Heisman hopeful Nate Sheppard, who averaged 12.1 yards per carry on 18 attempts and scored 3 touchdowns.
Sheppard’s performance on Saturday was the most yards NC State has given up to an opposing running back all season.
And in a season full of disappointing moments, the Wolfpack added another play for the blooper reel when safety Andrew Pellicciotta returned State’s missed 50-yard field goal 109 yards for an easy Duke touchdown.
WHAT A WAY TO END THE HALF! ANDREW PELLICCIOTTA 109 YARDS!!! pic.twitter.com/ObchjXtY7C
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) November 7, 2026
It is believed to be the first time in NC State history that the Wolfpack has allowed a missed field goal return for a touchdown.
“Everything from this game needs to start with me,” NC State Interim Head Coach Todd Goebbel said after the game. “We had multiple opportunities the entire time to get him down, and we didn’t. So we got to go back to the drawing board and make sure that never happens again. It starts with me.”
Prepared to Fight
It’s understandable how painful moments such as these can easily break a player’s mental state. However, Goebbel still believes his team is prepared to go to battle this week.
“We will keep taking it one day at a time,” Goebbel said. “I got great young men that are still willing to fight… We’re all together, and we’re going to continue down that road. Through adversity, you strengthen, and that’s what we‘re going to continue to do.”
NC State welcomes Syracuse to Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday in search of its first win over the Orange since the 2021 season.
Syracuse has beaten the Wolfpack the last two times, including the last game played in Raleigh, 24-17, on Oct. 12, 2024.
Syrcause is also currently at the bottom of the ACC race (2-5 ACC) but has strung together a 2-1 record in the last three games, including impressive victories over SMU and UNC.
The Orange were within 5 points of their loss to Clemson last weekend.
Two Evenly Matched Opponents
Syracuse’s head coach Fran Brown has infused a boxer’s mentality into his team. The Orange will be a formidable foe for the Wolfpack and will surely not go down easily.
“Coach Brown has done a really good job,” Goebbel said. “They got an experienced quarterback with tremendous weapons on the perimeter and the receivers. They run the ball efficiently. Defensively, they’re disruptive. A lot of bombs in the backfield, pressures on the quarterback. Active in the back end. Their nickel has four picks, so they’re opportunistic on that side of the ball.”
Davien Kerr (DB) is a ball hawk for Syracuse, and his 4 interceptions lead the team. He even had an interception against Clemson last weekend.
This matchup against Syracuse feels as evenly matched as possible for NC State. However, the Wolfpack are still battling through a ton of injuries this week.
So it'll be interesting to see who is cleared to play as these teams inch closer to kickoff. The health of NC State is a key factor in determining which team will win this game.
“We got another great challenge ahead of us,” Goebbel said. “It’s ACC football. It’s in the Carter. We’re excited to get started in our prep and have a great week of practice.”
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Andre Cherry began covering college football in 2010 through his CherryPickin podcast network. Andre originally hails from Chicagoland and is a proud Illinois State alum. He has lived in Philadelphia since 2014 and has previously covered Temple Football. Andre has a broadcast journalism background and got his start in media at WSCR the Score. He’s written for Fox Sports, Bridgehead Media, cinéSPEAK Journal, and IPMF.
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