5 Keys for Syracuse to Beat NC State and Keep Its Bowl Hopes Alive

The 4-5 Syracuse Orange travel to the 4-5 NC State Wolf Pack, looking to return to a .500 record and keep their bowl-game aspirations alive.

The Orange are coming off an 18-13 loss to Clemson, where the offense struggled to find points, especially in the red zone.

Syracuse takes on an NC State team also pushing for bowl eligibility after a 41-3 loss to Duke. Both teams are desperate to win this week and will do everything they can to get a step closer to a bowl game.

Here are the 5 keys to Syracuse beating the Wolf Pack and competing for postseason games.

Dominating Early Downs

Last week, NC State did little in their blowout loss, especially on early downs.

NC State converted only 3-of-14 third downs because they couldn't gain yards on first or second down.

The Wolfpack had only 32 total rushing yards, which forced long-distance third downs and contributed to the low conversion rate.

Last week against Clemson, Syracuse did well stopping third-down conversions, allowing only 4-of-16.

To control the game, the Orange need to force the Wolf Pack into long second- and third-down situations that NC State hasn’t proven it can convert.

Taking What the Defense Gives You

Against Clemson, Steve Angeli was 18 for 40, throwing for 263 yards and a touchdown; he was sacked three times, threw an interception, and fumbled, resulting in Clemson's only touchdown.

Many of Angeli's mistakes came from not taking what the defense gave him and trying too hard to create the big play.

When you take what the defense gives you and gain four to seven yards, it forces the defense to play closer and creates the big plays we are accustomed to seeing from the Orange offense.

NC State is a bottom-six passing defense in the ACC, allowing 233.8 passing yards a game. The Orange are a top-seven passing offense at 274.0 passing yards a game.

To beat NC State, the Orange should avoid forcing it downfield and instead develop plays that gain four to seven yards, then create big plays downfield to Syracuse playmakers.

Offensive Line

The offensive line struggled to establish itself against Clemson, largely due to injuries at the start of the game.

Syracuse was without its star right guard sophomore, Jayden Mann, who suffered a bad lower-body sprain (no structural tear) early in the first quarter (exiting with 6:07 remaining) after just 13 snaps. He is sidelined for the following game against NC State.

Despite rushing for 117 yards, the team averaged 3.5 yards per carry on 33 attempts.

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The Orange couldn’t control the line of scrimmage, which limited their time of possession; the offense logged only 27:31 minutes to Clemson's 32:29.

Despite Mann's injury, the Orange need to get back to controlling the line of scrimmage, with the nation's best offensive line. Playing through this unit will play a big part not only in this week's game but for the rest of the season.

Containing The Quarterback

Syracuse's defensive line was mixed against Clemson last week, with three sacks and six tackles for a loss. However, against Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds, the Orange gave up 61 rushing yards, and many came on key first-down conversions.

NC State quarterback CJ Bailey isn’t the runner Reynolds is, but he is still a threat, rushing for 172 yards and two touchdowns this year.

Syracuse's defensive line is led by Keyshawn Johnson, who has seven sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss, and defensive lineman Nissi Ogbebor, with 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss.

Containing the quarterback was a big part of Syracuse beating NC State, and their defensive line, which has been strong this year, will need to be even better against the Wolf Pack.

Controlling The Pack

Syracuse travels back to North Carolina, but this time taking on NC State. The Orange beat UNC a few weeks back on a walk-off two-point conversion and kept the crowd from being a factor.

Taking on NC State will be a challenge, as they also want to push for a bowl game and have the same record as Syracuse.

The crowd will do everything to give the Wolf Pack the edge over Syracuse. If the Orange can build an early lead and keep the crowd from being a factor, it will give Syracuse the best possible edge.

Final Thoughts

At 4-5, Syracuse has reached the point in the season where every game carries postseason implications.

The Orange have shown they can compete with quality opponents, but close games and encouraging performances won't be enough if they don't translate into wins.

Against NC State, Syracuse needs to control the line of scrimmage, put Angeli in manageable situations, and prevent the Wolf Pack from creating momentum at home.

Both teams enter Saturday with identical records and the same goal of reaching six wins. For Syracuse, a victory would move the Orange back to .500 and put them one win away from bowl eligibility with two games remaining.

A loss wouldn't mathematically end Syracuse's postseason hopes, but it would leave the Orange with almost no room for error.

With the season on the line, Saturday is no longer just about bouncing back from Clemson. It's about keeping Syracuse's path to postseason football alive.

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