The Syracuse football squad has a huge ACC primetime affair against the NC State Wolfpack on Saturday. Here’s how the game will play out.
The Syracuse football team has experienced a crazy roller coaster so far this season. On one hand Syracuse could be 4-3 on a three game losing streak with a chance to be 4-4 after this NC State game if things rolled a certain way vs North Carolina. But that didn’t happen.
Now the entire narrative has changed with the huge win over North Carolina and now Syracuse is 5-2 with a chance to get to six wins for the first time since 2013. While NC State is a top-25 foe who is looking to take out the Orange and reach the same six win barometer.
This is also the first Saturday prime time game on the hill since 2010 and the expectation is this will be the highest attended Syracuse football game of the season. Rumors are swirling that perhaps the Orange can crack the 40K mark and that would be an accomplishment unto itself.
Our entire staff put their heads together and spit out some predictions for this game. Can this Syracuse team get back to a bowl game for the first time since 2013? Here’s our best guess.
Neil Adler (contributor) 6-1
The Syracuse football squad looks to secure a post-season bowl berth, and possibly attain a top-25 ranking, when the Orange hosts No. 22 N.C. State on Saturday night. SU (5-2, 2-2) gutted out a double-overtime home conquest against North Carolina this past weekend, while the Wolfpack (5-1, 2-1) suffered its first loss of the 2018 stanza, getting crushed on the road versus highly rated Clemson.
ESPN2 will televise this prime-time Atlantic Coast Conference tilt. Both of these programs rack up a ton of yards on offense, with the ‘Cuse producing more points per contest, and N.C. State allowing less scoring each time out.
Currently, odds-makers in Las Vegas view the Wolfpack as a slight favorite, while ESPN.com’s match-up predictor says that Syracuse possesses a 51 percent change of emerging victorious.
It seems that SU has a bit of a complex situation presently underway at quarterback, and I fear that this could ultimately hurt the Orange. Since Dino Babers began guiding the ‘Cuse, our boys have gone winless in the month of November, so if SU wants to land a bowl bid, prevailing over N.C. State seems pivotal. However, I just don’t think that we are going to pull this one out. Syracuse falls in heart-breaking fashion inside the Carrier Dome to the Wolfpack, 30-27.
Paul A. Esden Sr. (contributor) 5-2
This is it the moment we have all been waiting for …
Syracuse in prime time against a top 25 opponent in the dome.
Record of 5-2 and on the brink of completing the ‘Quest for 6’ and launching themselves into the top 25.This is our skin on the wall. We are going to make it happen. Time to put Central New York back on the map.
Our 1-2 punch at QB will shine against the Wolfpack’s suspect secondary. I predict a hard fought victory 35-20.
Andrew Carey (contributor) 5-2
This is a huge game for Syracuse. The fact that it is a night game on a Saturday, in the Dome is not to be sold short, that is significant. NC State is a good football team with a very good Quarterback. Unfortunately not much is known about them, other than their blowout loss to Clemson, they haven’t really played anybody. Their top non-conference matchup against West Virginia would have been a good barometer for the Wolfpack, but that didn’t happen.
Ryan Finley is the signal caller for NC State, he is a Boise State transfer, who feels like he has been at NC State forever. North Carolina State likes to break defenses down with their quick passing attack. That is what UNC did to Syracuse with some success last week, but most of their touchdowns were results of one big play.
The Syracuse secondary is extremely capable, and might be the strongest positional unit on the defense, but they will have their hands full. Good news is that according to Dino Babers it sounds like both Chris Fredrick and Scoop Bradshaw will be at their disposal after both were injured last weekend. The key for the Syracuse defense will be, whether or not they can put pressure on Ryan Finley and make him uncomfortable. The Orange have two of the best edge rushers in the conference in Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson, they will need to each come up with some big plays on defense. That brings me to the Syracuse offense. After Eric Dungey struggled mightily to get anything going last weekend in the second half, Tommy DeVito came in and won Syracuse the game. Dungey, who I believe has an injured throwing arm, does not look comfortable right now, leading to a QB controversy this week.
If I were Babers I would start DeVito and rotate both guys in. From the sounds of things, he is going to stick with Dungey and go to DeVito if needed, the NC State defense gave up over 300 yards passing last weekend to Clemson, and their secondary is suspect. I would imagine this being the perfect game to find playing time for DeVito. Ultimately, I think this game comes down to Dino Babers, is he too stubborn to move on from a kid like Dungey, who has given this program everything, but is clearly hurt? Only time will tell, but I think the Wolfpack pulls out a 35-27 win.
Adam Patrick (Co-Site Expert) 5-2
Syracuse wins 35-28*(score predicted based on Tommy DeVito starting at quarterback for Syracuse)
Heading into Saturday’s matchup against the No. 22 NC State Wolfpack, no one is really sure who the Orange will be rolling out as their starting quarterback.
After redshirt freshman Tommy DeVito replaced senior Eric Dungey under center last week and led Syracuse to a double-overtime win over North Carolina, Orange head coach Dino Babers has kept his starting quarterback decision for Saturday under wraps.
If Babers wants to have a better chance at coming out with a victory this week, DeVito should be given the starting nod.
NC State has a tough defense this season, especially against the run as they are allowing just 104.7 rushing yards per game. If they take away Syracuse’s ability to run on Saturday, then the Orange will have to find a way to be productive with their passing offense.
Between their two quarterbacks, DeVito is more likely to have success throwing the ball than Dungey. Just look at last week against North Carolina when the redshirt freshman came into the game in the fourth quarter and ended up throwing for 181 yards and three touchdowns.
DeVito is the right choice at quarterback for Syracuse this week and if they decide to go this route, it should lead to a win over NC State.
Paul A. Esden Jr. (Co-Site Expert) 5-2
This is the game we’ve all been waiting for as Syracuse football fans. A talented top-25 foe enters the Carrier Dome and there’s a different feeling in the air. This isn’t a ‘David vs Goliath’ type of matchup, to be honest this is about as close as you’ll get to a 50-50 contest.
Both teams enter the game with varying strengths that could be used against one another which should make for one of the most entertaining games of the season.
The Orange have a first world problem with two talented quarterbacks who have proven capable. So who should start? What about both?
Head coach Dino Babers explored the possibility of a platoon quarterback system during his weekly presser, it makes a ton of sense. Obviously the logistics have to be hammered out but Eric Dungey should not be thrown in a dungeon and the key is thrown away, he’s a talented guy.
I think Tommy DeVito should be the main squeeze because I think he really opens up the playbook with his passing skillset, but both quarterbacks should be utilized in this game and moving forward.
While on the NC State side of things Ryan Finley is a real problem. He just rarely makes mistakes, super efficient, 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio, it’s going to be hard to force turnovers which means Syracuse has to have a squeaky clean game offensively.
Give me the Orange in a super tight matchup that’ll go down to the very end: Syracuse wins a shootout 38-35 over the Wolfpack.