Syracuse Football: Breaking down the Orange 2022 schedule, NC State

Before the Syracuse football 2022 schedule was released, I said that despite the tough teams on the schedule, I thought this team could still have success and be a bowl team based on what I have seen so far this offseason. And when the schedule came out, it does appear difficult but I still stand by it.

So I sat down and decided that instead of just saying that I believe it again, I wanted to break the games down one by one and give you the information you need to decide for yourself. I will go game by game with fun stats like head-to-head outcomes, players to watch, my way too early rating of difficulty, and a few other notes that might help.

Here are the teams scheduled and links to those that are already published in case you missed one:

Louisville

UConn

Purdue

Virginia

Wagner

Bye Week

NC State

Clemson

Notre Dame

Pittsburgh

Florida State

Wake Forest

Boston College

Breaking down Syracuse football hosting N.C. State on the Hill.

Syracuse Orange vs NC State Wolfpack

Saturday, October 15, 2022 (time and viewing options TBD)

Location: Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY

Last season head to head: NC State won 41-17 in Raleigh, NC. In fact, did you know, according to winsipedia, NC State has won 13 of the 15 times these two teams have played each other since 1972? Syracuse’s only wins were in 2013 and 2018.

Opponent’s overall record last season: The Wolfpack were 9-3 (6-2 in the ACC). Scheduled to play in the Holiday Bowl against UCLA but it was later canceled.

Stats from their last face-off: Looking at the recap on ESPN.com, Syracuse’s only touchdowns were Garrett Shrader and Sean Tucker breaking off big runs of 48 yards and 55 yards respectively. Mikel Jones led the team with 12 tackles and the only solo sack. Andre Szmyt was 1-1 from 45 yards out. Cooper Lutz actually had a 32-yard kick return at one point as well.

Possible level of difficulty on a scale of 1-10: 8.5. I said last season the Wolfpack scared me and I’m still not looking past them this year. This is coming off an early bye week compared to years past so hopefully, the week off and playing at home can help. NC State will be coming off a game from FSU with their bye week the week after this so hopefully Syracuse is rested, healthy and ready. Also, it looks like NC State will probably start out the 2022 season ranked in or near the top 10 teams in the nation and deservedly so even if I think it’s crazy to rank teams until at least a few games have been played.

Key person on opposing team: LB Drake Thomas. In 2021, Drake had 8 tackles, 2 sacks and an interception he returned for a touchdown. There are a lot of productive players returning next season for the Wolfpack so you could chose one of many but Thomas is hard to ignore based on how well he played against the Orange last season.

How can Syracuse win: If Syracuse football didn’t have Clemson on the road and Notre Dame on the schedule (their next two games by the way), I’d say this would be the hardest on the schedule but it still might be depending on how Syracuse football is playing. That said, Syracuse is going to have to play very well both offensively and defensively if they want a chance to win this game. Syracuse did have some success running the ball against NC State in 2021 so that’ll likely be key but hopefully can balance it out with some passing plays as well. Also, NC State scored 41 points against Syracuse football in their last game and passed for over 300 yards so Duce, Williams and the rest of the secondary will have to contain them.

Other news, notes and nuggets:

– Dinosaur BBQ > The Pit

– This game will be the halfway point of the schedule. Hopefully, the Orange is at least 3-3 when this game is over. I’m hoping for better honestly but praying it not worse. A win here against a team like this will also help fans and TV executives/bowl game appeal. If Syracuse does win and already is like 4-2 or better, it could mean a good TV spot against Clemson next week possibly either on ESPN or maybe ABC even. One positive thing about a tough schedule is if Syracuse can win, networks will love putting these matchups in attractive time slots and channels.

– Get used to NC State being good. ESPN reporter Andrea Adelson is reporting that they’re negotiating with current head coach Dave Doeren to extend his contract into possibly the $5 million a season range after 9 seasons of success there.

– Wolfpack QB Devin Leary may not have been my key person listed above but he’s someone who if healthy will be a problem. He did pass for over 300 yards as I did mention earlier and his announced return means Syracuse is facing an experienced QB with possible NFL potential.

– NC State has produced a lot of quality athletes but there are other names you might know that attended the university. Former Wipeout interviewer and Hallmark Channel actress Jill Wagner (Christmas in the Evergreens is a classic), composer and former Entertainment Tonight host John Tesh, country singer Scotty McCreery, and Hangover actor Zach Galifianakis all are former Wolfpack.