Preview: ACC Stretch Run Starts Thursday at NC State

SYRACUSE (3-2, 0-1 ACC ) VS. NC STATE (3-2, 0-1 ACC)
Game Details: 8 p.m. | Thursday, Oct. 10
Location: Raleigh, N.C. | Carter-Finley Stadium
Game Links: Tickets | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Television: ESPN
Radio: Syracuse Sports Network from Learfield IMG College
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes (PDF)
NC State Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes (PDF)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse football starts a string of seven straight conference games to end the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 10 when it meets ACC Atlantic Division rival NC State at Carter-Finley Stadium. The game will air live nationally on ESPN. Adam Amin (pxp), Matt Hasselbeck (analyst), Pat McAfee (analyst) and Molly McGrath (sideline reporter) have the call.

The Orange and Wolfpack are both coming off bye weeks. Both squads have identical 3-2 overall records and matching 0-1 marks in ACC play.

The game represents the first time Syracuse has played on a Thursday since the 2011 season opener against Wake Forest. The Orange were victorious that night, topping the Demon Deacons at home 36-29 in overtime.

WORKIN' WEEKDAYS
The Orange are 15-3 (.833) in weekday games since beating Kansas State in the 2010 Pinstripe Bowl, including five straight victories. The Orange's last non-Saturday loss was a 62-28 decision to Louisville on Friday, Sept. 9, 2016.

Since joining the ACC in 2013, Syracuse is 26-42 (.382) in Saturday games and 9-2 (.818) when playing on any other day of the week.

Next week, the Orange face Pittsburgh on Friday, Oct. 18. The 2019 season marks just the third time in the modern era Syracuse will play consecutive weekday games. The situation also occurred in 1952 and 2016.

BYE, BYE, BYE
Since 2009, Syracuse is 11-6 in games when it has an additional week to prepare, including a 7-6 record in regular-season games after a bye. The Orange's other four victories in that time are bowl wins that followed the the 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2018 campaigns.

Syracuse is 2-2 in the Dino Babers era under that scenario, including a 1-2 regular-season record after open weeks.

Babers has won two games in a row with an additional week of preparation. He and the Orange defeated West Virginia (Camping World Bowl) and North Carolina last season

STRIKE HARD, STRIKE FAST
In their last two wins, the Orange came away with points on 15 possessions and 11 of those scoring drives lasted two minutes or less. On nine of those series, it took five plays or fewer for the Orange to cash in.

The quickest were a pair of one-play drives versus Holy Cross. Quarterback Tommy DeVito hit receiver Trishton Jackson for a 17-yard touchdown on the first play after a turnover. Later in the game, he linked up with Luke Benson for a 70-yard TD on first down. The scores took five and nine seconds, respectively.

The average figures for the Orange's eight scoring drives against Western Michigan were 5.8 plays, 55.3 yards and 1:54. Syracuse was quicker against Holy Cross with averages of 5.1 plays, 45.3 yards and 1:33.

BREAKIN' UP IS HARD TO DO
The Orange defense has 34 passes defended (6 INT, 28 PBU), tied with Wyoming for the eighth-most in the FBS. Syracuse is averaging 6.8 passes defended per game, which is tied for fifth nationally.

Fourteen defenders have been credited with at least one pass defended, led by cornerback Christopher Fredrick's six (1 INT, 5 PBU).

For perspective, Syracuse averaged 4.3 passes defended per game in 2018. The Orange have not averaged 5.0 passes defended per contest since the 2005 season (5.0, 55 in 11 games).

SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK
The Wolfpack enter Thursday's game with a perfect 3-0 home mark. NC State has outscored its foes 109-29 at Carter-Finley Stadium this year.

NC State is led by head coach Dave Doeren, who is in his seventh season at the Wolfpack helm. Doeren is 46-36 at NC State and 69-40 in his head coaching career, which includes a two-year stint at Northern Illinois.

Quarterback Matt McKay has accounted for seven touchdowns, including a team-best four scores. McKay started the first five games of the season, however, Doeren said earlier this week that Bailey Hockman will get the start Thursday night. McKay, Hockman and Co. have struggled to push the ball down the field. NC State's longest completion of the season is 48 yards.

Wide receiver Emeka Emezie leads four NC State receivers with double-digit catches. Emezie has 28 grabs for 281 yards and a touchdown.

NC State ranks sixth nationally in rushing defense, allowing 71.8 yards per contest. The Wolfpack has kept four of its first five opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground.

Defensive tackle Larrell Murchison is one of the top sack artists in the ACC. He ranks third in the league in sacks per game (1.0) and has 6.5 tackles for loss. In addition to being NC State's second-leading tackler, cornerback Chris Ingram tops the team's statistical charts with six passes defended (2 INT, 4 PBU).

SERIES HISTORY
The Orange snapped a four-game losing streak against the Wolfpack with last season's 51-41 triumph at the Dome. The victory was Syracuse's second in the series, which stands at 10-2 in favor of NC State. The Wolfpack are 5-1 at home against the Orange.

The series dates back to a 43-20 Wolfpack win in 1972. The teams played four times in the 1970s, twice at each campus, before resuming the series with home-and-home dates in 1997 and 1998. Since 2013, the schools have played annually as members of the ACC's Atlantic Division.

Syracuse's lone road victory against NC State came on Oct. 12, 2013 when it scored a 24-10 win at Carter-Finley Stadium. It marked the Orange's first league win as a member of the ACC. Syracuse rushed for 362 yards in the contest, its best ground effort to date in an ACC game.

UP NEXT
Syracuse returns home on Friday, Oct. 18 to host longtime rival Pittsburgh. Kickoff between the Orange and Panthers is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Tickets for the Pitt game start at $35. They are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Dome Box Office located in the Ensley Athletic Center.

For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).

Preview: ACC Stretch Run Starts Thursday at NC State

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Players Mentioned

Luke Benson

Tommy DeVito

Christopher Fredrick

Trishton Jackson

Syracuse University Athletics