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NC State Football

Scouting the Competition: Syracuse

Published

11 years ago

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NC State will play it’s first ever ACC game against Syracuse this Saturday and will be in search of their first ACC victory. So what can Doeren and his guys expect?

Well, the Orange probably still have a bad taste in their mouth after their ACC opener with Clemson. They were slammed 49-14, but it’s not like they weren’t expecting the added competition.

“It’s what we signed up for,” Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer said Tuesday. “We played a really good football team. Everybody knows that. There are always positives, even in a tough loss against a good team like Clemson.”

Now they set their sights on a game that is a lot more winnable in their minds, a matchup with the Pack. State is coming off a bad loss to Wake Forest and needs this win to right the ship, however it’s not going to be an easy task by any means. The Orange ground game we pretty impressive against the Tigers as they reeled off 323 yards and 2 touchdowns. The good news for NC State however, is that they’ll be facing off against a QB who is still wet behind the ears. Terrel Hunt will be making his 3rd career start in Raleigh this Saturday. So far, he’s been good, but not great. In his first game against Tulane he put up 4 TDs and 181 yards, but took a huge step back against Clemson’s defense when he put up only 52 yards and threw 3 INTs.
State will be able to disrupt Syracuse with a little pressure, but they’ll need to really lock down their ground game if they want to put the clamps on them. On defense, Syracuse has been apt to give up the big play. Against Clemson there were plenty. This is a defense that does not look used to the type of athleticism that the ACC can bring to the table. NC State needs to take advantage of this. They need to take shots down the field and capitalize when Syracuse falls asleep at the wheel.
Players To Watch:
Terrel Hunt – We mentioned him earlier as a potential weakness, but he’s young and with kids like this you never know. He had a great game against Tulane then stunk it up against Clemson. In my opinion, if State doesn’t really ratchet up the pressure, he could have a big game.

Jerome Smith- The junior RB has been great for Syracuse. 342  yards and 7 TDs in only 5 games. He’s scored in every one so far and 125 and a TD against Clemson last week. He’s a game changer and if the Wolfpack don’t look out he could bite them.

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NC State Football

WATCH QB Grayson McCall’s Tape from the 2024 NC State Spring Game

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9 hours ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State will have a new Quarterback in 2024 in Coastal Carolina Transfer Grayson McCall. A few weeks back, McCall looked sharp in the 2024 Spring Game, completing 16 of his 20 pass attempts for 205 yards and a touchdown. McCall was accuracy and composure were evident in his first time playing in Carter-Finley Stadium.

Check out McCall’s tape from the Spring Game.

 

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NC State Football

NC State Legend QB Roman Gabriel Passes Away at the Age of 83

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4 days ago

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April 20, 2024

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NC State legend Quarterback Roman Gabriel has passed away at the age of 83.

Gabriel’s Accolades

  • 2 time ACC Player of the Year (1960 & 1961)
  • 2 time 1st Team All-American (1960 & 1961)
  • 2 time 1st Team All-ACC (1960 & 1961)
  • 1st ACC QB to throw for 1,000 yards in a season
  • Left NC State with 22 school records and 9 ACC records
  • #1 pick in the AFL and #2 pick in the NFL
  • 16-year NFL career with the Rams & Eagles
  • 4 time Pro Bowler
  • NFL MVP in 1969
  • Led the NFL in Passing Yards in 1973
  • Led the NFL in Touchdown Passes in 1969 & 1973
  • Inaugural member of the NC State Hall of Fame
  • Ranks 1st all-time in Rams history in Touchdown Passes & 3rd in Passing Yards
  • First player to have their jersey number retired at NC State, on January 20, 1962.

Praying for the Gabriel family!

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NC State Baseball

NC State has Dominated UNC in Athletics in 2023-24

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4 days ago

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April 20, 2024

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After NC State clinched a series victory over UNC last night in Baseball, I thought it would be a good time to relish in how the Wolfpack has dominated the Tar Heels Athletic Program as a whole in 2023-24.

The Wolfpack Baseball team has won the first two games in the series against the Tar Heels, clinching a series victory over UNC for the first time since 2021. It marks the first time NC State has won a series against the Tar Heels in Raleigh since 2016.

NC State defeated UNC in Volleyball 3-1, winning in Chapel Hill for the first time in 25 years. The Tar Heels had won the last 5 matches against the Wolfpack.

The Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels 39-20 in Football in Carter-Finley Stadium. It marked the 3rd consecutive win over UNC.

NC State lost both regular season games to UNC in Men’s Basketball, but when it mattered most, the Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels in the ACC Championship Game 84-76, winning their first title since 1987.

The Wolfpack Women’s Basketball team lost to their rival in Chapel Hill, but defeated UNC 63-59 in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State has won 5 of the last 7 against UNC.

In Gymnastics, NC State defeated UNC 196.725-194.925 in Raleigh. This marked the 3rd straight victory for the Wolfpack over the Tar Heels.

NC State’s Men & Women’s Swimming & Diving teams both beat UNC. The Men won 258-93, and the Women won 196-157.

The Wolfpack Wrestling team defeated UNC 33-6 in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State has won 11 straight Duals against the Tar Heels.

The NC State Men’s Tennis team defeated UNC 4-0, winning against their rival in back-to-back years.

The Wolfpack Women’s Tennis team has defeated the Tar Heels 4-3 on two occasions thus far this season, and will face their rival again today.

The Cross Country teams didn’t have individual meets against UNC, but the Women obviously beat them, because they won the ACC Championship. The Men didn’t, finishing 8th in the Conference, with the Tar Heels finishing 1st.

The only other NC State athletic team that didn’t taste victory against UNC this year was the Women’s Soccer team, losing 0-4 in Raleigh.

Of course, each of these NC State athletic teams has much higher goals than just beating their rival, but there’s no denying how sweet it is to beat the Tar Heels.

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NC State Football

WATCH: Hollywood Smothers Leads NC State in Rushing at the Spring Game

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6 days ago

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April 18, 2024

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Redshirt Freshman Hollywood Smothers seemingly was the 3rd string Running Back in NC State’s 2024 Spring Game a few weeks back, but at the end of the game, he had more rushing yards than any other back.

Smothers rushed the ball 8 times for 75 yards. He possesses explosive speed, as well as excellent vision.

Check out Pack Insider’s Tape of Smothers from the Spring Game.





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