NC State 33 Syracuse 25: What Went Well

This afternoon NC State defeated Syracuse 33-25 in their ACC opener, and in this piece I will dissect what the Wolfpack did well:

Offense

• Nyheim Hines picked up his 1st career 100-yard rushing game of his career, carrying the ball 19 times for 115 yards and a touchdown.
• Syracuse entered the game ranked 22nd in the nation in rush defense, holding opponents to 101 yards rushing per contest. NC State attacked their strength with reckless abandon, racking up 256 yards on the ground, at 5.4 yards per clip.
• NC State won the time of possession battle in a major way. The Wolfpack was in the possession of the ball for 36:29 compared to the Orangemen’s 23:31. That’s the difference between a win and a loss.
• Once again, NC State won the turnover battle, finishing with a +1 turnover margin. Senior Cornerback Jonathan Alston picked up his 2nd interception of the season, and the Wolfpack finished their 4th straight game without turning the ball over. That’s the difference between a win and a loss.
• NC State had 29 first downs, compared to Syracuse’s 20. This explains the Wolfpack’s ability to hold onto the ball.
• The Wolfpack continues to systematically and quietly put up big offensive numbers, posting 464 yards of total offense on the Orangemen.
• Jakobi Meyers had 7 receptions, which was a career high, for 57 yards. All but one of those catches came in the firsts half.
• Jaylen Samuels showed his versatility by picking up more yards on the ground compared to the air this week. He had 9 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown (8.2 yards per carry). He also had 5 receptions for 37 yards.
• Stephen Louis led the Wolfpack receiving yards, with 64 yards on 4 catches and a touchdown.
• Ryan Finley shocked me by how much his legs played into the Wolfpack’s victory. He had 5 rushes for 37 yards (7.4 yards per carry), running the option well on numerous occasions, and diving for crucial first downs.

Defense

• Bradley Chubb followed up monster performance against Florida St. with a monster performance against Syracuse. The Preseason All-American defensive end had 8 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 2 Quarterback Hurries.
• Jerod Fernandez had a game high and a career high of 14 tackles.
• Jarius Morehead had a career high of 7 tackles last week against FSU, and recorded a new career high of 8 against Syracuse.
• Justin Jones had his best game of the season, with 7 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 2 Quarterback Hurries.
• NC State held Syracuse to only 7 points in the 1st half.