Breaking Down the NC State vs. Syracuse Football Series

Saturday’s matchup between the Wolfpack and the Orange will be the 16th meeting between the two programs, and the 10th as ACC opponents.

All-time, NC State holds a 13-2 record over Syracuse, and a 7-2 record since Syracuse joined the ACC in 2013.

The series began back in 1972, with the Wolfpack winning the first 6 matchups, with 4 of those coming in the 70’s and 2 in the 90’s.

The Orange’s first win over the Wolfpack came in Doeren’s first year in Raleigh, defeating NC State 10-24 in Carter-Finley Stadium.

Notably, Doeren’s first ACC win took place up in Syracuse the following year, with the Wolfpack defeating the Orange 24-17 on the road.

Dino Babers was not the head coach of Syracuse the first time they beat NC State, but he was the second time, beating the Pack in the Carrier Dome in 2018 51-41.

Doeren is 7-2 against Syracuse, and Babers is 1-5 against NC State.

This Saturday’s matchup marks the 6th time one of the two teams has been ranked when they have played one another, but it’s the first time the two teams have been ranked at the same time when playing each other.

Currently, the Wolfpack are on a 3-game winning streak against the Orange.

NC State’s 2 biggest wins against Syracuse easily came in 1997 and 1998. Donovan McNabb was the Quarterback for the Orange those two years, and they were the heavy favorite in both games, being favored by 24.5 in 1997 and 12.5 in 1998. In both games, the Wolfpack pulled off the upset, knocking off the #13 team in OT in ’97 and the #11 team in 1998.