NC State vs. Syracuse: A Historical Perspective

Today’s matchup between NC State and Syracuse will be the 17th game in the series, and the 11th game between the two as ACC opponents.

The Wolfpack is 7-1 against the Orange in Carter-Finley Stadium.

According to my calculations, NC State’s winning percentage of 81.3% is their best winning percentage against any ACC opponent.

Dave Doeren’s first ACC win as head coach at NC State was against Syracuse in 2014.

The last time the two teams played one another was in 2022, which was the first Top-25 matchup in series history. The Wolfpack was without starter Devin Leary, who suffered a season ending injury the week before against FSU. Jack Chambers was the next man up, but NC State struggled to produce points in the contest, losing 9-24.

NC State has a couple of Syracuse connections on their roster.

Wolfpack Offensive Coordinator Robert Anae served in the same role at Syracuse in 2022, when the Orange snapped NC State’s 3-game winning streak in the series.

Also, Senior Nickelback Ja’Had Carter played his first three seasons at Syracuse, before transferring to Ohio St. for the next two seasons, before landing at NC State this offseason. Carter played in all 32 games while he was there, starting in 28. As a Freshman, he earned Freshman All-American honors, and then earned All-ACC Honorable Mention in 2022.