For the second straight week, Syracuse will travel south. After its loss to then-No. 25 Louisiana State, the Orange will take on North Carolina State at 12:20 p.m. on Saturday. The Orange is 1-3 against the Wolfpack since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference and lost, 35-20, when N.C. State came to the Carrier Dome last season.

The Daily Orange spoke with Joe Giglio of the Raleigh News and Observer about Saturday’s matchup.

The Daily Orange: Traveling to Florida State and coming home with a win is obviously no small task. What did N.C. State do well last week?

Joe Giglio: The defensive line was really good, senior end Bradley Chubb in particular. On offense, Jaylen Samuels scored two key touchdowns and the running game was able to control the clock in the second half (and protect the lead).

The D.O.: Does it seem like head coach Dave Doeren has turned a corner with this program? If so, what’s changed?

J.G.: That was a big win for Doeren but it depends on what happens next. N.C. State has a tendency of winning a big game and then losing a game it probably shouldn’t. The 2012 team beat an unbelievable Florida State team at home and then in its next home game lost to a 4-8 Virginia team by 27 points.

The D.O.: Allowing the big play has killed Syracuse’s defense so far this year. Who should Orange fans be aware of as a big-play threat for the Wolfpack?

J.G.: N.C. State actually doesn’t take that many shots downfield but receiver Steph Louis, Jakobi Meyers and Kelvin Harmon are the deep threats. Nyheim Hines had success against Syracuse last year on a deep shot, too.

Jessica Sheldon | Staff Photographer

The D.O.: Bradley Chubb seems pretty much unstoppable right now. What, if anything, is the best method to try to limit the damage he inflicts?

J.G.: Get rid of the ball quickly. South Carolina and Marshall both had success with quick, timing routes. Given how much that’s already a part of what Syracuse does, I’d be surprised if the Orange didn’t do this.

The D.O.: Syracuse’s best offensive outputs have come when it has been able to run the ball, but N.C. State has been fairly stingy on the ground. How does SU gain an edge there?

J.G.: Syracuse can’t run on N.C. State, I don’t think they’re wired to play that way, either.

The D.O.: Would you say Syracuse has much of a chance at all in this one? How might SU pull off the upset?

J.G.: N.C. State’s secondary is not great and Eric Dungey is a good quarterback. There will be room for Dungey to pick up some yards with quick-hitters. If some of their bigger outside receivers can hold onto the ball, they could hit some deep shots, too. My main concern for Syracuse is, can they recover from a physical game at LSU and be emotionally ready? In years of covering ACC football, I’ve seen plenty of mediocre teams play above their level for one game but almost never in consecutive weeks.

Published on September 27, 2017 at 5:30 pm

Contact: [email protected] | @jtbloss