Nothing strikes more fear into the heart of Syracuse fans than the words “Primetime at Carter-Finley Stadium”
Teams: Syracuse Orange (4-1, 1-1) at NC State Wolfpack (3-3, 0-2)
Day & Time: Saturday, October 12, 8:00 pm ET
Location: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, N.C.
Line: Syracuse’s odds continue to grow in favor of the Orange as the ‘Cuse sit as -4.5 point favorites on the road according to Fanduel.
TV/Streaming: ACC Network, WatchESPN
Radio: Cuse.com, TK 99/105, WAER 88.3, Sirius/XM 371
Rivalry: 13-3, NC State
Current Streak: 1, Syracuse
First Meeting: Two legendary coaches did battle early in the 1972 season. The then singularly named Carter Stadium hosted the first meeting between Syracuse and NC State as Lou Holtz led the Wolfpack to a 43-20 win over the Orange coached by Ben Schwartzwalder. NC State went 8-3-1 that season and won the Peach Bowl over West Virginia, while Syracuse finished the 1972 campaign with a 5-6 record.
Last Meeting: No. 18 Syracuse went into a matchup against No. 15 NC State with an undefeated 5-0 record in 2022. The Orange also caught a break with an injury to NC State starting QB Devin Leary. As a result, the Orange defense showed up and held the Wolfpack to without a touchdown in a 24-9 win. Syracuse as a result became bowl eligible for the first time since 2018.
Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images
Head Coaches: Syracuse – Fran Brown (first year, 4-1) | NC State – Dave Doeren (12th year, 84-61)
Coach Bio: Doeren played tight end at Drake University and started his collegiate coaching career there in 1995 as the linebackers coach. His big Power Five jobs were with Kansas and Wisconsin, holding defensive coordinator jobs for six years between the two schools. Doeren got his first head coaching job at Northern Illinois in 2011, where he went 23-4 overall with the Huskies. He earned bowl berths in both seasons at Northern Illinois, including an Orange Bowl bid in 2012 and a No. 16 ranking in the AP poll. Doeren didn’t coach in that Orange Bowl as he took the NC State job prior to the game. He is currently the winningest coach in NC State history.
Last Year: NC State didn’t find a lot of momentum in 2023 until the end of the season, which ended with a five-game winning streak. The streak included wins over Clemson, Miami and North Carolina, which gave NC State a 9-3 record and a trip to the Pop-Tarts Bowl against Kansas State. The Wolfpack fell 28-19 in the game.
Last Game: Wake Forest used a 13-play, 65-yard drive to take the lead and eventual win over NC State. The game, which ended in a 34-30 Wolfpack loss, was overshadowed by a big hit to NC State QB Grayson McCall. He suffered a concussion and was taken to the hospital and is still in concussion protocol.
Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images
“Fear Me, I’ve Killed Hundreds of Timelords”: Because of NC State’s inconsistent offense, Kevin “KC” Concepcion hasn’t had much of a chance to make an impact this season. He still remains a dangerous threat after a 839 receiving yard season last year, where he scored 10 touchdowns.
If Syracuse Wins: This is for all of the miserable other primetime games that Syracuse has played at Carter-Finley.
If Syracuse Loses: This doesn’t bode well as Syracuse faces its toughest opponent of the past decade – Bye Week University.
Fun Fact: If you needed any evidence on how much the offense runs around Kyle McCord, his 30.8 completions per game ranks first in the nation.