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The Syracuse Orange are 1-6 against the NC State Wolfpack since November of 2015, but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Orange's week off comes to an end as they meet up with NC State at 3:30 p.m. ET at JMA Wireless Dome. Both teams have allowed few points on average ('Cuse 14, the Wolfpack 15.67), so any points scored will be well earned.
'Cuse got themselves on the board against the Wagner Seahawks two weeks ago, but Wagner never followed suit. 'Cuse was completely in charge, breezing past the Seahawks 59 to nothing at home. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 49 to nothing. RB Sean Tucker was a one-man wrecking crew for the Orange, rushing for three TDs and 232 yards on 23 carries. Tucker had some trouble finding his footing against the Virginia Cavaliers three weeks ago, so this was a step in the right direction. Tucker's sharp performance set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
Meanwhile, the Wolfpack sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 19-17 win over the Florida State Seminoles last week. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge after the half to overcome a 17-3 deficit. No one had a standout game offensively for NC State, but they got scores from QB Devin Leary and WR Darryl Jones.
Most of the squad's points came courtesy of special teams, which contributed 13. K Christopher Dunn booted in four field goals, the longest a 53-yarder in the fourth quarter, which ultimately accounted for the difference in the game.
'Cuse is the favorite in this one, with an expected 3.5-point margin of victory. Those playing the odds have seen things go back and forth with 'Cuse, who are 2-1 against the spread.
'Cuse is now a perfect 5-0 while NC State sits at 5-1. Two stats to keep an eye on: 'Cuse enters the matchup with only one thrown interception, good for fourth best in the nation. But NC State enters the matchup having picked the ball off nine times, good for seventh in the nation. We'll see which of these strengths -- offense or defense -- will win out.
