NC State football opponent scouting report: Syracuse

The No. 13/15-ranked NC State football team’s final pre-bye week game of the 2022 schedule arrives with a road trip Saturday. Surprising No. 18 Syracuse is 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the ACC after .

Kickoff is at 3:30, and the game can be seen nationally on ACC Network.

Here is a full scouting report on Syracuse:

Five Syracuse Players To Watch

Sophomore receiver/tight end Oronde Gadsden II (No. 19)

Syracuse has made a big jump as a passing attack, and Gadsden is a major reason why. Last season, Gadsden had just 2 catches for 24 yards while being limited for some of the year with an injury.

Through five games this season, the 6-foot-5, 216-pound Gadsden has emerged as the go-to receiver for the Orange. He has at least 3 catches in every game and has exceeded 100 yards twice, including a 6-reception, 112-yard and 2-touchdown performance in a win over Purdue.

Overall, Gadsden has 23 catches for 366 yards and 3 scores. NC State will have to account for him on every snap.

Fourth-year junior linebacker Mikel Jones (No. 3)

Jones has been one of the best linebackers in the ACC since his true freshman season in 2019. He was honorable mention all-conference a year later and first-team All-ACC in 2021. Last season, Jones was second in the conference in tackles (110) and fifth in tackles for loss (13.0). His career-best for tackles for loss came in a loss at NC State, when he had 2.5 (including a sack).

So far this year, Jones, who was a preseason All-American selection by Athlon and Phil Steele, had 35 tackles in the first four games, including 4.0 for loss and 2.5 sacks. He’s also forced a fumble and recovered one. Jones still leads the Orange in tackles despite not registering one in brief action during a lopsided win over Wagner in Syracuse’s most prior game. He has also twice been named ACC Linebacker of the Week.

Fourth-year junior quarterback Garrett Shrader (No. 6)

NC State took a look at Shrader when he was a class of 2019 product at Charlotte Christian, but he signed with Mississippi State. After two years there, Shrader transferred to Syracuse and has been starting since 2021.

Last year, Shrader struggled as a passer. He completed 123 of 234 passes (52.6 percent) for 1,445 yards and 9 touchdowns with 4 interceptions, but he was under 50.0 percent completion rate in 5 starts and threw for less than 100 yards in three consecutive ACC games late in the year. That included going 8-of-20 passing for 63 yards with a pick six at NC State.

This season, Shrader won a preseason quarterback competition to regain his starting job and threw for at least 236 yards in all but one game. He has 10 TDs with just 1 interception and is completing 70.9 percent of his throws for 1,224 yards.

Shrader (6-foot-4, 228 pounds) continues to be a physical rushing threat. He has run for 219 yards and 5 scores in 2022 after rushing for 781 yards and 14 scores a year ago.

Third-year sophomore running back Sean Tucker (No. 34)

Simply put, Tucker is an elite running back.

As a true freshman in 2020, a season in which eligibility was frozen, Tucker became the running back out of necessity due to injuries and ran for 626 yards, third most in a year by a Syracuse freshman.

Last year, Tucker made multiple All-American teams and was a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award given to college football’s most outstanding player. Tucker rushed for at least 100 yards in 9 of 12 games, including carrying 13 times for 105 yards with a 55-yard touchdown at NC State. He rushed for 207 yards at home against Boston College and finished the year with 1,496 yards and 12 scores, averaging 6.1 yards per rush, while also catching 20 passes for 255 yards and 2 more touchdowns.

So far this year, he has enjoyed success but perhaps not quite as much as last season. Tucker has carried 110 times for 546 yards and 5 touchdowns and added 19 catches for 184 yards and a score.

The running numbers are partially skewed by a 232-yard performance vs. Wagner on Oct. 1, during which he also ran for 3 scores. Against Purdue and Virginia in the prior two weeks, Tucker had a combined 39 carries for 102 yards.

Fourth-year redshirt sophomore cornerback Garrett Williams (No. 8)

The Harrisburg, N.C., native is a prospect that NC State probably wished was on their recruiting board when he was a senior at Hickory Ridge High in 2019. After redshirting his first fall, Williams led the ACC with 12 passes defended in 2020 and named to The Athletic’s Freshman All-American team while also being honorable mention all-conference.

Last year, Williams was named All-ACC after once again leading the league in pass breakups.

Thus far in 5 games this year, Williams is second to Jones in tackles for Syracuse (30) and has 3 pass breakups and 2 interceptions. He was named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week after forcing and recovering a fumble and also intercepting a pass (while breaking up another) in a win over Virginia.

What To Watch For From Syracuse Against NC State Football

1. A well-rested, confident team amped up with a potential few tricks up their sleeves: The set-up almost seems too perfect for the Orange. The first 5 games of the season included four at home and the lone road contest was at rebuilding Connecticut. Close victories over Purdue and Virginia ended the month of September.

Then came an easy win over Wagner and a bye week. That allowed the Orange essentially 2 weeks to get healthy and prepared for NC State. Meanwhile, Syracuse has climbed the rankings and enthusiasm is growing. Over 45,000 tickets have been sold, their highest total since selling out the 50,428 seats at JMA Wireless Dome in 2019 for when No. 1 Clemson came to town.

2. A challenging defense: Statistically, Syracuse is the best defense in the ACC. They allow just 271.6 yards per game, 10th fewest among 131 teams at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. The Orange are 16th in rushing yards allowed per game (95.0) and 18th in passing yards (176.6).

Some of that may be schedule related. Only one FBS opponent the Orange has played is currently top-50 in total offense. However, three of those teams were held at least 69 yards or more below their respective season averages. Only Purdue, who had 485 yards, exceeded their season average of 419.7.

Also noteworthy, NC State is ranked just 89th in total offense.

3. A balanced approach on offense: A season ago, Syracuse reached a point in the season where teams, including NC State, sold out completely against their rushing attack in recognition of Shrader’s passing struggles.

With new offensive coordinator Robert Anae, that has changed. Syracuse has passed for more yards in 4 of 5 games, the lone exception being Wagner. A year ago, that only happened 4 times all season.

Three Keys To The Game For NC State Football

1. Ball out defensively: There are not a lot of reasons to believe NC State is going to score a lot on Syracuse’s defense.

Thus, realistically, the path to victory is through a lower-scoring game, but the potential is there for that. Syracuse started strong offensively with a 449-yard output against Louisville in the opener, but there may have been an element of surprise in the debut of Anae’s offense for the Orange.

In games against Purdue and Virginia, Syracuse averaged 329 total yards. Purdue has the nation’s No. 27 defense in yards per game allowed and held the Orange to 306 total yards and 4.7 yards per play. The Boilermakers on average allow 327.8 yards and 5.1 yards per play in a game.

The NC State defense is No. 17 nationally by giving up 297.8 yards per contest and holds teams to 4.8 yards a play. The version of the Pack D that shut out Florida State in the second half Saturday will need to show up again.

2. Start competitively: Given the potential offensive limitations if fifth-year redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary is unable to play, falling behind and into predictable pass play calls would be less-than-ideal. By virtue of being in a dome, Syracuse enjoys a loud home turf advantage regardless of crowd size, but Saturday will have plenty of Orange faithful in attendance.

NC State had issues protecting the quarterback without a cadence due to crowd noise at Clemson, and Syracuse is another defense that can make that problematic. Thus, not falling behind early and being in a position to try to manage the game will help.

3. Win field position: One of the under-appreciated aspects of the comeback against Florida State was how NC State dominated field position in the second half.

If the Pack can force Syracuse into marching downfield on a consistent basis and conversely get a few short fields in a kicker-friendly stadium, that too would help.

Three Numbers Of Note For NC State Football Vs. Syracuse

3.5 — The spread on the betting line in Syracuse’s favor, as of Wednesday afternoon

7-2 — Dave Doeren’s record against the Orange since becoming the NC State football coach, including 3-1 on the road. Doeren’s first ACC win came at Syracuse.

9.75 — The average margin of victory in those 4 games at Syracuse since Doeren has been head coach. All 4 games were within a touchdown in the fourth quarter at some point.