North Carolina State Wolfpack vs Syracuse Orange Match Player Stats On Nov 01, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 1, 2014

North Carolina State 24, Syracuse 17: Pharoah McKever had the decisive interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter as the visiting Wolfpack prevailed in an ACC contest.

McKever's interception return came after the freshman defensive lineman dropped back into coverage and snatched a pass over the middle by A.J. Long before rumbling 82 yards to the end zone. Niklas Sade was 3-of-3 on field goals for North Carolina State (5-4, 1-4), which snapped a four-game losing streak and won for the first time in 13 ACC games under coach Dave Doeren.

Long finished 22-of-42 for 307 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, including a pick at the North Carolina State 8-yard line after the Orange (3-6, 1-4) recovered an onside kick with 17 seconds left. Wolfpack quarterback Jacoby Brissett played turnover-free football, finishing with 186 passing yards and a score.

Sade kicked field goals of 43, 43 and 21 yards over the first 1 1/2 quarters to stake North Carolina State to a 9-0 lead. Long's 15-yard TD pass to Ben Lewis brought Syracuse within two points in the waning seconds of the first half, and the Orange took their only lead at 14-9 when Long hooked up with Steve Ishmael for a 25-yard scoring strike on the opening drive of the third quarter.

McKever's big play changed the momentum for good, and a late fumble by Long provided a short field for the Wolfpack, who seemingly put the game away on Brissett's 18-yard TD pass to Shadrach Thornton with 2:14 to go. Cole Murphy's 50-yard field goal and the ensuing onside kick recovery made things interesting before Josh Jones' interception of Long sealed the win.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Syracuse had only 42 total yards before going 96 yards in 12 plays on their final drive of the first half. ... North Carolina State TE Jaylen Samuels got a pair of carries and took advantage of his opportunities, rushing for a game-high 46 yards. Syracuse, meanwhile, ran for only 38 yards on 37 carries, including sacks. ... Orange WR Jarrod West notched seven receptions for a career-high 161 yards.