McKever TD propels NC State to victory

RALEIGH, NC (NC STATE) — NC State used a combination of strong defense and special teams play, along with timely Pack offensive drives, to come away with a 24-17 ACC road win at Syracuse. Down 14-9, NC State’s DE Pharoah McKever returned an INT 82 yards for the go-ahead score and changed the momentum of the game, as the Pack defense caused three second-half turnovers and had eight sacks on the day to secure the win.

WOLFPACK DRIVE OF THE GAME – 1st Half
9 plays, 52 yard FG drive to open the game.

NC State came out and took the game’s opening kickoff down the field for a field goal. The Pack put together a 9-play, 52-yard drive, resulting in Niklas Sade’s first field goal of the game (43 yards). On the drive, Jacoby Brissett was 5-of-6 for 47 yards.

WOLFPACK DRIVE OF THE GAME – 2nd Half
5 plays, 35-yard TD drive in fourth quarter.

Rodman Noel caused a Syracuse fumble at the Orange 35-yard line, and then NC State went 35 yards in five plays to seal the road victory. Jacoby Brissett found Shadrach Thornton on third down, and Thornton’s 18-yard scamper put the Pack up two scores.

MOMENT OF THE GAME
DE Pharoah McKever’s 82-yard interception return for a TD in the third quarter.

With the Pack down 14-9 and Syracuse driving for a score for its third straight possession, DE McKever dropped into coverage and into the path of a A.J. Long pass and returned it 82 yards for the Pack’s first TD of the day. After a two-point conversion, NC State held a 17-14 lead.

The INT return was the first since last year’s Central Michigan game (D.J. Greene), and the sixth-longest INT return in school history (and the longest since a 2001 Marcus Hudson 100-yard return at Duke).

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES OF THE GAME
• Punter Wil Baumann
8 punts – 45.0 average. Three punts 50+ yards (long of 60), four punts inside 20-yard line.

• FB/TE Jaylen Samuels
2 rushes – team-high 46 yards. Ran a fake punt in 1st quarter for 18 yards and a first down. Also had a 28-yard rush in fourth quarter on a 3rd & 1.

• PK Niklas Sade
3-for-3 on fields goals and all six kickoffs went for a touchback.

• QB Jacoby Brissett
20-of-32 for 186 yards. His 18-yard TD pass to Shadrach Thornton in the fourth quarter put Pack up two scores.

• DE Art Norman
2.5 sacks on the day.

NOTABLES
• With his second quarter field goal, one of the three the day, PK Niklas Sade became NC State’s all-time leader in field goals made (now with 52 for his career). Sade broke the previous mark of 50 career field goals made set by Mike Cofer (1982-86).

• NC State’s defense dominated play in the first quarter. Syracuse ran 13 plays and gained just 14 yards and a pair of first downs. The Pack’s rushing defense limited the Orange to -3 yards on nine carries in the opening quarter. Over the course of the first and second quarters, the Pack forced three straight three-and-outs.

• In the first half, 96 of Syracuse’s 138 total yards came on its TD drive late in the second quarter.

• After the Pack failed to cause a turnover in the last three games, the Pack defense caused three in the second half today. McKever’s INT for a score in the third quarter, then Rodman Noel caused a fumble in the fourth quarter that led to the Pack’s final TD that iced the game, and safety Josh Jones sealed the game with an INT with one second left.

• Syracuse rushed for 362 yards in their win in Raleigh last year. Today, the Pack defense held the Orange to just 38 yards on 37 carries.

UP NEXT
After two road contests sandwiched around its first bye week of the season, the Pack returns to Carter-Finley Stadium next weekend hosting Georgia Tech for Homecoming at 12:30 p.m.