Preview: Syracuse vs. NC State

Syracuse (4-5, 2-3 ACC) vs. NC State (4-5, 1-4 ACC)
Game Details: Saturday, Nov. 12 | 12:30 p.m.
Location: Carrier Dome | Syracuse, N.Y.
Game Links: Tickets | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Television: ACC Network (Affiliates)
Radio: Syracuse IMG Radio Network
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes
NC State Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – For the first time in nearly a month, the Syracuse football team (4-5, 2-3 ACC) will play in the friendly confines of the Carrier Dome when is hosts NC State (4-5, 1-4 ACC) on Saturday, Nov. 12. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m.

Both teams are looking to take the next step toward bowl eligibility. In their last game, the Orange lost 54-0 at Clemson. Redshirt senior wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo set two school single-season records with his performance against the Tigers. Etta-Tawo now has the most receiving yards (1,158) and receptions (75) in a single season in program history.

The Wolfpack won four of their first five games, but have dropped for straight. Senior running back Matt Dayes ranks third in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 35th in the nation in rushing with 831 yards. He has six 100-yard games.

The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network with Tom Werme (play-by-play), Dave Archer (analyst) and Roddy Jones (sideline) on the call. Click here for the list of affiliates carrying the game.

MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY
Saturday is Military Appreciation Day in the Carrier Dome. As part of the 'Cuse for the Troops' initiative, active military members, veterans, and their families who qualify will receive complimentary tickets to watch the Orange and Wolfpack.

The Syracuse Department of Athletics has several pre-game and in-game recognitions to prepared to honor the service of the men and women of our armed forces. Honorary team captains for the for the Orange will be Syracuse University ROTC cadets and former Army enlisted soldiers CDT Nicklaus Brinka and CDT Cameron Hart.

Prior to kickoff, approximately 40 young people from Central New York will take the Air Force Oath of Enlistment on the field. At halftime, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) will be presented with a $5 million check from Walmart for IVMF's AmericaServes program. In addition, this week's 'Hometown Hero' is Don Waful, SU's oldest living veteran alum. Waful is 100 years old and has only missed three Orange football games since 1946.

Static displays featuring military vehicles provided by the 174th Attack Wing will be set up between Gates M and N. In addition, the Syracuse IVMF will host an invitation-only tailgate at Manley Field House for more than 700 members from the surrounding veteran and military community, including 300 from Fort Drum, home of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division.

TACKLING TANDEM
Junior linebackers Parris Bennett (89) and Zaire Franklin (82) have combined for 171 tackles this season, 27.1 percent of the team's total. Either Bennett or Franklin have led the Orange in tackles in five of the past six contests.

Syracuse is one of four FBS teams with two players with at least 80 tackles on the year. Bennett and Franklin are the sixth-leading tackling tandem in the country. They rank second among ACC duos, 21 tackles behind the nation's leaders, Virginia's Micah Kiser (102) and Quin Blanding (90).

AIRING IT OUT
Syracuse leads the ACC and ranks 11th nationally in passing offense, averaging 336.6 yards per game through the air. The Orange are on pace for the most prolific passing season in team history. Through nine games, Syracuse has thrown for 47.6 more yards per game than the current team single-season record of 289 yards per contest set in 2012.

Sophomore quarterback Eric Dungey ranks third in the conference and 16th nationally in passing yards per contest (297.7). Dungey has already posted three of the top four completion totals in school history. He is only the second Orange quarterback to throw for at least 400 yards multiple times in the same season, joining Andrew Robinson (2007).

Redshirt senior wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo ranks sixth nationally in receiving yards (1,158) and fifth in receiving yards per game (128.7). He set the Orange record with five straight 100-yard receiving games to start the year and shares the record for most 100-yard games in a season with Rob Moore (1989) and Marvin Harrison (1995).

Collectively, the Orange are one of five FBS teams to have three receivers with at least 40 catches in 2016. Houston, Indiana, Middle Tennessee and Washington State are the others.

MAKING HIS OWN MARK
While Amba Etta-Tawo is receiving most of the headlines, junior receiver Ervin Philips is quietly having a stellar season of his own. Philips has 68 receptions and will likely join Etta-Tawo in surpassing the previous Orange record for single-season catches. Philips' 68 grabs are tied with Alec Lemon for the most ever by an SU junior. Philips has 622 yards and five touchdowns. His 7.6 receptions per game are ninth nationally and third in the ACC.

SCOUTING NC STATE
The Wolfpack are 4-5 on the year, with four of their five losses coming by seven points or less. They took Clemson to overtime before the Tigers ultimately won 24-17. Last week, they played No. 19 Florida State close, but a late Seminoles score derailed NC State's chances of an upset.

The Wolfpack rush defense ranks ninth in FBS and third in the ACC, allowing 107.3 yards per game. NC State has held four opponents to 70 rushing yards or less this season (William & Mary, Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Florida State). Free safety Josh Jones leads the team with 84 tackles and his 9.3 stops per game is the fourth-best mark in the ACC.

Senior running back Matt Dayes is 169 yards short of becoming the eighth 1,000-yard rusher in school history. Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Ryan Finley has 14 touchdown passes this season. The Boise State transfer has passed for 2,123 yards (235.9 per game).

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will be the 10th matchup between Syracuse and NC State. The Wolfpack own an 8-1 advantage in the all-time series, including an 0-4 record in games played in Central New York. Syracuse's only victory in the series was a 24-10 decision in 2013, the Orange's first conference win as an ACC member.

In 1997, Syracuse played NC State in the first overtime game in school history. The two sides were tied 24-24 after regulation. Both teams scored on their first overtime possessions, but the Wolfpack decided to go for two after their touchdown and Jamie Barnette connected with Torry Holt for the conversion to lift NC State to a 32-31 victory.

UP NEXT
Syracuse hosts Florida State in its regular-season finale Saturday, Nov. 19. The game time will be determined no later than noon Sunday, Nov. 13. Tickets are available online, by phone (888-DOMETIX), at Destiny USA kiosks and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).

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Players Mentioned

Parris Bennett

Eric Dungey

Amba Etta-Tawo

Zaire Franklin

Ervin Philips

Syracuse University Athletics