RALEIGH, N.C. — NC State had Syracuse down by 15 points after three quarters Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium, then watched the Orange score the final 14 points and leave with a 34-31 victory.
The loss leaves the Wolfpack at 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the ACC with two games left. Syracuse moved to 5-5 and 3-5 in league play, one win from bowl eligibility.
The first half was a grind. Syracuse settled for two field goals from Tripp Woody, and NC State got its only first-half points on a 9-yard keeper by quarterback CJ Bailey, carrying a 7-6 edge into the break.
The Wolfpack broke it open after halftime. Bailey hit Chance Robinson for a 12-yard score, Davion Gause ran in from 2 yards out, and after a Syracuse touchdown run by Tylik Hill, Jayden Scott dashed 32 yards to make it 28-13 entering the fourth.
Two big plays fueled that third-quarter burst. Scott opened the half with a 62-yard run that set up the Robinson catch, and Bailey later found Davion Dozier for 69 yards to put Gause in position. NC State piled up 220 yards in the period while holding Syracuse to 93.
Syracuse answered with a 3-yard touchdown catch by Calvin Russell III, and a 21-yard Kanoah Vinesett field goal pushed the NC State cushion back to 31-20. The swing came when Tunmise Adeleye jumped a screen and returned the interception 18 yards for a touchdown. The Orange then drove 49 yards, and Steve Angeli found Justus Ross-Simmons for an 11-yard score with 48 seconds left before the same pair connected on the two-point try.
NC State had one last chance, but Bailey was hit and lost a fumble to end it. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 211 yards. Angeli went 27 of 42 for 272 yards without a turnover, and Russell caught 17 passes for 137 yards, matching the ACC single-game record for receptions.
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