The Orange are doing things much differently in 2024.
Syracuse comes to town this weekend looking and feeling brand new: nearly 60 new players are on the 2024 roster, the coaching staff is new, the style of play is new, and so far the results are positive.
The 2023 Orange tried to grind out games with the running game, but the 2024 Orange have gone completely in the other direction, slinging the ball around the yard more frequently than any other FBS team.
Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord has proven to be a guy worth leaning on, and the Orange have done so without hesitation. McCord ranks first nationally in pass attempts (240) and pass attempts per game (48), and is second in yards per game (362.8). It’s just like we were all saying this preseason: you gotta let Kyle McCord cook.
McCord has thrown for no fewer than 339 yards in a game this season, and while the extreme reliance on his arm has cost him some efficiency, he’s held up as well as anyone could expect.
Syracuse would probably like to produce a bit more balance, but the ground game has been iffy all season, with the Orange averaging 110 rushing yards per game on 3.6 per carry. After averaging about 41 rush attempts per game last year, they’re down to about 30 this season.
They still have a good back in LeQuint Allen, who racked up 1,000 yards in ‘23, but his carries have dipped as the offense’s focus has shifted. He’s getting about the same number of total touches, it’s only that a lot more of them are coming via reception: he’s got 29 of those already, nearly six per game. He gets a lot of work as the safety valve.
Stud tight end Oronde Gadsden II is second on the team with 359 receiving yards and three scores, while junior receiver Trebor Pena leads the way with 383 yards and five scores. Pena is averaging nearly seven catches per game. Receiver Jackson Meeks is the other major component of the passing game, joining the other three guys in averaging over five grabs per contest.
The passing attack isn’t the most explosive but definitely is efficient, and the Orange have converted on 55% of their third downs. NC State’s secondary is in for its biggest test in this one, and will have to get the defense off the field at a better clip than that if the Pack is going to find a way to win this game.
It’s difficult to be optimistic about that after last week, though there’s no reason why State can’t keep pace on the scoreboard—another 34-30 sort of game could easily be on the horizon. State desperately needs to find itself on the right side of that score this time.