Syracuse looks for 5-1 start under Fran Brown when it visits NC State on Saturday

Syracuse (4-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) at N.C. State (3-3, 0-2), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (ACC Network)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Syracuse by 5 1/2.

Series record: N.C. State leads 13-3.

What’s at stake?

Syracuse is off to a strong start in Fran Brown’s first coaching season and is playing its first ACC road game of the season. N.C. State is trying to turn around an 0-2 start in league play that has included shaky defense and upheaval at quarterback with starter Grayson McCall being sidelined by a concussion.

Key matchup

Syracuse QB Kyle McCord vs. N.C. State’s defensive front. McCord is second in the Bowl Subdivision ranks in passing offense (362.8) and passing touchdowns (17). The Ohio State transfer faces a Wolfpack defense that had been a strength for multiple seasons but has struggled badly in losses. N.C. State ranks 119th in FBS in scoring defense (33.7) after giving up 51 to Tennessee and 59 to Clemson before giving up 34 in last weekend’s home loss to Wake Forest. The Wolfpack rank in the middle chunk of the national rankings by averaging 1.83 sacks per game.

Players to watch

Syracuse: RB LeQuint Allen. Allen was the ACC running back of the week after scoring four touchdowns in a road win against then-ranked UNLV. He scored twice on runs and twice on catches en route to racking up 129 all-purpose yards.

N.C. State: RB Kendrick Raphael. The sophomore has showed some spark in limited work so far, including rushing 10 times for 48 yards and a touchdown against Wake Forest. That could ultimately open the way to more work for him.

Facts & figures

This is the second of three straight road games for Syracuse. The Orange won’t play at home for 35 days. … Syracuse is one of five FBS teams yet to lose a fumble this season. … Syracuse ran 96 offensive plays against UNLV, the highest single-game total for an FBS team this year. … Syracuse won the 2022 meeting at home, but N.C. State had won seven of eight meetings before that. … N.C. State has lost just once in eight meetings in Raleigh. … Freshman CJ Bailey is set to make his third career start at quarterback for the Wolfpack after McCall was knocked from last week’s game on a jarring hit. Bailey threw for a season-high 272 yards and two touchdowns against the Demon Deacons. … This is the Wolfpack’s first 0-2 ACC start since 2015.

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