Syracuse rallies past N.C. State 34-31 with late touchdown pass play

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Steve Angeli threw 11 yards to Justus Ross-Simmons with 48 seconds left as Syracuse rallied from 15 points down in the fourth quarter to beat N.C. State 34-31 on Saturday.

Angeli threw for two touchdowns and 272 yards on 27-for-42 passing, with Calvin Russell II matching a school-record 17 catches for 137 yards with a touchdown. After the go-ahead touchdown, Angeli made a two-point conversion toss to Ross-Simmons.

“Just doing everything I can to win for Syracuse,” Angeli said. “That’s football every game, it’s crazy.”

Syracuse (5-5, 3-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) scored two touchdowns in the final 5 1/2 minutes, beginning with Tunmise Adeleye’s 18-yard interception return.

“I think they believe in each other,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “… We’re going to continue to fight through it.”

Russell’s reception total matched a single-game ACC and school record. On Syracuse’s winning drive, Ross-Simmons made his first catch of the game off a ricochet on fourth down to allow the Orange to sustain the possession. Then he reached above defenders on opposite sides of the end zone for the TD and conversion receptions.

CJ Bailey ran for a touchdown and threw for another and Duke Scott rushed for 127 yards for N.C. State (4-6, 2-5). The Wolfpack had three quick-strike drives in the third quarter in their home finale just a day after N.C. State announced that former quarterback Philip Rivers will be next season’s coach. The Wolfpack fell to 1-2 under interim coach Todd Goebbel.

“There’s a lot of people hurting right now,” Goebbel said. “We had it where we wanted it.”

Scott had a touchdown run among his 14 carries.

N.C. State led 28-13 to begin the fourth quarter.

Big plays boosted N.C. State after it led 7-6 at halftime. The Wolfpack scored two touchdowns in the first four minutes of the second half, with Chance Robinson’s 12-yard catch from Bailey capping a four-play 75-yard drive shortly after Scott’s 62-yard run.

Davion Gause’s 2-yard run on a direct snap was the third play of a 75-yard possession after a Bailey-to-Davion Dozier pass play of 69 yards marked the longest play of the season for N.C. State.

N.C. State converted on fourth-and-9 to set up Bailey’s 9-yard scramble for the only touchdown of the first half.

Syracuse had field goals of 31 and 35 yards from Tripp Woody in the first half.

Takeaways

Syracuse: The Orange sputtered on offense before finding the right combinations to pull within a game of reaching bowl eligibility.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack have scored at least 31 points in each of their victories this season but that wasn’t enough in this one. N.C. was held to three points in the fourth quarter. N.C. State must win its last two games to be bowl eligible.

“Our motivating factor is simply take care of these players, make sure they’re in a good headspace, come back tomorrow, get them as healthy as possible,” Goebbel said.

Make the catch

Russell had nine catches in the first half and eight more in the second half.

“It was just the coaches believing in me and me knowing when the ball was coming my way I was going to catch it and make a play,” Russell said.

After missing the beginning of the season with an injury, Russell had 24 catches in five games entering the day. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the first time in a game Saturday.

The Syracuse record was set by Ervin Phillips in 2017.

Cardiac ’Cuse

The Orange have won twice by three points and twice in overtime by one point this year.

“Don’t leave the game,” Brown said. “Don’t leave the television set.”

Up Next

Syracuse: Saturday at Boston College

N.C. State: Saturday at Florida State

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