In The Huddle: NC State 2022

IN THE HUDDLE syracuse vs nc state

october 15, 2022

FATHER’s sacrifice

Caleb Okechukwu’s father raised him and his five other siblings on his own, aiding the defensive lineman on his journey to Syracuse.

BACK TO BASICS

Andre Szmyt’s production fell o over the last few years. But after years of changes to coaching and holders, he’s returned to his old form.

VERSATILE BIG MAN

There were times when Carlos Vettorello wasn’t comfortable with being the biggest kid on the field. But he’s embraced it.

Editor@dailyorange.com

News@dailyorange.com

Opinion@dailyorange.com

Culture@dailyorange.com

Sports@dailyorange.com

Digital@dailyorange.com

Design@dailyorange.com

The Daily Orange is an independent, nonprofit newspaper published in Syracuse, New York. The editorial content of the paper — which started in 1903 and went independent in 1971 — is entirely run by Syracuse University students.

The D.O., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is editorially and fi nancially independent from SU, and the paper receives no funding from the university. Instead, The D.O. relies on advertising revenue and donations to sustain operations.

This spring, the paper will be published Monday and Thursday when SU classes are in session. Special inserts are published on Thursdays before home football and basketball games. The D.O.’s online coverage is 24/7, including while SU is on break.

To show your support to The D.O.’s independent journalism, please visit dailyorange.com/donate. Donations are tax deductible.

Maggie Hicks

Richard Perrins

Siron Thomas

FAMILY FIRST

By Alex Cirino senior staff writer

The crowd at Fernandez Stadium stood up for Caleb Okechukwu, St. John’s Col lege (DC) High School’s final senior day honoree. As the leader in sacks among the 2017 Cadets, Okechukwu was about to lead the defensive line against Dematha Catholic High School (MD) for a chance to clinch a playoff berth.

For Okechukwu, there was a greater emotional weight to the pregame ceremony. It was the first time the Okechukwu family had been together at an event in four years since Okechukwu lost his mother, Kate, to breast cancer in 2013.

The family had just started to heal before Senior Day, said Josh, Okechukwu’s older brother. Josh took a year off of community college football to support his family that year. The family dynamic wasn’t the same and his father, Iweogu Okechukwu, needed help raising his five other siblings alone.

Which was why Okechukwu stepping onto the field ahead of St. John’s first win over Dematha in 24 years was a crucial moment for the family. They said a joint prayer before

walking Okechukwu onto the field.

“I feel like what God was trying to do was bring the family close,” Josh said. “Everybody that had the Okechukwu last name, just us.”

It was a win for everybody when Caleb got into St. John’s just because we all saw the pain when he didn’t get in the first time.

Josh Okechukwu okechukwu’s older brother

Playing for St. John’s would not have been possible without the sacrifices Iweogu made. After Kate’s death, Iweogu raised Okechukwu and his five other siblings, battling near-homelessness and financial struggles.

“My dad was just helping me stay ground

ed in my faith, and just being the man that he is and telling me that everything would be alright,” Okechukwu said. “We would be able to come out of everything.”

Kate always wanted her children to attend St. John’s, Iweogu said. The Oke chukwus always passed the campus nes tled on a hill over top of Military Rd NW almost every day, seeing the plaque with the school’s name and admiring its prestige.

The same year Okechukwu applied to St. John’s was the same year Kate died, making his desire to attend the school even greater, Iweogu said. After spending a month away from DC at a cousin’s house in East Orange, New Jersey, the Okechukwu family returned to a large stack of mail, finding a letter with the school’s signature SJC Family branding on it.

Okechukwu’s younger brother, David, saw his brother’s smiling face as he read the letter. Only seconds later, Okechuk wu’s smile faded and his eyes began to water. Before Okechukwu was finished reading the rejection note, he stood up and went into the bathroom.

Okechukwu joined Josh at Woodrow Wilson (DC) High School, a public school, where Josh was a senior at the time. He still wanted to attend St. John’s, who were

Caleb Okechukwu battled near-homelessness and financial struggles, but his father’s sacrifices helped him attend St. John’s and eventually SU

CALEB OKECHUKWU was initially rejected from St. John’s, but he got in a year later and became a star on its defensive line. He led the team in sacks throughout the 2017 season. courtesy of rashod gillespie

OLD ANDRE

By Anthony Alandt senior staff writer

It might not have been his fault.

Andre Szymt con nected on just 9-of-14 field goals in 2021. His red shirt freshman days of 30 makes and a 54-yard long ball were gone. Questions of accuracy, composure and skill level cascaded down on the former Lou Groza award winner. Would Syracuse ever see the “old Andre” again?

Carlsbad, California, and wanted to work alongside holder Ian Hawkins and long snapper Aaron Bolinsky.

The trio went to California several times in the spring and summer, work ing in a massive warehouse designed for kickers and punters. Resistance bands and gear for NFL-style workouts littered the artificial turf. Carney showed Szmyt a presentation about being a sound kicker, which contained everything from emo tionally divorcing yourself from the game, what his pregame routine should be like and how to focus on kickoffs.

Kickers are like golf ers, Carney said, needing a set routine in the days leading up to a game and on gameday. If something deviates, or a routine is changed, a kicker’s success dramatically decreases. Szmyt has dealt with a plethora of overturn, but with new special teams coordinator Bob Ligash esky and a more productive offense, Szmyt has started 2022 10-for-11.

Old Andre is back, “Neener, neener, neener, he kicks field goals through the goal post,” head coach Dino Babers joked after the Virginia game.

Coaching changes and his holder marred the last three years of Szmyt’s career, tanking his field-goal percentage and Syracuse’s overall record. He wanted to fix whatever he could heading into his redshirt senior season, so he called former teammate Cole Murphy, who worked with former NFL placekicker John Carney. He’d heard of the Carney Training Facility in

The lack of offense. Special teams coordi nator Justin Lustig leaving. Holders switch ing in-and-out. Szmyt knew what his last few years were; he just wanted to work oneon-one with Bolinsky, the only constant in Szmyt’s six years at Syracuse.

“Andre has been an excellent kicker in all the years,” said Greg Zauner, who privately coached Szmyt in high school and college. “Every great kicker and great punter starts with a great snapper, and great protection, and with kickers, it’s field position and opportunities.”

Murphy said Szmyt had a specific rou tine when he started at SU. The freshman started the week by taking 30 kicking reps, decreasing the number until he was only kicking 20 attempts “at full go” by the week’s end. On the day before the game, he shut down and stretched for 45 minutes so he wouldn’t be too fatigued on gameday.

Szmyt was also mentally ready. At Vernon Hills (Illinois) High School his senior year, he gained a reputation of being a calm kicker. Despite only playing one season as placekicker, he had a strong leg, according to Vernon Hills head coach Bill Bellecomo. Once Szmyt started seeing Zauner for private lessons, the high school staff hardly worked with him.

“I would call him a natural,” Zauner said. “Ever since I’ve known him, mechanically

Andre Szmyt’s production fell off over the last few years. But so far this season, he’s missed just one field goal.

ANDRE SZMYT has a kicking percentage of over 90% and 100% on extra points through five games. He went a perfect 5-for-5 against Virginia, including a go-ahead field goal with 1:14 left. emily steinberger senior staff photographer

I would call him a natural. Ever since I’ve known him, mechanically he’s very smooth.

Greg Zauner private kicking coach

LARGE IMPACT

Carlos Vettorello didn’t start football until high school, but he quickly impressed scouts with his size and athleticism

By Anthony Alandt senior staff writer

The University of Detroit Jesuit (Michigan) High School didn’t really game plan for Aidan Hutchinson, the future No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, when it played Divine Child High School. It employed Carlos Vettorello, UDJ’s 6-foot-4, 277-pound swiss army knife line man against him.

Hutchinson was two inches taller than Vettorello, but Vettorello was stronger, larger and got out of his stance quicker. Former teammate Patrick Schocke said Vettorello liked to engage with the defender before promptly slap ping their hands away. He’d then drop back into his pass set quicker than any one else on the line.

Vettorello did that all game, shutting down Hutchinson while UDJ got into posi tion for a game-winning touchdown.

“Sometimes I got caught up during the game just watching those two battle it out,” UDJ head coach Oscar Olejniczak said. “Just watching him battle and fight … I was in awe.”

Vettorello played left tackle against Hutchinson, but he could always move

around the offensive line. By his first full year at Syracuse, the “versatile” redshirt freshman started all 12 games — eight games at left tackle, three at center and one at right tackle. Vettorello has cemented himself as a formidable front man as SU’s center this season.

But Vettorello didn’t begin playing foot ball until his freshman year of high school. He played baseball, trading off between first base, catcher and pitcher. Vettorello usually played up in age because of his size.

He was always one of the biggest kids. His mother, Diane, had to always carry around his birth certificate to prove he wasn’t too old.

Diane raised Vettorello to be aware of his size. There were times Diane could tell Vettorello wasn’t comfortable with being different, that he didn’t like being seen as a bully or a physical person. He isn’t, his mother said. He tries to cast off those pre supposed ideas quietly, pulling underclass men aside to talk them through perfecting their technique.

“He’s a very big person, so he looks intim idating. But once you get to know him, you knew he wanted to do whatever was helpful for you on the team,” Schocke said.

Vettorello wanted to join the football team while continuing his baseball career

in his freshman year at UDJ. But after a JV game during Vettorello’s sophomore year, Olejniczak told Vettorello that he could become a Division I player if he dedicated the majority of his time to the game. “I’m all in,” Vettorello said.

The nice thing about it was he was finally in a sport where his size was celebrated. Diane Vettorello vettorello’s mother

For the first time in Vettorello’s life, he wasn’t chastised for being bigger than the majority of the other kids. He could get as strong as he wanted and wasn’t looked upon with age-based skepticism.

“The nice thing about it was he was final ly in a sport where his size was celebrated,” Diane said.

He immediately excelled, growing to his

CARLOS VETTORELLO was always one of the biggest kids. His mother, Diane, had to always carry around his birth certificate to prove he wasn’t too old. But he’s used his size to learn every offensive linemen position, playing center at SU this season. emily steinberger senior staff photographer

Party like it’s 1987

Syracuse hasn’t gone 6-0 since 1987, when its sixth win came against a ranked Penn State

TRIPLE THREAT

Thayer Thomas played baseball, basketball and football for Heritage High School

By Aiden Stepansky contributing writer

Thayer Thomas’ fall routine was more hectic than his high school classmates’ schedules. After football practice ended, Thomas headed to Heritage (North Carolina) High School’s gym to shoot free throws. Following Friday football games, Thomas spent all weekend on the travel baseball circuit.

that each sport demands.”

After his tri-sport career, Thomas stayed close to home and accepted a preferred walk-on offer to play football for NC State. His experiences in all three sports grew his athleticism, and he’s developed into the No. 15 Wolfpack’s primary receiving option over the past two seasons.

In the fall, Thomas spent the majority of his time on the football field. Wallace Clark, Heritage’s current head coach and an assis tant at the time of Thomas’s 3-year var sity career, said Thomas was a “quiet leader” who led by example, putting in extra work on the field after practice daily.

Thomas’ work ethic came into fruition junior year, when he earned all-conference despite being injured for a portion of the sea son. Thomas continued his success in senior year, leading his team in receptions (74) and receiving yards (965). The 74 receptions also made him Heritage’s all-time receptions leader, a record he still holds today.

jumped off the map, but his steady work ethic helped him become a key contributor. Thomas’ speciality on the court was distrib uting the ball as he holds the school record in assists (226).

“(Thayer) was an awesome teammate and really set the tone for the program’s future,” Brill said.

In the spring, Thomas positioned him self in the middle of Heritage’s infield. He won all-conference honors as a junior and senior as the Huskies’ top power hitter. In his senior season, Thomas became Heri tage’s leader in hits, batting average and on base percentage. He produced 35 hits while maintaining a batting average of .473 and an on-base percentage of .561.

Thomas’ success on the diamond gave him more Division I offers than he received in football.

Tilden Brill heritage basketball head coach

“He was not the most athletic player in any of those sports, but he made it up with hard work and intelligence,” Heritage ath letic director Patrick Kennedy said. “His dedication to each sport was amazing to witness because of the time commitment

In the winter after football, Thomas played point guard for Heritage’s basket ball team. Unlike football, Thomas only made the varsity team as a junior, but was diligent to perform to the best of his abil ity. On a star-studded team led by Thomas and Jayden Gardner, a current starter at Virginia, the Huskies won their first-ever conference championship.

Heritage basketball head coach Tilden Brill said Thomas wasn’t an athlete who

After his first year at NC State, Thomas played baseball as well, starting four games in the outfield as a redshirt freshman in 2019 and made 14 total appearances with the Wolfpack. In the 2019 MLB draft, the Boston Red Sox drafted Thomas in the 33rd round.

Although Thomas succeeded in baseball, he struggled playing two sports in college, his mother, Shelly Thomas, said.

“Playing both sports at this level was very difficult physically and mentally for Thomas,” Shelly said. “There really were not

After Thayer Thomas walked on to NC State’s football team, he played on the baseball team for one season as well. He started four games in the outfield as a redshirt freshman and made 14 total appearances. courtesy of shelly thomas

(Thayer) was an awesome teammate and really set the tone for the program’s future.

Bowl bound

With a win over NC State, Syracuse could qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2018

By Anthony Alandt senior staff writer

I

n its fourth and final game of the midsea son home stretch, Syracuse University will take on No. 15 NC State, the first of seven opportunities remaining for the Orange to earn their one remaining vic tory needed to qualify for their first bowl game since 2018. Syracuse had two weeks and much of the Wagner game to fine-tune its units and recharge for the highly anticipated top20 matchup on Saturday.

The Wolfpack are rolling following their 2021 9-3 finish, the second-straight winning season under head coach Dave Doeren, one in which they throttled Syracuse at home 41-17. They narrowly escaped East Carolina in the opening week, only pulling out the victory after the Pirates’ kicker missed an extra point. They rattled off three straight wins before almost beating then-No. 5 Clemson and beating Florida State 19-17. Quar terback Devin Leary went down last week with an injury to his throwing shoulder, and while the MRI over the weekend came back clean, Doeren wouldn’t give an indication as to whether or not he’d play against SU.

Ahead of Syracuse’s first top-25 matchup and third Atlantic Coast Conference opponent of the season, here’s everything you need to know about NC State.

All-time series NC State leads 13-2.

Last time they played Last November, the Orange blew their second chance to qualify for a bowl game after allow ing a 28-point second quarter in a 24-point loss to NC State. Those four touchdowns came in the final 6:14 of the first half. Leary finished with 303 passing yards on a 17-of24 performance. On the other side, Garrett Shrader threw a pick-six and the special teams unit gave up a 97-yard kickoff return to Zonovan Knight.

Thayer Thomas gathered four catches for 80 receiving yards and a touchdown as well. The game marked the first time since the 2016 Inde pendence Bowl that NC State had scored a touch down on offense, defense and special teams in the same game.

Despite just rushing for one touchdown, Sean Tucker finished with 105 yards on the ground, his ninth 100-yard game of the season to that point. Tucker rattled off a 17-yard run in the second quarter to break Joe Morris’ Syracuse record for rushing yards in a single season.

The Wolfpack report

NC State returned a great deal of its offensive starters from last year, including Leary and Thomas. It features a two-headed rushing attack as well, likely the best the Orange will face so far this season. Junior Jordan Houston is averaging 52 rushing yards per game and also has 130 total receiving yards this season.

Sophomore Demie Sumo-Karngbaye enters Saturday’s game as the Wolfpack’s rushing leader. Despite garnering fewer carries than Houston, Sumo-Karngbaye has 299 yards on the ground and three rushing

touchdowns.

On defense, though, they’ve allowed more total first downs than Syracuse’s defense. The Wolfpack have seven players who have double-digit unassisted tackles. Led by Drake Thomas, a 2021 first-team All-ACC selection and the Wolfpack’s reigning tackles leader, the defense has only allowed 30 points once this season. On offense, they average four yards per rushing attempt and 10.8 receiving yards per catch.

“A lot of their guys played a lot of games. A lot of our guys played a lot of games. And they know each other,” head coach Dino Babers said. “The only thing we don’t know is how much they improved in the last 12 months.”

How Syracuse beats NC State

Syracuse needs to stick to its formula — balance an air raid offense with Sean Tucker’s rushing ability. The Orange are fourth in the conference in points per game and average the second-most

yards per catch. Despite being a middle-to-bot tom of the pack offense on paper, they rank third in the conference with a 172.6 efficiency rating — something must be working for Robert Anae and Babers.

NC State also flashes a 3-3-5 defense, the per fect counter attack to a spread offense. With as many interceptions as the Wolfpack have this season, the game should stand as a legitimate test of whether or not Shrader can rely on long passes. Bearing this, it’s important for Syracuse to not shy away from Tucker too much.

Defensively, the Orange must capitalize on Leary, who’d play injured, or the former Foot ball Championship Series backup Jack Cham bers, whose talent is far inferior. It’s a tall order to prepare for both quarterbacks in just one week. Babers said they had to go back to researching for both quarterbacks after Leary’s injury on Saturday. Thomas will have to be locked up early and often, and the other five

In their first matchup the seventh-most

In their first matchup against a ranked opponent in 2022, the Orange will face the Wolfpack, who have forced the seventh-most interceptions in the country. malcolm taylor contributing photographer

okechukwu

in contact with his middle school coaches. Okechukwu also had a one-on-one interview with then-head coach Patrick Ward.

Iweogu wanted Josh to surprise Okechukwu about his acceptance. Josh had just left Wilson’s campus during his free period, but returned to the school at 1 p.m. to deliver the news.

Okechukwu was playing basketball in phys ical education class when Josh approached him. He immediately stopped playing, broke down in tears and celebrated with his brother.

“It was a win for everybody when Caleb got into St. John’s just because we all saw the pain when he didn’t get in the first time,” Josh said.

But St. John’s did not initially give Oke chukwu any scholarship funds. When they eventually did, Iweogu still had to pay $500 a month, which led to small sacrifices, he said.

At first, Iweogu couldn’t pay for Okechukwu’s lunch, instead packing him a lunch of apples and pastries. He was teased by fellow classmates, Iweogu said. Okechukwu ate lunch off campus sometimes as well, prompting the coaching staff to help cover meals moving forward.

Still, Iweogu had to even spare some of the family’s apartment rent money on those dues. Eviction notices were posted regularly on their door and Iweogu had to constantly

from page 4

szmyt

he’s very smooth.”

The “California kid,” as his varsity soc cer coach Michael McCaulou called him, was tranquil in charge of the ball — be it a soccer ball or football. Szmyt played outside midfield for Vernon Hills and “made things happen” for the team. He didn’t do much without the ball, but had a technical approach to handling it. Szmyt struck the soccer ball “so sweet,” with a locked ankle, knee and chest over the ball and head fixated on the point of contact.

That technical approach, albeit some what different from kicking a football, led to a seamless transition to field-goal kicking. There were changes he needed to implement, mainly the placement of his plant leg, his shoulders and chest. His follow through with his right leg became higher — there wasn’t a need to place the

find housing arrangements for his children while he looked for new apartments.

“As a matter of fact we were homeless,” Iweogu said. “My children didn’t even know, I stayed in the office while I had to find places for them to stay.”

Once the coaching staff realized this, they cut Okechukwu’s monthly dues in half. But Okechukwu also had to break into the Cadets’ nationally ranked varsity team. He played on the JV team as a sophomore with multiple Divi sion I prospects like Terrell Lewis, who now plays for the Los Angeles Rams, ahead of him.

But what assured St. John’s defensive coor dinator Rashod Gillespie that Okechukwu would eventually become a starter was his approach to training during the offseason. At St. John’s, summer workouts would begin at 6:45 a.m from Monday through Thursday.

In the evenings, Okechukwu went to Gil lespie’s private training sessions at Emory Recreation Center in Northeast DC. Especial ly during the Okechukwus’ biggest hardships, Gillespie was always there for Okechukwu.

“I don’t consider myself just a coach, more like a mentor and family,” Gillespie said.

When Iweogu spent an extended amount of time in Africa due to a death in the family, Gil lespie took Okechukwu to visit Texas, Syracuse and Arkansas within a two-week span starting in January 2018. Okechukwu became highly

ball under an eight-foot crossbar.

He hit 9-of-12 of his field goals as a senior, including a Vernon Hills record 48-yard field goal. He sat out his first season at Syra cuse, befriending Murphy and working as his understudy. Murphy preached taking a limited number of reps in practice to Szmyt.

Szmyt kicking his leg into the ground throughout the week wasn’t any good. Instead, the pair worked on extra points and field goals for 30-45 minutes before helping the scout team.

“He was a soccer player that was play ing football, he really didn’t have anybody that told them what you needed to do dur ing practice,” Murphy said. “It was kind of teaching him ‘hey, you don’t have to hit 50 balls a day.’”

Murphy graduated after Szmyt’s true freshman year, and Lustig was promoted to assistant head coach for 2019. The spe cial teams unit was left without a true

man from wherever Olejniczak placed him, he quickly fit into the starting left tackle.

sought after earlier that month, Gillespie said.

After being a late addition to the 2018 Under Armour All-American game, Okechukwu attracted recruiters during the week’s practices.

“His practice week, he was playing as good as anybody in the trenches,” Gillespie said. “And he didn’t look like he was out of place, he looked like he belonged.”

Gillespie had previously coached former Syracuse running back Antwon Bailey — SU’s record-holder for receptions by a running back — at St. John’s. Gillespie urged Oke chukwu to join the Orange.

With Okechukwu now at SU, David routinely called him over FaceTime, but he noticed some thing was off after his redshirt freshman season. Okechukwu hadn’t propped up his phone for David to see his full background. All David could see was his older brother’s face from the mouth up. A week later, David found out Okechukwu was in a hospital bed during that call.

Josh initially thought Okechukwu was suffering from mild muscle cramps. But his injury was more serious. Okechukwu suf fered from rhabdomyolysis, which occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases its pro teins and electrolytes into the blood.

Okechukwu was in the hospital for three weeks straight. But after he was released, he had lost 40 pounds and initially needed a walker. There was a possibility he couldn’t

position coach, leaving Szmyt on his own.

His numbers significantly dropped when Lustig left for a similar role at Vanderbilt after 2020. Other coaches helped, but it led to them not having a “good pulse” on the unit, Zauner said.

That, combined with an floundering offense as Szmyt’s career continued, are what Zauner believes hindered Szmyt’s numbers. A kicker can’t consistently be asked to kick 40-plus yard field goals. He’s more likely to hit them if he starts the game with extra points or field goals within 30 yards, Zauner said.

“When you’re starting to get longer and longer and longer on field goals, on average, we kind of swing out of our shoes a little bit,” Murphy said.

Then Ligashesky arrived prior to this season. Zauner said Ligashesky knows to not overkick his players, something Szmyt could have done throughout the last few sea sons. What’s transpired is a “good marriage

play football again.

“I come from a spiritual family, so them just keeping me grounded in my faith and keep ing my mind off football … kept me at peace,” Okechukwu said.

Okechukwu’s first appearance for Syracuse was delayed until 2020. Since then, he’s never missed a game.

As the Orange led by three midway through the fourth quarter against Purdue, quarterback Aidan O’Connell stood deep in the pocket, only to be pressured sud denly by Jatius Geer, who wrapped his arms around O’Connell. The quarterback blindly threw the ball to avoid the lost yardage, leading it fell into the hands of Okechukwu, who ran into the right corner of the end zone and celebrated.

For Josh, it was Okechukwu’s full circle moment. It meant that all the family’s strug gles had paid off. Josh watched that play with some of his teammates at Fort Hays State in a hotel room before their game against Lincoln University (MO).

“Everybody’s like, woah that’s your bro, but me, I was emotional because I remember those moments where it could’ve been over with,” Josh said. “I feel like everything for Caleb molded him to where he is now.”

cirinoalex19@gmail.com @alexcirino19

between Andre and his coach.”

Szmyt paired his mental repetitions from this summer with Carney and Ligashesky. He’s backed with a coach that will take his advice. The “my way or the highway” approach, Murphy said, is gone, and per fection and professionalism — what Babers hoped to return — is back. The pairing allowed Szmyt to go a perfect 5-for-5 against Virginia, including a go-ahead field goal with 1:14 left. Szmyt has a kicking percentage of over 90% and 100% on extra points.

The “old ways” of Szmyt, Ligashesky, a fifth year of Bolinsky and getting practice reps with both holders have returned Szmyt to his status as a top kicker in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“He said ‘I need to go back,’” Babers said. “… And lo and behold, we’ve got old Andre back,” Babers said.

anthonyalandt29@yahoo.com @anthonyalandt

status as an offensive lineman that could play all five positions. Olejniczak, who coached at four different colleges, paired a multiple gap and zone scheme rushing attack with a quick pass game. Vettorello became accustomed to blocking schemes in almost every formation.

Vettorello took part in some of Olejnic zak’s drills, such as board drills in the chute, where linemen would be forced to stay low as they barreled underneath 8-foot wood boards. While Vettorello became an explosive line

thomas

enough hours in the day to prepare for both sports and his education.”

Shelly said Thomas’ heart led him to choose football. The fall before his only sea son on NC State’s baseball team, Thomas hit the ground running on the football field,

“He was fast. I think he was the perfect high school tackle. He was fast off the line, he was big, and he was disciplined,” Schocke said.

Former teammate Walter Baughman said Vettorello would “take guys through the whole field” like no one else he’d ever seen. He’d look up after he blocked his defender and see Vettorello “running” with his defender, blocking him about 30 yards down the field.

Wherever Vettorello lined up is where UDJ ran the ball, former running back Elijah Collins

earning ACC Rookie of the Week honors and catching nine passes for 114 yards against Georgia State.

Thomas played punt returner throughout his first season, but improved heavily in 2019. He took one to the house against Ball State, later throwing a touchdown against Syracuse in a 16-10 victory. In 2020, Thomas caught 42 passes for 529 receiving yards. And in 2021,

said. If either side wasn’t working well for the offense, Olejniczak would dial up a tackle pull on Tampa (outside toss) or Tide (inside pull) to get extra help from Vettorello on the weak side.

When Vettorello trotted out as the center, UDJ ran up the middle as much as possible. Olejniczak worked with Vettorello throughout the summers on snapping the ball to ensure that Vettorello was practiced enough to slot in as a center wherever he’d play in college.

There’s no drill that Olejniczak had for Vet torello in order to help his snapping ability. He worked Vettorello on shooting his hands straight back. Vettorello spent the rest of prac

his eight touchdown catches were the eighthbest in school history.

In his final year of eligibility, Thomas leads the Wolfpack with 301 receiving yards, 24 receptions and two touchdowns. His work ethic over the last few seasons caused NC State to invest in his younger brothers Drake and Lex, who are set to make an impact for the Wolfpack in the

tice repeating his motion of snapping and step ping with his lead foot at the same time.

Olejniczak wasn’t sure if Vettorello would start during his first season at Syracuse, but he knew the athletic lineman could slide in seamlessly if there was an injury — which the Orange have dealt with at key lineman posi tions throughout the past few years.

“I couldn’t move him to center because I needed my tackle. But I said (to him) ‘I truly believe you will be a center in college,’” Ole jniczak said.

anthonyalandt29@yahoo.com

@anthonyalandt

upcoming years.

“Drake and Lex were recruited by NC State because Thomas set the tone for his younger brothers,” Clark said. “Once the program got a feel for the Thomas fam ily, they had a great understanding of great quality kids coming to the program, which makes it a win-win for the program.”

amstepan@syr.edu

receivers that already have over 100 yards this season need to be neutralized as much as possible. On top of that, Syracuse’s deplet ed defensive line has to hold its own against a two-pronged rushing attack.

Stat to know: 9 interceptions

Only six teams in the country have more interceptions than the Wolfpack, who also rank 14th in the country in interception

return yards. Aydan White, Shyheim Battle and Tyler Baker-Williams all have two inter ceptions this season, and Devan Boykin, Jalen Frazier and Jakeen Harris each have one. NC State has grabbed at least two inter ceptions in all but two games.

The Wolfpack’s secondary against SU’s receiving corps should be a matchup to watch throughout Saturday’s game. It’s arguably the first legitimate test of whether or not receivers like Courtney Jackson, Oronde Gadsden II and Damien Alford can successfully operate in Anae’s offense. It will

also give the Orange a much clearer under standing of where Shrader’s arm stands on intermediate and deep balls heading into the final stretch of the season.

Player to watch: Isaiah Moore, line backer, No. 1 Moore not only has 31 total tackles, but he’s racked up four quarterback hurries and a sack. As one of the oldest members of the defense, he’s the spearhead of a 3-3-5 unit that can be considered one of the best in the conference. He also has 6.5 tackles for loss

throughout the six games played for a total loss of 20 yards.

Tucker, when given a good hole, can shed the first-touch tackle attempt — usually from a linebacker — before taking off for a big gain. If Moore is shoved into the box, he can provide a stop-gap between Tucker and another prolific performance. Moore can also act as an additional defensive end or quarterback spy to help stop Shrader when he scrambles.

PREGAME PLAYBOOK

By Daily Orange Sports Staff

No. 18 Syracuse will face its first ranked opponent of the season, No. 15 NC State, at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday afternoon. The Orange’s 5-0 start earned them their first spot in the AP Poll since 2019, sliding into No. 22 after their win over Wagner before moving up four following their bye week.

Syracuse faces an NC State o ense that may be without its starting quarterback, Devin Leary, in its third conference game of the season. The Orange can claim bowl game eligibility with a win. Ahead of Syracuse’s first ranked matchup of the season, here’s what our beat writers predict will happen on Saturday:

The Orange rank fourth in the ACC with 38.4 points per game in 2022 after ranking 10th with 24.9 points per game last season

SOURCE:

With all the attention on Syracuse’s undefeated run and first appearance in the AP Poll in over three years, it’s finally time for its unimagined 5-0 run to get a reality check. Yes, the Orange have made noticeable improvements on both sides of the ball from a year ago, but NC State will be their first real test thus far. After their Week 1 near-upset against East Carolina, the Wolfpack have handled their biggest tests of the season, playing back-to-back ranked opponents coming into Saturday’s game. NC State has showcased its passing game despite a 10-point loss to No. 4 Clemson.

Even with Leary’s uncertain status, NC State has both a top-30 defense against the run and the pass. The biggest question about the Wolfpack o ense will come with their run game, which recorded just 34 yards against Clemson. If backup quarterback Jack Chambers can successfully rely on his running backs to carry the bulk of NC State’s load, Syracuse will be outmatched, ending its perfect winning stretch.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

Syracuse has beaten NC State just twice in 15 all-time meetings. Make that three times after Saturday afternoon’s top-20 a air is complete. Leary torched the Orange for over 300 yards and two touchdowns last season, but has been dealing with a shoulder injury. Whether Leary plays or not, NC State’s aerial attack will be limited, and SU’s defense will be in line to make a few big plays.

Syracuse’s o ense, fresh o a bye week and a recordsetting performance against Wagner two weeks ago, will be in shape to finish o drives to overcome the Wolfpack for the first time since 2018. And SU, once picked to finish in the bottom of the ACC Atlantic Division, will be 6-0, bowl eligible for the first time in four years and headed south for a huge matchup against Clemson, one that could have major postseason implications involved.

Oronde Gadsden II ranks sixth in the ACC, averaging 73.2 receiving yards per game, Gadsden has totaled 366 yards so far this year.

SOURCE: THEACC.COM

putting up the points

The Orange enter their biggest game of 2022 o of a bye week and a 59-0 win over Football Championship Series opponent Wagner. With a packed house, a top-25 matchup for the first time in Syracuse since 2001 and an injury to Leary’s throwing shoulder, all signs point to Syracuse earning its first win against a ranked opponent in four years.

If there was ever a time for Robert Anae to strut his stu , it’s against an NC State defense that has allowed 30 points only once this season. If there’s ever a time for the “mob” to come together, it’s against Leary — or Charleston Southern graduate transfer Jack Chambers. Sean Tucker needs to find similar success on Saturday than he had against Wagner, and the passing game needs to be on point. There’s no room for another 41-17-style blowout from a year ago. With a bowl game and a 6-0 start, SU can turn its sights to the big dogs of the ACC. And a win over Clemson could — maybe — break SU into the top 10.

Garrett Shrader ranks 14th in the country with 18.4 points responsible for per game, totalling 92 across Syracuse’s five wins

SOURCE: NCAA.COM

Coming o a shutout at home against Wagner, SU leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in fewest points allowed per game this season

SOURCE:

improved accuracy

Leading an undefeated Syracuse squad, quarterback Garrett Shrader’s pinpoint passing has been a husge reason why the Orange are 5-0. This time last year, Dino Babers’ team was 3-3.

SOURCE: CUSE.COM

carrying the load

Sean Tucker ranks second in the ACC with 146 total yards per game, totalling 730 on the season

sharing the wealth

Syracuse has four players with a double-digit percent share of the team’s receiving targets