RALEIGH, N.C. - As has been the case in all but one (Pitt) of Syracuse's eight ACC games played so far this season, the outcome of Saturday's second-to-last road game versus NC State at raucous Carter-Finley Stadium, was not going to be decided until late in the fourth quarter.

It took spectacular plays from a couple of fifth year players, UNLV transfer DE Tunmise Adeleye and one-time Colorado State transfer WR Justus Ross-Simmons to help what was looking like a deflating defeat to a team with an interim head coach (Todd Goebbel), into a most satisfying rare conference road win (two, in fact, so far this season).

Those plays in the fourth quarter, along with a masterfully-led final drive by Steve Angeli, helped send the Orange home with a 34-31 win and a 5-5 record to stay on track for a bowl game.

A rare interception for a touchdown by a D-lineman was the turning point of the game

Down 31-20 with under 6:00 to play, Adeleye timed his leap perfectly while rushing State QB CJ Bailey to snag Bailey's pass and rumbled in from 18 yards out to make the score 31-26 after a missed two point conversion.

It capped a busy day for Adeleye who finished with three solo tackles, a half sack, and a couple of tackles for losses for a defense that again bent plenty, but in this case, provided crucial points and gave the offense another chance with possession and a shot at the game-winning drive.

"Immediately after it (the pick six) happened, I knew we were going to win," Adeleye said outside the happy Orange locker room. "Football is a momentum-based sport. Once we stopped playing soft our fortunes changed. We had to start hitting and reacting to what we knew they were going to show,"

After seven games played, the amazing Calvin Russell III is already in the Syracuse and ACC record books

Need any more proof at just what a freak athete the five-star, two-sport star Russell is on the grdiron?

Brown watched in amazement from the sideline as Russell repeatedly zigged and zagged to both sides of the field after matching Ervin Phillips school and ACC record with 17 receptions, including a three-yard TD from Steve Angeli, the first of three 'Cuse TDs in the fourth quarter comeback.

"He's hard to tackle, I think he's a lot stronger than he would appear," Brown said of his freshman phenom who has also scored three points in a basketball game against NC State so far in his college career.

"He's a basketball player, slender, but he's extremely strong," Brown added. "He works really hard, and he's passionate. The guys want to block for him, and he wants to block for them. He brings our team together."

The terrific trio of Orange receivers are complimentary both on and off the field, based on their postgame comments.

As mentioned above, Calvin Russell not only tied the school and ACC record with his 17 catches, but he got better as the game progressed.

"The coaches believe in me, and also me knowing that when the ball comes my way, I'm going to catch it and make a play," Russell said about his simple mental focus after teaming up with Ross-Simmons and Umari Hatcher for a combined 23 catches for 234 yards and two touchdowns, and a two point conversion to complete the comeback.

"Both of those guys keep me going," Russell added. "Both of those guys on the outside, me on the inside, (a team) really can't guard the three of us (simultaneously)."

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