NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
The Syracuse Orange took on the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. So much went wrong for the Orange in a 38-3 blowout loss at home. How did Syracuse look so bad?
Physical Pressene
Everyone and their brother is going to start to join the finger at QB Rickie Collins for this loss, but it goes beyond just the QB. Collins only plays one side of the football and Syracuse got dominated on both sides. It was a statement game for both teams and Duke made their statement. They weren’t going to come in and get pushed around by a team on the rise. This game was won in the trenches with great blocking and great pass rushing.
Dominating Day
To that point, the only thing stopping Duke’s offense was Duke’s penalties. Had it not been for multiple penalties, the Blue Devils wouldn’t have had trouble moving the football. Even on 3rd-and-long situations, the offense was able to move the ball with ease, often picking up 7-8 yards. had they not needed 15+ yards in these situations, it would’ve been a very easy day for their punter.
Much Needed Loss
Fran Brown might not be the coach to let players rest on their laurels, but Syracuse needed a reminder that it won’t be easy. After a blowout win versus Colgate and beating Clemson at Clemson, the Orange don’t need to get into a position where they’re not putting in the work. There are plenty of areas where the team needs to improve and winning teams aren’t as hungry as losing ones.
Open Season on Open Field
The Orange have a major red flag. Despite being able to occasionally lock it down, Syracuse often loses the battles outside of the tackles. They often lose the foot race on the outside and the Blue Devils exposed that on Saturday. Runs on the outside picked up big gains, quick screens were rarely stopped, and Duke often was faster in the open field. Tight defense up front might slow down the run game between the tackles, but the Orange need to figure out how to close gaps better or take better angles. You can’t always be the fastest team on the field.
Syracuse will take on SMU next Saturday at 3:30 PM EST. Let’s see how quickly they can make these adjustments.
