NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
The Syracuse Orange are very familiar with the Duke Blue Devils. Unfortunately, the two schools are far more familiar on the basketball court than the football field. However, Saturday’s matchup will have them getting a bit more familiar. What will Syracuse have to do to beat Duke?
Early Chemistry
When Steve Angeli went down for Syracuse, all eyes turned to backup Rickie Collins. Angeli was leading college football in passing yards in large part due to the chemistry he developed with his WRs. The Orange have a handful of WRs who can go up and get the football at its highest point. All Collins has to do is try to emulate the tempo that Angeli had and trust in his WRs while limiting his mistakes. Much like Angeli, there’s a chance he comes out of the huddle with a little bit of pressure. So long as he can settle in and let the game come to him, he could be just as successful.
De .. fense!
The crowd chant every football fan loves to hear and get involved in. Syracuse has amped it up a bit on defense and very well still has room to grow. If the Orange can continue to grow on the defensive side of the football, it will take the pressure of Collins and keep him from getting in his head should he make a mistake. In football, any time the defense can say “don’t worry about it bro, we got you” it pivots the mindset of the QB thinking they have to make every play.
Tough Opponent
Despite being 2-2, I doubt Syracuse can count this as an easy win after coming off of a road game at Clemson. The Blue Devils won’t go down easy. They’re averaging 29 points per game and QB Darian Mensah does a great job of taking care of the football. With 11 TDs and only 2 INTs, not only can he control turnovers, he spreads the ball out pretty well. Six different receivers have scored for the Blue Devils as well as 3 RBs have crossed the goal line. Duke gets every player involved and the Orange will have to keep their heads on a swivel.
The Syracuse Orange have taken on the Duke Blue Devils have only met a handful of times on the football field and neither program should take the other lightly. Syracuse needs to prove they can win with Collins while Duke can show they can beat a tough opponent. The two face each other at 12 PM this Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome.
