Syracuse Football: Top 3 keys to victory vs the Duke Blue Devils

Syracuse football will travel to play the Duke Blue Devils. Our Paul A. Esden Sr shares the top 3 keys to victory on Saturday for the Orange.

On October 11 I had the pleasure of visiting Central New York. The purpose of the trip was for the annual father-son sporting event trip.

Every year we get together and spend some quality time around a sporting event. Some examples are UFC 172, Yankees-Red Sox game, Syracuse-Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium to name a few.

This year was Dallas Cowboys versus the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium (we will not digress on the outcome of this game). I coordinated this trip so that I could sit down with Paul A. Esden Jr. at The Score 1260 and participated in his radio show as ‘Paul & Paul’ returned.

It was a father’s dream come true hanging with his son while he was living his dream as a sports broadcaster. This lead up was really to get to this, during that show it occurred to me and I said it on air that Syracuse may not win another football game this year.

This was the night after the Orange blew a chance to beat NC State but before the next three losses to Pittsburgh, Florida State and Boston College. Unfortunately, I think that epiphany will come true and our record will end up 3-9. I would love to be wrong, we will see.

So I am not a proponent for firing anyone, on the same side of the coin Dino Babers has never fired an assistant coach.

With that being said Syracuse fired defensive coordinator Brian Ward. Dino Babers said in a release from the university that he felt “a change needed to be made at this time.”

Now I get it, the Cuse gave up almost 500 yards rushing to the dynamic duo from Boston. But … if we were going to fire anyone shouldn’t we have fired our offensive line coach like I don’t know eight games ago ?!? Maybe Brian deserved to be fired, my point is he shouldn’t have been the first in line.

Let’s just say what we have all been thinking for a while. This is a bad team. Period.

Perhaps the worst offensive line outside of an Adam Sandler movie (insert a ‘That’s My Boy’ quote here) around. A quarterback in search of a heart (circa Wizard of Oz) and a coaching staff that doesn’t know how to stop a trick play.

Here are some facts that frankly startled me.

Prior to the Boston College game, there had not been a lead change in ANY of the Orange’s games….that is mind-boggling.

They are the only team in the ACC conference who has not won a league game.

The world is a cruel place, last year Syracuse was Cinderella at the ball living it up during a 10 win season. This year the clock struck midnight and we are sitting here with a pumpkin and some mice instead of our pimped out ride.

With these cheery thoughts in mind onward to Duke.

Here are my 3 keys to the game:

Establish the run. 

Duke has a solid rushing defense but is susceptible to over-committing on defense and giving up the big play. Time for a two-headed monster of Moe Neal and Abdul Adams to show off what they can do.

Mix up the play calling. 

The first quarter of the Boston College game was the highlight of my Syracuse fandom this year.  We were in the game punching and counterpunching. And for a moment I thought we turned a corner and then …. we gave up 34 points in the second quarter and the rout was on. We have talent on this team we need to play to our strengths.

In the words of the late great Robin Williams in the Dead Poets Society, Carpe Diem! 

We are 3-6 and deserve every one of those losses. We need to play balls to the wall and let it all hang out. Trick plays (all we have to do is watch our opponents game tape against us), going for it on 4th down, onside kicks the sky is the limit.  \Play like our Bowl chances depend on it.

Onto the prediction.

We are at the end of the road and this truly is our best chance at winning another game this season. Duke brings a solid program and they are favored by 11 points. But frankly we have more talent on the Orange side of the ball and it is up to Dino to pump this team up and get them ready.  We have one job this week. Just WIN baby. I predict the Orange will win this game 35-34. As always Be Loud, Be Proud, Be ORANGE!