Inside the Loud House
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BEAT DUKE! Syracuse football has their biggest game of the year this week

By Mat Mlodzinski

Syracuse football (Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
Syracuse football (Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports) /
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It’s officially Duke week and although it’s not basketball, a win for Syracuse football would be monumental going forward.

Syracuse football sits at 1-2 with the Duke Blue Devils coming to town this Saturday. A win for the Orange would put them at .500 on the season. This could set the trend going forward for the Orange.

After SU lost their second straight game to open to 2020 season, many Orange fans began to blame Tommy DeVito, Dino Babers, and pretty much anyone else in the public eye of ‘Cuse football. However, DeVito played exceedingly better in week three against Georgia Tech, as the Orange beat the Yellow Jackets, 37-20.

Now, a bye week has allowed for an extra week of healing time for injuries (Andre Cisco was not available for GTech due to a pre-game sustained injury). It’s also given SU an added week of prep for a very beatable 0-4 Duke team.

So far this season, the Blue Devils have lost to four ACC opponents. Last week was their best chance, as Virginia Tech won 38-31. However, the Blue Devils have struggled to find consistency with their offense, while having problems defensively in all four games.

Last season, the Duke game was a big win in Syracuse’s favor, with the Orange coming out on top, 49-6. SU rushed for nearly 300 yards in the win, and defensively had one of their best games of the season, with four sacks and three takeaways.

Right now, there are talks about having bowl games available to any team, as a way to justify the season in the midst of COVID. But even if the six-win criteria stands, a win against Duke would help Syracuse reach that mark. It may be the most winnable game on the Orange’s schedule, with a game against Liberty as the next best chance.

If anything is true in college sports, it’s that wins – regardless of opponent – can help a somewhat struggling team find a niche and get on a roll. That could be the case this weekend if Syracuse football can beat Duke.

And after all, what ‘Cuse fan wouldn’t want a win over Duke?

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