Syracuse football may not prove the betting favorite against Duke this Saturday, but the Orange can absolutely prevail.
Syracuse football moved into the victory column within its 2020 campaign on Sept. 26, notching a 37-20 conquering of Georgia Tech inside the newly renovated Carrier Dome.
Now the Orange, at 1-2 after its first bye week of the 2020 stanza, has a prime chance to level its record at .500 when the ‘Cuse hosts a winless Duke crew this coming Saturday afternoon on the Hill.
Let’s dive into how the Blue Devils (0-4) have fared to date in the fall term. This past Saturday, Duke admirably attempted a fourth-quarter comeback against Virginia Tech in Durham, N.C., however, the Hokies ultimately prevailed, 38-31.
The Blue Devils’ passing game performed fairly well, as redshirt junior quarterback Chase Brice finished 22-of-39 for 271 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, according to a summary on the Duke athletics department Web site.
Additionally, Syracuse football will have to clamp down on the Blue Devils’ running attack, which collected a season-high 139 yards versus Virginia Tech.
Senior running back Deon Jackson produced 74 yards on 15 carries, while tallying two scores. And junior Mataeo Durant registered an impressive 86 yards on just 11 attempts.
The next Syracuse football foe, Duke, is winless, but the Blue Devils have kept things close in a few ACC clashes.
On Sept. 12, the Blue Devils looked solid in their 2020 campaign opener, even in defeat, as Duke went on the road and played then-No. 10 Notre Dame tough in a 27-13 setback. Brice, in his Blue Devils debut, had 259 passing yards and a rushing touchdown.
A week later, on Sept. 19, Duke got pasted at home by a good Boston College group, 26-6. Turnovers plagued the Blue Devils in this Atlantic Coast Conference encounter.
In its next ACC meeting, at Virginia, Duke held a 20-17 advantage over the Cavaliers as the teams entered the fourth quarter. Much like has occurred with the Orange so far in the 2020 term, the Blue Devils collapsed in the final frame, with UVA going on a 21-0 spurt to emerge victorious, 38-20.
When Syracuse football welcomes Duke to Central New York this Saturday at 12:30 pm, with television coverage on the Regional Sports Network, whichever unit holds it together in the last 15 minutes is likely to succeed.