Syracuse Football: Staff picks bullish on Orange’s chances versus Duke

Syracuse football looks to even its 2020 record at .500 when the Orange hosts winless Duke on Saturday afternoon. Our staff picks are in for this ACC clash.

Syracuse football notched its first victory of the fall term in late September, defeating Georgia Tech inside the newly renovated Carrier Dome. Now the Orange will attempt to move its 2020 mark to 2-2 as the ‘Cuse welcomes winless Duke to town on Saturday afternoon. Have a look at our staff picks below for this Atlantic Coast Conference duel.

Josh Peelman
If this weekend’s game was a basketball game, I’d probably say Duke will win this game, but since we’re talking about football and Duke is an 0-4 team, I’m gonna pick the Orange. Sure the Orange still have some things to work out on offense, but the defense is near the country’s lead in takeaways and has been solid thus far through three games, helping them to a 1-2 record.

As long as the Orange offense stays on the field long enough to have the defense out there less, the Orange stand a shot to win any game including this one. I see the Orange winning a tight one Saturday, 24-21. Expect another bounce back passing game from Devito and still less sacks than the first two weeks due to what appears to be an improving offensive line. If the offensive line can hold their own, the Orange will be in good shape to run fast and score more. Fingers crossed they don’t regress this week! Let’s go Orange!

Ryan Lee
Syracuse matchup with Duke Saturday gives the Orange their first chance at a winning streak in 2020. An 0-and-4 team such as the Blue Devils make for the perfect matchup to get on a role. It has been well documented the struggle of Duke. They are coming off a game losing to a decimated Virginia Tech Football team that was missing 21 players and two full-time coaches because of an array of issues including an outbreak of COVID-19. Duke is not a good football team in short.

Former Clemson hero, or villain in Syracuse, Chase Brice is under center in Durham now and will get his second crack at the Orange after leading the eventual National Champions to a big win over the Orange in Death Valley in 2018. Brice has not necessarily been leading comebacks this season but instead has been leading a turnover happy offense.

In four games this season the Blue Devils have 15 turnovers on the season, eight interceptions, and seven fumbles lost on the year and rank dead last in the nation with a -7 turnover margin currently. Turnovers are not guarantees in any way. To constantly depend on them is just a tough strategy but the Orange just forced five turnovers and have the third-best turnover margin on the young season, so once again they will lean on their defense. Andre Cisco might be out but Trill Williams and Mikel Jones are becoming just as dangerous in causing turnovers.

Without Cisco, the Orange should have enough to stop the Duke offense but keep an eye on the Orange. The Yellow Jackets, while trailing most of the game and turning it over often still piled up 453 total yards of offense. One factor to keep an eye on with why the defense allowed so many yards is because of the time of possession heavily went Georgia Tech’s way.

Syracuse’s offense will need to continue to build off of last week to help the defense. The offense averaged eight yards per pass and four yards per rush setting high marks in both by a mile last week. Those numbers have improved each week and will need to happen again for the Orange.

While I am certainly more optimistic then I was last week when I picked the Yellow Jackets, I do want to push some caution when looking at Syracuse being listed as an underdog for this game. This is not a slam dunk victory on paper yet. Maybe the Orange can prove me wrong but we will see Saturday. Syracuse 28 Duke 20

Neil Adler
Syracuse football got into the win column on Sept. 26 as the Orange (1-2, 1-2) bested Georgia Tech in Central New York. For the first time in the ‘Cuse 2020 stanza, the team’s offense generated a decent amount of points.

That trend needs to continue if the Orange wants to conquer winless Duke (0-4, 0-4) this Saturday afternoon from the Carrier Dome, as well as keep its momentum going in a positive direction as the fall term carries onward.

Play at both quarterback and running back will prove pivotal for Syracuse football versus the Blue Devils. The ‘Cuse is dealing with a banged up offensive line, and some injuries in the secondary, so even though Duke is 0-4, the Orange better remain laser-focused on both sides of the ball, as well as on special teams.

As we detailed earlier this week, the turnover department is intriguing, as Syracuse football is among the best in FBS at takeaways gained, while the Blue Devils, to date in 2020, are pretty awful.

Despite Duke’s record, and the fact that the Blue Devils are suiting up on the road, odds-makers have anointed them as a small betting favorite throughout the week leading up to this ACC affair. ESPN’s Football Power Index, though, says that the Orange has a 56.8 percent chance to prevail.

Syracuse football and Duke are slated to kick off at 12:30 pm, with television coverage on the Regional Sports Network. I hope that the ‘Cuse isn’t complacent in this encounter. I’ve got the Orange taking care of business against the Blue Devils, 35-24.