Syracuse Football: Key takeaways from the Orange's ugly week-five loss to Duke

"We got punked." That's what head coach Fran Brown said about Syracuse football's performance, and it's hard to argue with him. Duke could do just about whatever they wanted against Syracuse, and it led to a 38-3 loss - the worst under Brown. Here are my takeaways from the game.

My key takeaways from Syracuse football's week-five loss against Duke.

Rickie Collins did not look ready

Syracuse's first play of the game was a beautiful throw and catch from Collins to Johntay Cook II on a blitz. Unfortunately, that was the best play all day for both of them. That drive ended on a poorly thrown ball into double-coverage, and Duke was off to the races from there. On the day, Collins was 24-37 for 229 yards, no touchdowns, an interception, and negative eight yards rushing off five carries.

Credit has to be given to Duke head coach Manny Diaz, who's a phenomenal defensive mind, and his pressure packages confused Collins. With that being said, the Duke defense hasn't been very good this year, as the three FBS quarterbacks Duke has played have all thrown for 270 or more yards and completed 68% or more of their passes.

Collins had poor decision-making and generally needed to get rid of the ball sooner. His decision-making was questionable at times, and I think his performance looked worse than the stats suggest, especially with the weapons Syracuse has at receiver. I don't think Syracuse has a better option at quarterback; everybody else on the roster is a freshman, and Collins will have to get better to salvage Syracuse's season.

Syracuse was exposed at all three levels of defense

It's hard to find any positives from Syracuse's defense today. Duke QB Darian Mensah was 22-28 for 268 yards and two touchdowns, and the only answer Syracuse had for WR Cooper Barkate was interfering with him. Worse, the Orange got gashed all day on the ground. True freshman Nate Sheppard, with just 188 career rushing yards to his name, ran for 168 and two touchdowns. On the day, Duke ran for 235 yards and three touchdowns at a rate of 6.4 yards per carry. That can't happen if you expect to win games in the ACC.

I didn't see any standouts from Syracuse's defense. Antoine Deslauriers and Denis Jaquez Jr. both recorded a sack, but Deslauriers was shaky in pass coverage, and Jaquez was largely a non-factor against the run. The Orange just aren't talented enough on defense, and Elijah Robinson's scheme, relying on sending linebackers and corners for pressure, isn't working.

Syracuse must rework their scheme for next week

I know I was critical of Rickie Collins earlier, but he's still a talented quarterback. The problem was Syracuse used him like he was Steve Angeli, who's a better processor and decision maker. I think an offense that relies more on halfbacks Yasin Willis and Will Nixon, and Collins' legs, will be more effective. At times, Syracuse cleared holes for the two backs, who combined for 18 carries and 88 yards on the day, but the Orange had to move away from that due to the deficit. I still think Yasin Willis is the best player on this Syracuse team, and he needs to be used more.

Additionally, an offense built around the run will allow for more one-on-one opportunities for Syracuse's talented receivers. I think Collins can be very effective in the RPO game and hit guys like Johntay Cook II, Darrell Gill Jr., and Justus Ross-Simmons on slants, screens, and quick outs if that's what the defense gives them. SMU, which the Orange plays next week, has had issues against the pass all year. If Syracuse can establish a run early, that will get the receivers in a more favorable position and set Collins up for a better game.