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Syracuse’s first matchup out of its bye week is a visit from Duke to the Carrier Dome. The Blue Devils are currently winless this year and have lost three of four games by double digits. Its quarterback, Chase Brice, has already thrown seven interceptions. And the Orange have built momentum through a Georgia Tech win where they forced five turnovers and scored 31 points.

In his weekly press conference, SU head coach Dino Babers said that Duke has the advantage entering the game because it had a bye week. The status of Andre Cisco and Eric Coley, two of the Orange’s top defensive backs, remains in jeopardy, too.

Here’s what our beat writers think will happen during Saturday’s game.

Anthony Dabbundo (2-1)
Two basketball schools
Syracuse 23, Duke 20

Syracuse and Duke enter Saturday’s matchup as the two worst offenses in the ACC, according to offensive success rate. The Orange will be able to run the ball on the Blue Devils, as they have the worst defensive line against the run in the entire conference. That enables the Orange to get some offensive rhythm going, but red zone inefficiency turns potential 7s into 3s. SU and Duke are also two of the worst offenses in the country in finishing drives, which means the game will come down to two things: Syracuse’s top-tier special teams and ability to create havoc defensively. The Blue Devils’ miss one field goal and commit one too many turnovers as the Orange pull out the win as a 2.5-point underdog. Syracuse gets back to .500 with a chance to reach a winning record when Liberty visits the Dome next week.

Danny Emerman (2-1)
Devils in the Red
Syracuse 28, Duke 17

If you went to a lab and tried to concoct the perfect matchup for this Orange team, you’d create the 2020 Duke Blue Devils. The nation’s worst at protecting the football meets SU’s vaunted 3-3-5. A mushy interior defensive line meets an offense predicated on establishing the run. Duke, losers of nine of its last 10 regular games (dating back to last year), enters the Carrier Dome as favorites — bulletin board material for the 1-2 Orange. Whether or not Andre Cisco returns to the lineup, Syracuse is coming off a bye week that it used to get healthy and condition its backups for bigger roles. So, put on your mask, take a ride over to Turning Stone or Yellow Brick, and hammer Syracuse +2.5.

Adam Hillman (2-1)
Back to .500
Syracuse 27, Duke 17

No Syracuse player would admit it on Tuesday’s press conference, but the Orange being underdogs against a winless Duke team is ludicrous. SU’s only losses are to now-No. 8 North Carolina and previously ranked Pittsburgh, and both were relatively close games. Neither of those defenses have allowed more than 30 points. I expect the Syracuse defense to continue dominating, to push the Blue Devil offensive line back and build on a four-takeaway performance it had against Georgia Tech. The running game will churn out yards, and Tommy DeVito will make enough plays against a defense that allowed 38 points to Virginia.

Published on October 7, 2020 at 9:40 pm