Duke football vs Syracuse gameday guide: How to watch, betting line, key matchups
Las Vegas could be struggling with its college football betting line for the Duke football vs. Syracuse game on Saturday.
The Blue Devils are 2.5-point favorites as of Friday. But nobody really knows if Syracuse All-American safety Andre Cisco will play. And Syracuse coach Dino Babers is revealing nothing.
“Andre suffered a lower-body extremity injury in the pregame, which in 39 years I’ve never seen that happen,” Babers said on Wednesday. “I don’t want to go much further than that because it’s a huge advantage for the opponent we’re about to play. But I’ve seen him every day. He’s smiling. He’s excited. So we’ll see.”
It’s safe to say that Cisco playing would make an impact. He is the nation’s career leader in interceptions (13).
How to watch Duke vs Syracuse football
The game has a 12:30 p.m. kickoff and will be televised by RSN.
College football betting line: Blue Devils favored
The Blue Devils are favored by 2 points and the over/under is 51.5.
Fast facts
* If Duke is giving the ball away a lot this season (15 turnovers) the Orange are taking it away. Syracuse ranks second in the FBS with 10 takeaways.
* How did the Orange roll up a big score on Duke last year? One big reason: Syracuse rushed for 286 yards and four touchdowns.
* How did this happen? Syracuse has five players from North Carolina and Duke has none from New York? The five Orange players: defensive back Garrett Williams, linebackers Lee Kpogba and Stefon Thompson, offensive lineman Josh Ilaoa and defensive lineman Drew Tuazama.
* Duke has the ACC’’s leading tackler. Linebacker Shaka Heyward, a redshirt sophomore, has an ACC-best 34 tackles, He had 10 tackles against Boston College,
* Injured Duke center Jack Wohlabaugh’s father, Dave, is a former Orange offensive lineman who later played in the NFL.
* Syracuse did some ball-hawking in its 37-20 win over Georgia Tech. The Orange intercepted four passes, the most picks by a Syracuse team since the Sept. 9, 2006 game versus Iowa.
* Speaking of thefts, Syracuse defensive back Andre Cisco returned an interception for a score against Duke last year.
Blue Devils football vs. Orange by the numbers
Records: Duke 0-4 (0-4 ACC); Syracuse 1-2 (1-2 ACC)
Duke offense: 17.5 ppg | 359.2 ypg | 258.2 passing ypg | 101.0 rushing ypg
Duke defense: 32.2 ppg | 440.5 ypg | 247 passing ypg | 193.5 rushing ypg
Syracuse offense: 17.7 ppg | 243.3 ypg | 181.0 passing ypg | 94.0 rushing ypg
Syracuse defense: 24.0 ppg | 419.3 ypg | 232 passing ypg | 187.3 rushing ypg
Key matchups
DUKE RUN GAME VS. SYRACUSE RUN DEFENSE
The Blue Devils were able to run the ball effectively for the first time this season against the Hokies last Saturday. Durant tallied 11 carries for 86 yards and Deon Jackson ended the day with 15 carries for 68 yards and two rushing touchdowns. After quarterback Chase Brice was sacked seven times against Virginia Tech, it would be wise for the Blue Devils to rely more heavily on their running backs.
This season, the Orange is playing a 3-3-5 defense, one that’s typically uncommon and can confuse offenses. This could make their rush defense a threat. Against Georgia Tech, Syracuse allowed 275 rushing yards, an average of 5.3 yards per play. The key will be to keep an eye on the linebackers. In this style of defense, linebackers may be asked to be edge rushers, run stoppers and pass defenders all at once, and this responsibility falls on a relatively inexperienced core.
DUKE PASS GAME VS. SYRACUSE PASS DEFENSE
Brice showed potential last Saturday, ending the day 22-for-39 for 271 yards, one touchdown and an interception. However, turnovers still limit Duke’s passing game. Currently, they have the seventh-worst turnover margin per game (-1.8) in the country, the second consecutive year they’ve been near the bottom in that statistic. They’ve allowed 15 turnovers this season, the nation’s worst, and Brice has thrown seven picks.
Syracuse is No. 3 in the country and No. 1 in the ACC in turnover differential (+6). Against Georgia Tech, they snagged four interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and a fumble recovery. However, the Orange had to play without Cisco.
To get around Syracuse’s turnover-happy pass defense and survive the team’s dime package that succeeded in eliminating the long throws against UNC earlier in the season, the Blue Devils will need to rely on the run game and focus on more conservative play-calling for passes. If they choose to pass, keep an eye on tight end Noah Gray, who recorded six catches for 51 yards and a touchdown against Virginia Tech. The senior is just four catches from breaking Stan Crisson’s career record for pass receptions by a tight end (98).
SYRACUSE RUN GAME VS. DUKE RUN DEFENSE
The Orange put together one of its strongest run games against Georgia Tech with Sean Tucker gaining 112 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Similar to Duke, Syracuse’s ability to run the ball will be crucial because of quarterback DeVito’s inconsistent play. He has a 50 percent completion rate, two touchdowns, two interceptions and has been sacked 15 times in just three games.
Duke has struggled on its run defense. It is last in the ACC at 193.5 rushing yards per game, giving up a total of 324 on the ground and four touchdowns against Virginia Tech last weekend. Safety Marquis Waters and linebacker Shaka Heyward continue to be key players for the Blue Devils defense, accounting for 62 of the team’s 303 total tackles. Against Virginia Tech, they tallied 10 and seven total tackles respectively.
SYRACUSE PASS GAME VS. DUKE PASS DEFENSE
The Orange has two strong wide receivers who are big-play threats. Senior Nykeim Johnson has averaged 12 yards per reception this season. Against the Yellow Jackets, he turned four catches into 87 yards and a touchdown in a 43-yard play. Junior Taj Harris had a 46-yard touchdown catch in that game. Harris’s longest play this season was a 69-yard touchdown against Pittsburgh.
Given these options, Duke will need to tighten its pass rush system with Chris Rumph II and Victor Dimukeje continuing to lead the pack. The two have a combined 38 total tackles in four games, but were in the middle of the pack last weekend. Rumph totaled five tackles while Dimukeje had three — his second lowest total in four games.
DUKE INTANGIBLES VS. SYRACUSE INTANGIBLES
The biggest intangible facing Duke so far this season is its first win. But, while the overall statistics are grim for the team, there are signs of improvement like with red zone conversions. The Blue Devils have converted touchdowns on 5-of-11 red zone chances. To put it into context, Syracuse has only found the end zone once in seven trips inside the 20-yard line.
One key thing to keep in mind about Duke’s game and Brice’s role in general in light of the high amount of interceptions for the graduate transfer — they are learning and making changes in real time.
“Unfortunately, you’re scrimmaging against power five football teams in reality from what you would do in spring ball and what you would do in summer camp, which we didn’t really have a camp,” Cutcliffe said. “I think it’s an ongoing process and each week, I sit down with him. ‘What are you comfortable with? What are you not comfortable with?’ Because really what we have to come up with is what is the functional part, and that is the quarterback. What is he comfortable with, what pass concept, what protection concept, and then we move it from there.”
Duke football schedule / results
Week 1 — Notre Dame 27, Duke 13
Week 2 — Boston College 26, Duke 6
Week 3 — Virginia 38, Duke 20
Week 4 — Virginia Tech 38, Duke 31
Oct. 10 — Duke at Syracuse, 12:30 p.m.
Oct. 17 — Duke at N.C. State, 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 31 — Charlotte at Duke, TBD
Nov. 7 — North Carolina at Duke, TBD
Nov. 21 — Wake Forest at Duke, TBD
Nov. 28 — Duke at Georgia Tech, TBD
Dec. 5 — Florida State at Duke, TBD
Syracuse football schedule / results
Week 1 — UNC 31, Syracuse 6
Week 2 — Pittsburgh 21, Syracuse 10
Week 3 — Syracuse 37, Georgia Tech 20
Oct. 10 — Duke at Syracuse, 12:30 p.m.
Oct. 17 — Liberty at Syracuse, Noon
Oct. 24 — Syracuse at Clemson, TBD
Oct. 31 — Wake Forest at Syracuse, TBD
Nov. 7 — Boston College at Syracuse, TBD
Nov. 20 — Syracuse at Louisville, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Nov. 28 — N.C. State at Syracuse, TBD
Dec. 5 — Syracuse at Notre Dame, TBD, NBC
ACC Network / ACC football TV schedule
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
Louisville at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., ESPN
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
N.C. State at Virginia, Noon, ACC Network
Virginia Tech at UNC, Noon, ABC
Duke at Syracuse, 12:30 p.m., ESPN3 (online only)
Pittsburgh at Boston College, 4 p.m., ACC Network
Miami at Clemson, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Florida State at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m., NBC
This story was originally published October 10, 2020 at 8:45 AM with the headline "Duke football vs Syracuse gameday guide: How to watch, betting line, key matchups."
