Orange grades: Collins, D-line falter in Syracuse’s loss to Duke
SU quarterback Rickie Collins struggled in his first college start while its defensive line couldn’t get home to Darian Mensah Saturday. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor
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A week ago, Syracuse began its Atlantic Coast Conference slate with a marquee victory on the road against Clemson. As for an encore, the Orange fell back to earth.
SU was pummeled by Duke on Saturday. The Blue Devils held the Orange to a season-low three points in quarterback Rickie Collins’ starting debut.
Here are position-group grades for Syracuse’s 35-point loss to Duke:
Quarterback: C-
The biggest question mark entering the contest versus Duke revolved around Collins, who took over the starting role following Steve Angeli’s Achilles injury. Collins’ debut was disastrous as the Orange failed to score a touchdown for the first time under second-year head coach Fran Brown.
Collins was fooled on his opening drive, throwing an ill-advised pass into double coverage for an easy interception. He slightly settled in, completing eight of his final nine pass attempts, but he never found a real groove to produce points for Syracuse.
There were also some simple mistakes that a Power Four quarterback can’t make. The ball slipped out of his hands for a fumble that created an eventual third-and-35. Another mishap featured a big sack, rather than throwing the ball out of bounds. Collins still has areas to improve. The matchup with the Blue Devils exposed that.
Running back: B
While it didn’t matter much, Yasin Willis performed well on the ground with 67 yards and 5.7 yards per carry. Will Nixon recorded seven attempts for 25 yards. Syracuse played from behind nearly the entire contest and never had an opportunity to establish the running game.
With unclear stability at quarterback, the Orange would be wise to lean on Willis earlier and more often. A majestic hurdle from the sophomore was a clear highlight of the game for SU’s offense.
Receiver/Tight End: C+
In its first game without Angeli, Syracuse’s receivers had nothing going. Johntay Cook was the most prolific pass catcher with eight receptions for 84 yards. Though his two fumbles were game changers — not in a good way.
While the first fumble was a questionable ruling after a targeting call was reviewed and reversed, it entirely flipped the contest in the Blue Devils’ direction. Cook fumbled again early in the third quarter, flattening any chance of a second-half comeback.
Justus Ross-Simmons and Darrell Gill Jr. were near non-existent after stellar days against Clemson. The duo combined for just four receptions versus Duke. Dan Villari had only two catches for 10 yards. One positive from the game was Emanuel Ross’ five receptions for 57 yards. He rarely saw the field until Saturday.
Offensive line: B-
SU’s offensive line looked to have turned a corner in Death Valley. The communication with Angeli was at an all-time high, as it slowed down stars like Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. It couldn’t continue its success against Duke.
Collins took multiple big hits early as the Blue Devils dialed up pressure in his face. When Collins needed time to settle in, he received none with Duke edge rusher Vincent Anthony Jr. roaring off the edge.
The Orange only allowed one sack, and it was partially due to Collins holding onto the ball too long. But this was an all-around system failure offensively, and the offensive line deserves at least some of the blame.
Defensive line: D+
Denis Jaquez Jr. got home for a sack in the first quarter. That’s all Syracuse’s defensive line truly mustered. The Orange sporadically got to Duke quarterback Darian Mensah, but he was calm, cool and collected for the most part.
SU’s interior also couldn’t match the Blue Devils’ physicality up front as freshman running back Nate Sheppard ran for an absurd 11.2 yards per carry on 15 attempts. Travis Bates and Anderson Castle mixed in and also gained over 40 yards each. Syracuse didn’t use the blitz patches like it did the week prior. It instead had zero answer.
Linebackers: C+
It’s hard to fault Antoine Deslauriers. The true freshman is placed in a position of significant responsibility and answering the bell on most occasions. He led the Orange in tackles with seven and recorded his first college sack.
Despite the heroics, even Deslauriers made mistakes. Sheppard’s 49-yard rushing touchdown was produced by a misstep and a late lunge from Deslauriers at the second level. With Derek McDonald out, Anwar Sparrow stepped in and recorded five tackles.
The linebacker core certainly wasn’t totally to blame for this poor performance. However, when a defense allows over 500 total yards and 235 on the ground, the middle of it must improve.
Secondary: C
With Mensah’s stardom and early production in 2025, it was likely Syracuse’s secondary would need to perform well to come out on top. Instead, 17-year-old Demetres Samuel Jr. had a few mistakes, and with others, the Blue Devils ran away.
SU’s secondary did start strong, with a touchdown-saving tackle by Duce Chestnut to force a field goal. Braheem Long Jr. also made a tackle in space to thwart a threat. But Mensah connected with Harvard transfer Cooper Barkate to burn both Davien Kerr in the slot and then Samuel.
Devin Grant’s 10 tackles against Clemson fell to just two versus Duke. The Blue Devils had 203 yards through the air at the half and finished with 268 as Syracuse’s secondary crept further toward the bottom of the ACC in passing yards allowed.
Special teams: C+
When a backup quarterback becomes the starter, everyone must fire on all cylinders. That includes the kick returners. It’s fair to cut the special teams some slack due to their high-octane performance all season and the absence of starting kick returner Malachi James. But Jaden Hart did Collins no favors.
Hart had multiple returns end up inside Syracuse’s own 20-yard line, which put Collins in difficult situations. Kerr also called for a fair catch on a punt inside the 10-yard line — a big no-no.
Jack Stonehouse was again marvelous on punts with a long of 56 and an average of 47.4. Tripp Woody made his only attempt from 29 yards out. But if SU’s special teams wants to take that next step into the elite conversation, it needs to figure out its return game.
Coaching: C-
Brown said it best in his postgame press conference. Manny Diaz and the Duke coaching staff beat Syracuse in all facets of the game, outcoaching them entirely. The defense did a complete 180-degree turn Saturday, which flipped from what might have been their best performance under Elijah Robinson to their worst.
Brown stayed aggressive by going on fourth down in SU’s own territory. But this contest was a barometer for the Orange. It was a turning point to see if Syracuse could fly high like it did under Angeli or would fall off kilter. The latter took place, resulting in a complete letdown and possibly a glimpse of what the remainder of the season will be.
