Syracuse and Duke have shown this season that they can battle through adversity.
The Orange will face a significant challenge the rest of the way, as they will take the field without quarterback Steve Angeli on Saturday when they host the Blue Devils.
Angeli came into last week’s game against Clemson leading the nation in passing yards, and he threw for 244 and two touchdowns against the Tigers before tearing his left Achilles tendon. The Notre Dame transfer will miss the remainder of the season — his first with the Orange (3-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).
“I’m sorry that he has to go through it, but it’s part of the game,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “It’s part of being a human.”
The next man up for the Orange is redshirt sophomore Rickie Collins, a transfer from LSU who will make his first career start on Saturday.
“I’m happy for Rickie. I’m excited for him. I thought he handled everything the right way,” Brown said of Collins, who threw a touchdown pass to help the Orange secure a 34-21 upset win over Clemson. “No one deserves an opportunity more than he does.”
The Blue Devils (2-2, 1-0) were staring at the possibility of a third straight defeat last weekend as they trailed North Carolina State by 13 points in the first half. However, Darian Mensah finished with three passing touchdowns and Anderson Castle ran for three scores as Duke rallied for a 45-33 victory.
“Momentum is only real if you keep earning it,” said Duke coach Manny Diaz, whose team plays four of its next five games on the road. “That win was great for our guys, but the standard has to be about consistency. Syracuse is playing really good football right now, and we’ll need our best.”
The Blue Devils are 4-1 all-time against the Orange. This will be the teams’ first meeting since 2020, when Duke recorded a 38-24 victory at Syracuse.
