After the first two games of the season, and 16 combined points scored, it seemed like the 2020 season could quickly become a bust for Syracuse football. But after scoring 37 points against a poor Georgia Tech squad, Syracuse has a prime opportunity to turn its season around.
After a bye week last Saturday, Syracuse’s next two games are against Duke and Liberty. So far this season the Blue Devils are the worst team in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 0-4 – the only team not to win a game. While Duke is sputtering, Syracuse is surging, with two weeks to prepare for a bad team. 
Similar to the Orange, the Devils have had trouble protecting their quarterback, Clemson transfer Chase Brice. Last Saturday against Virginia Tech, Brice was sacked seven times. Through four games, Brice has thrown just three touchdowns compared to seven interceptions. 
On defense, Duke is led by defensive linemen Victor Dimukeje, who leads the team with four sacks. That’s more than double the total of the next best player.
After Duke, Syracuse plays its one non-conference game of the season against Liberty. Last season the Orange smoked the Flames 24-0 down in Lynchburg, Virginia. That was the first game of the season, and expectations were extremely high before Tommy DeVito’s first year starting turned into a disappointment. 
After two tough losses against Top-25 teams, Syracuse is entering the soft stretch of its season. After these next two weeks, SU is tasked with taking on the best team in college football – the Clemson Tigers. But until then, head coach Dino Babers and his team have a chance to leap above .500. That’s an accomplishment given where SU’s offense began the season. Losing to Duke or Liberty would be an incredible disappointment for Syracuse. While this team isn’t great, it has been competitive in every single game, and should continue to be throughout the season.
