Syracuse puts its faith in quarterback Rickie Collins

Syracuse’s season took a massive, unexpected turn on Saturday. It should have been a scene of jubilation. The Orange beat Clemson for the first time in eight years and the first time ever in Death Valley.

Instead, the injury status of quarterback Steve Angeli dampened the festivities. He went down with a non-contact injury in the third quarter and surfaced on the sideline with crutches and a walking boot on his foot. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Sunday that an MRI confirmed the Notre Dame transfer suffered a torn Achilles.

With Angeli’s season officially done, Rickie Collins is now the starting quarterback. The LSU transfer was named the starter back in the spring, before Angeli transferred to the school. He then lost the competition to Angeli during fall camp.

Collins steps into the QB1 role

This is a major step up for Collins. He attempted just seven passes across two seasons in the Bayou. His Syracuse debut was a bit rocky as well. Entering in a blowout against Colgate, his third pass of the game was intercepted on a badly underthrown ball. Fran Brown reinserted the starters, including Angeli, after that to add two more touchdown drives. Collins did return to the game and threw a touchdown himself to end on a more positive note.

Stepping in on the road against Clemson was a tough task and Collins handled it about as well as he could. He threw a crucial touchdown pass in a sudden change situation to extend Syracuse’s lead.

However, he finished just 3-of-8 passing and took two sacks. Collins’ ball placement was a bit spotty and his feel for where the rush is coming from is going to need to speed up quickly.

Saturday's contest against Duke will be Collins' first test

Looking ahead, Collins’ first start will come at home against a talented Duke defense that has already recorded 10 sacks this season.

Much of the offense can stay the same. Expect an even heavier dose of Yasin Willis and Will Nixon. The passing game will need to adjust slightly.

Collins is not quite as accurate as Angeli, but he is a bit more mobile. Half-field reads on rollouts and moving the pocket would likely benefit Collins. Expect some more quick game and screens as well to get easy completions and build his confidence.

Collins will need some reps to find his groove

It’s not that Collins is incapable of running the offense, but he has not been the starter for the past month and he has very few live reps against an opponent that is allowed to hit him. It is going to take time for him to settle in and find his groove.

Thankfully, he will have the same talented receiver corps to rely on with Justus Ross-Simmons, Darrel Gill, Jontay Cook and Dan Villari looking like one of the best skill groups in the ACC.

Syracuse is fortunate to have Collins to turn to. He is a former four-star recruit who has patiently waited, handling the unexpected quarterback competition and subsequent benching well. He will now get a chance to showcase his abilities and keep Syracuse’s season on track. Whether it is an audition for another school or a chance to stake his claim for this Cuse job long term, this is a massive opportunity for Collins. Now it is up to him to make the most of it.

SUPPORT THE JUICE ONLINE

Follow us on Twitter @TheJuiceOnline, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram @SUJuiceOnline and listen to our podcast.