3 takeaways from Syracuse football’s Sept. 23 media session ahead of Duke

Syracuse is set to play its second Atlantic Coast Conference game of the season at home against Duke on Saturday. The Blue Devils won nine games in 2024 and are 2-2 this season, coming off a shootout win over NC State.

The Orange, who stand at 3-1, are at a pivotal point in the season after quarterback Steve Angeli’s season ending injury. Now, Rickie Collins has the starting signal caller role.

After practice Tuesday, Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon, Collins and defensive back Braheem Long Jr. spoke with the media.

Here are three takeaways from the media session.

OC Jeff Nixon on QB future, facing Duke

Nixon has engineered SU’s offense to average the fourth most yards per game in the ACC this season. On Tuesday, he earned CBS’ Sports ACC Coordinator of the Week.

The acknowledgement came after SU topped Clemson on the road. The game marked the 17th straight game that Syracuse’s Nixon-led offense has thrown for over 250 yards, the longest streak in FBS.

Now, Nixon will have to retool the offense with the introduction of Collins. Nixon said Collins did a good job preparing as a starter while serving as Angeli’s backup the last four weeks.

“We got a long season still, so we got to get Rickie ready to play,” Nixon said. “He's a talented guy, and I'm excited for his opportunity.”

With Duke approaching, Nixon respects the Blue Devils defense led by head coach Manny Diaz.

“We're gonna have our hands full, and they play really hard, and they have a really good pressure package,” Nixon said.

How Rickie Collins takes the reins

For the first time in his college career, Collins is set to start on Saturday.

“I just gotta prepare,” Collins said. “It's here now, and I just gotta go embrace it and have fun.”

Collins, a former LSU Tiger, entered the game against Clemson and tossed a touchdown, keeping SU’s lead to get the win.

As a backup, he stayed ready and was an extra ear for Angeli, Collins said.

Collins is focusing on earning his teammates trust and getting on the same page with his wide receivers and offensive line. He even heard from former SU quarterback Kyle McCord, who encouraged him.

“He's very knowledgeable of the game, and I picked his brain as much as I can, so I learned a lot from him,” Collins said of McCord from when they spent time together this spring.

Braheem Long Jr. talks defensive mindset

Syracuse’s defensive unit is loaded with young players making an impact. One of which is Long, a sophomore, who tallied eight total tackles against Clemson, ranking second on SU, while recording the Orange’s only sack.

Long is making a name for himself with other youngsters like Demetres Samuel Jr. and Antoine Deslauriers, who have garnered national recognition.

“Being with each other, it just feels like it's just great,” Long said. “We're really building some chemistry level. It's off the field stuff that we do together, and it just feels good, feels like home.”

Long has been made tackling a priority, along with the rest of SU’s defense.

“It was a big focus, especially this season,” Long said. “Last season, a lot of people say we didn't tackle very well. So, all season, we was tackling bags, just as our DB group, we was just tackling the bags, working on everything, rap and roll.”

SUPPORT THE JUICE ONLINE

Chat about this story and all things Syracuse on our message board, Cuse Classified!