In a surprising twist in a showdown between ACC foes Duke and Syracuse, the Blue Devils have dominated the home team Orange in the first half, with a halftime score of 24-3. It was a one-sided affair during the first half, with Syracuse not being able to answer many of Duke’s runs. This has led head coach Fran Brown to admit he has been out-coached by Manny Diaz.
In an interview with the ACC Network during halftime, Brown opined that he has been “out-coached” and that he will be heading to the locker room to “take care” of that 21-point deficit that the Orange have.
Fran Brown says on the ACC Network that he’s being out-coached. When asked about that 1st half, as compared to the 1st half at Clemson last Saturday, Brown said matter-of-factly: “I’m about to go in there now and take care of that.” The locker room will not be a fun place to be.
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) September 27, 2025
The stats reflect the admittance from the Syracuse coach, as the Blue Devils offense ran wild against the Orange. At the half, Duke had 319 yards, as opposed to Duke, which just had 158. In addition, the Orange also have two turnovers while quarterback Rickie Collins struggled throughout the half, as he only had 90 passing yards for nine completions on 16 attempts.
A dominant first half by Duke today inside the Dome. The Blue Devils have racked up 319 yards to just 158 for SU. Add the two ‘Cuse turnovers into that and the 3-TD deficit should come as no surprise. Rickie Collins 9-16 for 90 yards – he’s going to have to find his groove.
— Steve Infanti (@SteveInfantiNC9) September 27, 2025
Duke Coming Into Game Against Syracuse as Favorites
Ahead of that searing first half blitz that has stunned Syracuse head coach Fran Brown, oddsmakers actually favored the Blue Devils to win the Saturday showdown.
BetMGM Sportsbook has the Blue Devils as the -4.5 favorites with a moneyline of -185 and a total of 59.5 points. Meanwhile, Syracuse is considered the +4.5 underdog in this matchup with a +150 moneyline and a total of 59.5 points.
Nevertheless, the Orange were actually coming in with more momentum than the Blue Devils, as Syracuse was 3-1 heading into the game while Duke was 2-2. Despite this, the Orange have struggled even getting across the field while the Blue Devils’ offense ran roughshod. As of writing, Duke leads 31-3 in the third quarter, extending their already big lead from the halftime break.
Related:
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Calls Mount From Fans To Fire Dabo Swinney After Cade Klubnik and Co. First Half Disasterclass vs Fran Brown’s Syracuse
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