Rickie Collins transferred away from LSU to attend Syracuse, and was told by head coach Fran Brown that he would be Syracuse's starting quarterback heading into the 2025 season. After serving as a backup at LSU for two seasons, Collins was ready for his opportunity. However, Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli landed at Syracuse after spring camp and ultimately took the starting role for the Orange. It was a tough blow for Collins, who throught he had the QB1 job locked up.
But now Collins is getting his chance. Angeli went down with a lower body injury last week against Clemson, and it was later revealed to be torn Achilles tendon that will keep him sidelined for the rest of the season. Collins stepped up last week after Angeli went down, and with the Orange already up big in the second half, the former LSU QB was tasked with managing the game down the stretch. Collins went 3-for-8 for 34 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions to help Syracuse claim a 34-21 win over Dabo Swinney's Tigers. Syracuse entered the game as a 17.5-point underdog.
Collins spent the last week of practice getting first team reps in preparation for facing the Duke Blue Devils in Week 5. Collins was given the opportunity to start a college game for the first time, but unfortunately, it didn't go well at all.
Collins and Syracuse on the wrong side of a blowout against Duke
The Orange managed to score just three total points in a 38-3 blowout at the hands of the Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon at the JMA Wireless Dome in upstate New York. It's the first time that Syracuse failed to score a touchdown in a game since the 2023 Boca Raton Bowl against USF.
Collins finished with 24 completions on 37 pass attempts for 229 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. His yardage total and completion percentage are both a bit inflated because of some late completions during garbage time in the waning minutes of the game.
Collin's top target was WR Johntay Cook, who hauled in eight catches for 84 yards. The Syracuse offense couldn't get any explosive plays, with its longest play of the day coming on a 20-yard completion from Collins to WR Emmanuel Ross. Collins couldn't get anything going on the ground, totaling -8 yards on five carries.
The Orange turned the ball over three times on a Collins interception and two lost fumbles from Cook. Collins himself also fumbled, but the Orange were able to recover.
It was a rough starting debut for Collins, who figures to remain as Syracuse's starting QB for the foreseeable future with Angeli out. Collins and the Orange have a tough schedule ahead, as they have road trips against SMU, No. 16 Georgia Tech, No. 2 Miami (FL) and No. 22 Notre Dame still on the docket.