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Head coach Dino Babers said Monday that playing at home for the first time in over a month would be “exactly what the doctor ordered.”

Syracuse welcomes Boston College into the JMA Wireless Dome Friday, hoping to stop a four-game Atlantic Coast Conference skid that has led to growing concerns about the direction of the Orange under Babers. The Eagles, meanwhile, are coming to central New York with four straight wins to mitigate a 1-3 start.

SU’s offense has been lost over the mid-season losing streak, having not scored more than 14 points since its win over Army. The slow starts that were masked by lesser opponents have persisted, culminating in a 30-3 deficit at halftime against Virginia Tech, the first of five opponents that Babers said would be easier to go against.

“I can look you dead in the eye … and tell you that I took that personally,” Babers said on Monday.

As the Eagles enter one win away from bowl qualification, Syracuse (4-4, 0-4 ACC) looks to avoid falling below .500 for the first time since 2021. Losing to Boston College would also mean 2018 remains the only time Babers has finished with an ACC record above .500 in his eight seasons at the helm.

Here’s everything you need to know about Boston College (5-3, 2-2 ACC).

All-time series

Syracuse leads 34-22.

Last time they played

Syracuse traveled to Chestnut Hill, MA, at the end of last year to cap off a season that began with a 6-0 start and its highest ranking since 2018. But five-straight losses made the Eagles a must-win game in order to salvage a winning season. The Orange started slow, falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter. A BC rushing offense that finished last season near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision was on its way to a 100-yard game.

In the fourth quarter, Garrett Shrader mounted a comeback and, highlighted by an eight-play, 81-yard touchdown drive, the Orange scored on four-straight possessions. After scoring 26 points in the final frame, Syracuse pulled off the comeback in a 32-23 win.

Shrader finished the day throwing 21-for-27 for 285 yards and two touchdowns, while Sean Tucker rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns. The offensive sputtering that took place over the previous five games had finally come to an end.

The Eagles report

Much like SU’s previous opponent, Virginia Tech, Boston College has rattled off consistently good wins after a stunningly slow start to the season. The Eagles opened the season with an overtime loss to Northern Illinois before narrowly escaping Football Championship Series opponent Holy Cross. A sloppy weather game and a banged up Jordan Travis made their game against Florida State much closer than anticipated, but Boston College was blown out 56-28 by Louisville.

Since then, the Eagles have won four straight games, including a three-point win over Virginia and a 15-point victory at Georgia Tech. After run-game struggles last year, BC has the 10th-best rushing offense in the FBS through eight games this season. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos, a University of Central Florida transfer, has galvanized its rushing attack to the tune of 643 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. At the same time, running backs Kye Robichaux and Patrick Garwo are averaging over five yards per carry behind an offensive line that flaunts three upperclassmen.




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Defensively, Boston College has had trouble. The Eagles allow 164.5 rushing yards and 199.8 passing yards per game. Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, who’s in his fourth season as BC’s defensive backs coach, was elevated to co-defensive coordinator by Jeff Hafley before the season. Yet, the Eagles have only given up fewer than 21 points once in 2023. Much like Syracuse, Boston College lacks depth on defense, especially among its linebackers and safeties.

How Syracuse beats Boston College

Start fast. Over the last six games, Syracuse has scored just 14 points in the first quarter and has totaled zero three straight times. For Babers, the rationale for the slow starts has gone from the Orange were facing NFL-level talent, to needing to stop self-inflicted wounds to “everything is on the table.” Syracuse still has a 42.2% third-down completion rate this season, which is tied for 49th in the country. However, blown plays to begin drives and penalties against Virginia Tech led to third-and-long scenarios throughout and SU going 0-for-9 on third downs.

Boston College has the 95th ranked passing offense this season and, with the possibility of Castellanos not at 100% after suffering an injury against UConn, the Orange have to force the Eagles to pass. Shrader said on Tuesday that the offense was trying some new things in practice, including playing out more one-on-one reps of “good on good” to enhance the competition. He also said that Syracuse was trying to work in some new things and get “firebirds” like Umari Hatcher, Donovan Brown and LeQuint Allen Jr. the ball more frequently.

The injury to Hatcher against VT provides another layer of uncertainty for an offense already struggling to find an identity — and proven successful players. If the Orange can’t jump out to an early lead and consistently score, Boston College will chew the clock with its top-rated rushing game and grind through a low-scoring victory.

Stat to know: 31

Boston College averages 31 minutes of time of possession this season, four more minutes per game than Syracuse, which ranks 120th in the country. Only 21 teams in the FBS average more time with the ball than the Eagles. Much of their success controlling possession comes from their run game. Syracuse nearly lost its fourth game of the season against Army, another team that tends to have the ball more than its opponent.

SU struggled against Clemson in its last close game of the season and has seen its defensive success wane as games have gone on. The Orange still have a strong defense and haven’t lost many players to injury thus far, but no defense can remain on the field for as long as they have against North Carolina, Florida State and Virginia Tech without tiring and falling off.

Player to watch: Kye Robichaux, RB, No. 5

Castellanos is BC’s top rusher this season by nearly 200 yards but got injured in last week’s win over UConn. Through seven games this year, Robichaux is averaging five yards per carry with 499 total yards and six touchdowns. The Western Kentucky transfer, who was a Burlsworth Trophy Nominee last season, has helped galvanize the Eagles’ rushing attack. Hafley said Monday that he wants Boston College to be a ground-and-pound program and that Robichaux — along with Castellanos — have provided the exact personnel he wants.

Published on November 1, 2023 at 11:50 pm

Contact Anthony: aalandt@syr.edu | @anthonyalandt