Two teams trending in completely different directions will collide this Friday night, as Syracuse football welcomes Boston College to the Hill in an Atlantic Coast Conference clash.
Our beloved Orange (4-4, 0-4 in the ACC) is stuck in an awful four-game losing streak, where it has been collectively outscored, 150-34. Coming off a bye week, the ‘Cuse headed to Blacksburg, Va., last Thursday evening, and Virginia Tech dominated Syracuse football, 38-10.
Frustration among the Orange fan base is perhaps at an all-time high with this Syracuse football program. The ‘Cuse had a bye week to rest and regroup, and while the Hokies have played well of late, losing to a solid, but not great, foe on the road by four touchdowns was disappointing, to say the least.
At this juncture, the Orange is the only ACC group without a league win. To be fair, the ‘Cuse has played three road contests in a row, and before that, it had Clemson at home. Now that Syracuse football is back in the friendly confines of the JMA Wireless Dome, I’m hoping that the Orange will put up a better showing versus the Eagles this coming Friday.
For Boston College (5-3, 2-2 in the ACC), conversely, it has captured four straight triumphs, most recently defeating UConn last weekend at home. The Eagles are playing quite well of late, and the ‘Cuse will have to bring its “A” game if it wants to knock off this long-time rival.
Boston College vs. Syracuse odds, spread and total
When I wrote this article, FanDuel had the Orange as a 3.0-point betting favorite at home versus the Eagles, with the over/under set at 51.5 points.
Boston College vs. Syracuse how to watch
Date: Friday, Nov. 3
Game Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
TV/Streaming: ESPN2 and fuboTV
Boston College’s record: 5-3, 2-2 in the ACC
Syracuse’s record: 4-4, 0-4 in the ACC
Syracuse’s full 2023 schedule: Click here
Boston College vs. Syracuse key players to watch
Here is the week-10 depth chart for the Orange against the Eagles, courtesy of SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister.
From an injury standpoint, star junior receiver Oronde Gadsden II, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman David Wohlabaugh Jr., sophomore defensive lineman Denis Jaquez Jr. and junior tight end Steven Mahar Jr. are out for the remainder of the 2023 campaign due to injuries.
Additionally, per reports, Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers said this week that junior offensive lineman Kalan Ellis is out for the rest of the 2023 stanza and will redshirt. I also did not see junior wide receiver/return specialist Trebor Pena on the week-10 depth chart.
Boston College
Sophomore quarterback Thomas Castellanos
Castellanos is a strong dual-threat quarterback. Through the air this season, he’s completing 58.5 percent of his attempts for 1,549 yards, with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Castellanos does a lot of damage with his legs, as he’s rushed 125 times for 673 yards and nine touchdowns.
Junior running back Kye Robichaux
Robichaux and Castellanos are a formidable duo in the Boston College rushing attack, as each player is in the top five of the ACC in rushing yards per game. For the entire 2023 stanza, Robichaux has carried the ball 99 times for 495 yards and six scores on the ground. He’s also caught nine passes for 86 yards.
Syracuse
Senior quarterback Garrett Shrader
Shrader was average in the setback to Virginia Tech. He just hasn’t been good in recent games. For the entire 2023 season, Shrader is completing 62.4 percent of his passes for 1,508 yards, with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. On the ground, he’s rushed the ball 89 times for 316 yards and six scores.
Sophomore running back LeQuint Allen Jr.
Allen has had a solid 2023 term to date, although in the recent loss at Virginia Tech, he carried the ball 14 times for just 42 yards. At this juncture, he resides at No. 5 within the ACC in rushing yards per affair. He’s carried the ball 120 times for 553 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. As a receiver, Allen has hauled in 25 catches for 170 yards and one score.
Boston College vs. Syracuse prediction and pick
In their all-time series together, per cuse.com, the Orange is 34-22 against the Eagles, and Syracuse football has won two straight versus Boston College.
ESPN’s football power index (“FPI”) presently places the ‘Cuse at No. 49 nationally, giving the Orange an 85.4 percent chance to reach at least six victories in 2023 and qualify for a bowl game for the second consecutive year. On the flip side, Boston College is currently No. 81 in the FPI.
The Eagles’ resume is as follows. Boston College has defeated Holy Cross, Virginia, Army, Georgia Tech and UConn. The Eagles have lost to Northern Illinois in overtime, to top-five Florida State by two points and to Louisville.
I love my boys in Orange, but I don’t have a good feeling about this ACC encounter. For one, the Syracuse football offense is really struggling. The ‘Cuse defense is allowing 399.1 combined yards per contest.
And, by extension, Boston College has a balanced offensive attack that averages 419.4 combined yards per affair. I simply don’t have a lot of confidence in Syracuse football these days. While it’s true that the Orange is playing on the Hill, Boston College is surging, while the ‘Cuse is spiraling.
Reluctantly, I’ll take the Eagles to defeat Syracuse football on the road, 31-24. Naturally, I hope that I’m wrong here.
After the ‘Cuse hosts Boston College, the Orange will play a neutral-site affair against another long-time rival, Pittsburgh, at Yankee Stadium in New York City. This ACC battle will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11, beginning at 3:30 pm with television coverage on the ACC Network.