Get to know the Boston College Eagles: Syracuse football’s week-14 opponent this season

For Syracuse, no football season would be complete without a date with the Boston College Eagles. While not the biggest of rivals, these two Northeastern schools have a lot in common. Plus, there have been plenty of memorable games between them over the years, so there is reason to believe the rivalry can get stronger. In 2025, Syracuse and BC will close out the regular season against one another in what could potentially be a must-win game for one or both of them. Let’s get to know the 2025 Eagles a little better.

Boston College’s head coach: Bill O’Brien

Most football fans should be familiar with O’Brien, especially those in the Northeast. The Boston native played college football at Brown, which is where he got his first coaching job. O’Brien also had stops at Georgia Tech, Maryland, and Duke (foreshadowing a future in the ACC) before joining Bill Belichick’s staff with the New England Patriots in 2007.

Over the next five seasons, O’Brien held four different positions on New England’s staff, ultimately becoming the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2011 when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the Giants for the second time in five years. O’Brien got his first head-coaching job at Penn State in 2012. But after just two seasons, he left Happy Valley for the Houston Texans. In six seasons, O’Brien won the AFC South four times, only to be fired after a 0-4 start in 2020.

O’Brien landed on his feet, serving as the Alabama offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022. After two years with Nick Saban, O’Brien returned to New England, serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in a 4-13 campaign that ended up being Belichick’s last. After briefly taking the same job at Ohio State, O’Brien was named Boston College’s head coach when Jeff Hafley left to become the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. O’Brien exceeded most expectations in his first season at BC last year, leading the Eagles to a 7-6 record despite losing the Pinstripe Bowl to Nebraska.

Last meeting with Syracuse: Boston College 37, Syracuse 31 (2024)

This loss hurt a whole lot. Syracuse overcame an early 14-0 deficit to take a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter. But a pair of BC touchdowns sandwiched around a safety gave the Eagles the lead for good. The Orange offense kept coming, but the defense failed to get a stop on a key fourth down, conceding a touchdown on the play instead. Also, the refs controversially took away a late onside kick recovery by Syracuse, taking away any hope of a late-game miracle comeback.

Series history

The first Syracuse-BC game was all the way back in 1924, a 10-0 Orange win. Outside of the period immediately after Boston College left the Big East for the ACC, several years before Syracuse and Pitt did the same, the Orange and Eagles have met almost every year since the 1960s. The rivalry has ebbed and flowed over the years and has been rather even lately. The Orange and Eagles have met in 12 consecutive seasons, winning six games apiece during that stretch. However, Syracuse owns the all-time series 33-24.

Boston College’s 2024 season

Bill O’Brien’s first season with the Eagles opened with a stunning 28-13 win over Florida State, although that win was less stunning in retrospect. To be fair, Boston College also came close to upsetting Missouri on the road. Following close non-conference wins over Michigan State and Western Kentucky, the Eagles started the season 4-1.

Of course, that was followed by a three-game losing streak, which would have been a five-game losing streak if not for the win over Syracuse. Luckily for the Eagles, that win over the Orange opened a 3-1 month of November that also included wins over North Carolina and Pitt. After a 7-5 finish to the regular season, the Eagles went to the Pinstripe Bowl but lost to Nebraska 20-15 to finish 7-6.

Boston College’s key returning players

The Eagles might return their starting quarterback in 2025. Grayson James took over as the starter late in the season, leading the way in those wins over North Carolina and Pitt. He also threw for over 300 yards in BC’s bowl loss to Nebraska. However, Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan is also in the mix. Either one will benefit from the Eagles bringing back their two leading receivers from last season in Lewis Bond and Reed Harris. Meanwhile, Jordan McDonald and Turbo Richard will form a tandem in the backfield. They were BC’s third and fourth leading rushers last year, respectively, although both did get over 50 carries, so there is plenty of experience in the backfield.

Defensively, the 16.5 sacks from second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku leave a big hole to fill. While BC has a veteran-laden defense line, only Quintayvious Hutchins and Owen Stoudmire played meaningful roles last season. Daveon Crouch, who finished third on the team in tackles last season, returns at linebacker, with fellow senior Owen McGowan stepping into a larger role. In the secondary, there is no shortage of experience at cornerback with Amari Jackson, Max Tucker, Ashton McShane, and Cameron Martinez. Jackson missed most of last season with an injury but has a chance to be the star of the BC secondary. Also, KP Price and Carter Davis project as one of the top safety tandems in the ACC.

Boston College’s notable additions

The Eagles didn’t do a lot in the transfer portal compared to some other teams. As mentioned, Lonergan comes from Alabama, giving Boston College another option at quarterback. His former Crimson Tide teammate Ty Lockwood should also see time at tight end. Princeton transfer Tommy Matheson will help to fill one of the empty spots on the defensive line. Other than that, most of Boston College’s incoming transfers aren’t projected to make the two-deep heading into the season.

Boston College’s 2025 season outlook

The Eagles are obviously hoping to take steps forward after winning seven games last year. Of course, there is still a question at quarterback between two relatively inexperienced options, not to mention some questions along the offensive line, which is typically one of BC’s biggest strengths. Defensively, the Eagles have a strong foundation in the secondary, although getting pushed around up front could be a concern.

Schedule-wise, Boston College needs to get off to a fast start. The Eagles have an early road challenge against Michigan State that could define their season. September games with Stanford and Cal are also must-win games for the Eagles. They have home games with Clemson, Notre Dame, SMU, and Georgia Tech, which will all be huge challenges. ACC road games against Pitt, Louisville, and Syracuse also present obvious challenges. Six wins and a bowl game are within reach for the Eagles, but are by no means a lock. But given their schedule, it’s hard to envision Boston College going much beyond six wins this year.

When and where Boston College plays Syracuse in 2025

Syracuse will host Boston College at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, November 29, which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Prediction: Syracuse 34, Boston College 17

Believe it or not, the Eagles have won four of their last five trips to the Dome. That stat is both surprising and unacceptable. In this year’s meeting, there is a decent chance both teams will be playing with their bowl hopes on the line. After last year’s loss, head coach Fran Brown will know what buttons to push to have his team motivated and get the better of O’Brien. That should lead to a comfortable Syracuse win in what could be a must-win game to close out a perfect home record in 2025.