Syracuse Football: Boston College runs all over the Orange in disappointing road loss

Syracuse football battled long-time rival Boston College on the road, and both teams had fairly one-dimensional offenses on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

The Eagles tallied a ton of yards on the ground, while the Orange produced nearly 400 yards through the air. In the end, though, Boston College moved one win closer to bowl eligibility when the Eagles snuck by the 'Cuse, 37-31.

With this setback, Syracuse football is all but eliminated from potentially reaching the ACC championship game, which takes place in early December in Charlotte, N.C. The Orange (6-3, 3-3 in the ACC) has clinched a post-season bowl for the third straight year, but if I'm being honest, Saturday was a disappointing outcome for Syracuse football.

Boston College (5-4, 2-3 in the ACC) had entered this Atlantic Coast Conference clash having fallen in three consecutive contests, but the Eagles dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the field.

What's more, as has been the case in other encounters during the 2024 regular season, the Orange started out slow against Boston College on Saturday, falling behind 14-0 in the first half.

Syracuse football did make it a game at Boston College.

The 'Cuse would score the next 21 points to take a 21-14 lead over the Eagles in the third quarter. Boston College would tie the game at 21. Then, in one of the defining moments of this contest, Syracuse football senior quarterback Kyle McCord was sacked, fumbled, and the ball rolled into and through the end zone for a safety.

That moved the score to 23-21 in favor of the Eagles, and Boston College would then add a touchdown to boost its advantage to 30-21. In the fourth quarter, the Orange would outscore the Eagles, 10-7, but Boston College would ultimately prevail, 37-31.

The 'Cuse out-gained the Eagles in total yardage, 431-378. McCord, by and large, was solid, throwing for 392 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. But Syracuse football only rushed for a net of 39 yards, which isn't good.

On the flip side, Boston College only had 65 passing yards, and its starting quarterback, junior Thomas Castellanos, was injured early in the second half. But the Eagles' offensive line pushed the Orange around, resulting in 313 rushing yards, and better than six yards per carry.

Additionally, the Boston College defense did a great job of pressuring McCord and giving the Syracuse football offensive line a tough time. In total, the Eagles boasted four sacks, four quarterback hurries, and five tackles for a loss.

First-year head coach Fran Brown and his staff also will not be happy that their roster committed a whopping 10 penalties for 91 yards. I love my alma mater, but that's undisciplined football.

Up next for the Orange is another road game, and on the west coast this go-round. Syracuse football will travel to California on Saturday, Nov. 16, with the kick-off scheduled for 3 pm EST and television coverage on The CW Network.