After a brutal 36-3 loss to Notre Dame, Syracuse Football looks to bounce back this weekend against Boston College. In the game against the Irish, the high powered offense for the Orange stalled only producing 234 yards. Both Eric Dungey and Tommy Devito played in this game after Dungey left the game with an injury. These two combined for an abysmal 115 passing yards with three interceptions. Cuse plays a familiar rival this weekend in Boston where they lead the all-time series 31-20.
With uncertainty at the quarterback position, Syracuse is going to have to rely on the running game to help whichever signal caller Coach Babers decides to go with. The lead rusher for the team is Moe Neal with 72 yards per game. Neal will be a key player for the Orange to keep a balanced offensive attack. He will have a great opportunity to do just that against Boston College who gives up an average of 143.8 yards per game this season. Another running back that can be a game changer in this game is Dontae Strickland. Strickland is one of this team leading red zone targets. He has the second most rushing touchdowns for Syracuse only behind Eric Dungey. Both these backs should have a major role in this matchup.
On the defensive side of the ball, Andre Cisco will look to continue his phenomenal freshman season. After the interception against Notre Dame, Cisco is tied for the second most interception in the nation with six. Along with his six picks, he has also recorded a forced fumble which means he can produce much-needed turnovers in different ways. This season the pass defense for the Orange has not been a weak point, but this freshman defensive back can help create turnovers against the pass-happy Eagles offense.
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Boston College is coming off a crushing 22-21 loss to a struggling Florida State. This is the team’s second straight loss after losing to Clemson the week before. The once-ranked Eagles are looking to make a statement against No. 20 Syracuse. To be successful in this game, Boston College needs to attack the Orange’s weakness which is their defense. Cuse gives up about 433 yards per game to opposing offenses. The Eagles should take advantage of this by giving the ball to their leading rusher, AJ Dillion. Dillion is having a great sophomore season, already rushing for over 1,000 yards. If he continues to dominate, Syracuse could have trouble stopping him. On the other side of the ball, Boston College has the nation’s leader in interceptions, Hamp Cheevers, who has 7 interceptions. In a game that may feature an inexperienced quarterback for the Orange, turnovers might be the key to winning this game. Last year Boston College won this matchup 42-14. Similar to that game, this game will be determined by who runs the ball more effectively and who can create more turnovers.