Syracuse football (3-9, 1-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) had a chance to finish strong against Boston College (2-10, 1-7 ACC) on Saturday afternoon. However, the Orange couldn’t adjust coming out of halftime and fell to the Eagles, 34-12. The defeat marks the eighth straight for the 'Cuse, tied for its worst losing streak since 2005.
Both sides were knotted up at six going into halftime. However, BC outscored SU 28-6 in the second half en route to its victory.
Although the Orange couldn’t come away with the victory on Senior Day, head coach Fran Brown is still thankful for his guys despite a tough season.
“I felt like they’ve done a really good job and shown guys so much in so many ways. They didn’t have all the wins that they wanted, but we learned a lot from those guys in losses. We learned a lot from those guys in how to lead and continue to fight day in and day out.”
Freshman walk-on Joseph Filardi started at quarterback for the the 'Cuse, but SU frequently mixed in the wildcat throughout the game to keep Boston College on its toes. Tight end Dan Villari and running back Will Nixon also got involved in taking snaps.
Both teams traded punts on their opening drives. Boston College then got great field position inside Syracuse territory on a tipped punt by Jack Stonehouse. Eagles kicker Luca Lombardo capped off BC’s second drive with a field goal for an early 3-0 lead.
Following the drive, Boston College quarterback Dylan Lonergan headed to the sideline with a thumb injury. The sophomore was replaced by Grayson James who stayed under center for the rest of the contest. The senior completed 66.7% of his passes for 288 yards through the air on the day.
The Orange had an opportunity to respond to begin the second quarter. SU’s rushing attack got going on the ensuing drive, but was stifled in BC territory. Kicker Tripp Woody came on to tie the game with a 49-yard field goal, tying his longest of the season.
The senior later nailed a 29-yard kick through the uprights to give Syracuse a 6-3 lead. Boston College responded with three of its own to tie it at six going into the half.
BC made all the adjustments coming out of the break. On their first drive, three plays was all it took for the Eagles to reach the end zone. Sophomore running back Turbo Richard broke free for a 16-yard touchdown run, his eighth of the year and first end zone score of the day.
.@BCFootball running back Turbo Richard lived up to his name with a burst to the endzone.@RyanRandone had the call for the sophomore's third touchdown in the last two games. pic.twitter.com/x2VRnAKn28
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) November 29, 2025
Boston College also opened up the air raid. Wide receiver Lewis Bond tallied eight catches for a season high 171 yards, including 128 in the third quarter. The senior surpassed 1,000 yards on the campaign and moved up to fifth in school history in receiving yards with 2,385.
Running back Jordan McDonald later tallied a rushing score to propel the Eagles to a 20-6 lead at the end of the third quarter.
It was the same story to begin the final frame. Richard wasn’t done for Boston College. The halfback erupted for a 46-yard rushing score and ended the game with 15 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns on 6.8 yards per carry.
McDonald matched Richard with another touchdown of his own in the quarter. The senior finished the day with five rushes for 28 yards and two touchdowns, recording 5.6 yards per touch.
.@BCFootball running back Turbo Richard continued to run rampant.@GiffMD illustrated the sophomore's game-sealing score. pic.twitter.com/26q0twKNVb
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) November 29, 2025
Syracuse added a touchdown for good measure late in the fourth on a one-yard rush from Villari. Brown was happy for the redshirt senior’s first score of the year.
“I think he exemplifies D.A.R.T. If you ask any player that comes up here today, they’ll say Dan works extremely hard. He does everything right. He’s on time everywhere. If everyone on the team does what Dan does, we will reach our goals. Dan is a great kid. He’s a faith driven kid. He means a lot to me and his teammates,” he said.
The Orange’s loss was their eighth straight. Syracuse ends 2025 with a 3-9 record, the worst for the program since 2020. Brown’s sophomore season finishes in disappointment. Injuries plagued the 'Cuse throughout the year and made it tough to win games.
“Just look at today. Our top receiver going into week four had five touchdowns in four games. He was out. Our top running back was out. We shuffled our offensive line the entire year. We are playing with so many guys all the time. Different guys in and out all year. I feel like we just continued to shuffle all year long,” Brown said.
Nothing went according to plan for the 'Cuse. After starting the season 3-1, starting quarterback Steve Angeli tore his Achilles against Clemson in week four. Syracuse then experimented with a quarterback carousel. The Orange lined up redshirt sophomore Rickie Collins, Filardi, and true freshman Luke Carney under center. SU failed to win a single game.
To make matters worse, Angeli ends the season as Syracuse’s leading passer with 1,317 yards, despite only playing in four games.
Brown and company hope to regroup for a turnaround in 2026. The Orange currently have the 26th ranked recruiting class in the nation according to 247Sports. Time will only tell if Syracuse leaves this year behind them or if its 2025 struggles trickle into next season.
“I’m very motivated. I’m excited. I can’t wait. January 10 is where my eyes are on. All of our commits will report to campus,” Brown said.