Boston College defeated Syracuse 16-7 at the Carrier Dome. Although the Orange won road games on the road in the Big East, Syracuse also struggled at home, failing to defeat any Football Bowl Subdivision teams at the Dome.
Theme of the game: Syracuse once again struggled on offense, mustering just seven points on 238 yards of total offense. Syracuse also struggled converting on third down, going just 2-for-9 on those opportunities. The Orange defense was solid, giving up 316 yards in return, but wore down in the fourth quarter, mostly because the Eagles dominated the play clock (36:29 to 22:51).
Key Drive: Syracuse was down just 13-7 heading into the fourth quarter. But the Eagles went on a 16 play, 63 yard drive spanning 8:21 that culminated in a field goal to give the Eagles a 16-7 lead, and put the game out of reach. Four separate times on the drive, the Orange had Boston College in a third down situation and the Eagles managed to convert.
Game ball goes to: Andre Williams, Boston College. Pressed into duty with an injury to Eagles starting tailback Montel Harris (torn left lateral meniscus), Williams, just a freshmen, punished Syracuse to the tune of 185 yards and a touchdown on 42 carries.
Goat of the game: Syracuse’s offense. Antwon Bailey’s five-yard run gave Syracuse its first touchdown in six quarters at the Carrier Dome. They did not sniff the red zone for the rest of the game.
Quote to note: “Early on we started running the ball well but then we miss a play. What has gone on offensively, it is frustrating because the players understand what to do, we go ahead and execute in practice but we haven’t had it carry over on the football field. That is the normal progression of how you build, you get it done in the classroom, you go out on the practice field and practice it, you execute on the practice field and then it carries over onto the field. We haven’t had that transition yet with our offense.” – Syracuse coach Doug Marrone
Next up: Syracuse is going bowling with seven wins, but the Orange head in losers of three of their last four games and have little momentum.
