After playing its best quarter in a month, Syracuse (3-6, 0-5 Atlantic Coast) imploded in the second quarter against Boston College (5-4, 3-3), allowing 34 points. In the 58-27 loss, SU surrendered a school record 496 rushing yards. 

The Orange failed to stop big plays in that second quarter, wasting a hot start and more likely than not nixing its best hopes of making a bowl game. 

Big plays, big problems

In the second quarter of the blowout — a frame Syracuse entered with a seven-point lead — Boston College eviscerated the Orange with four touchdowns of 50-plus yards and countless chunk plays. 

It started on the first play of the quarter. Syracuse’s defensive backs keyed heavily on the run all first quarter, swarming the tackle box to not give BC’s power backs, namely AJ Dillon and David Bailey, room to run. The Eagles exploited this as Dennis Grosel pulled the ball from his halfbacks gut and found wide-open Kobay White — who’d sprinted past safety Evan Foster, who was playing the run — for a 64-yard touchdown. Five minutes later, the exact same thing happened: An SU defensive back crashed on the run and this time it was Zay Flowers with a long touchdown. 

Boston College’s next two scores were runs of 51 and 74 yards by Dillon and Bailey, respectively. Dillon hit the cutback lane on a trap and rumbled down the left side away from Trill Williams. Bailey went untouched on the first play of a drive, patiently navigating the hole before using a burst to get a step. 

The Eagles tacked on a fifth touchdown in the dying seconds of the first half. That, along with 24 points and 239 yards on four plays buried Syracuse — it was 44-20 at halftime — before the game was even half over.

Wasted opportunity

Prior to utterly melting down in the second quarter, Syracuse went blow-for-blow with Boston College, even seeming to be in control of the game for portions. 

The Eagles started with the ball and in 11 plays had marched deep into Syracuse territory, mostly via Dillon’s legs. But SU’s defense held on a third down and the Eagles opted to kick a field goal. In response, an SU offense that has struggled to produce anything against Power 5 competition marched down the field and scored a touchdown — it was Syracuse’s first lead change of the season.

When Boston College came back and took a 10-7 lead, SU tied it with a field goal off a turnover. On the next BC possession, the Orange turned the Eagles over on the first play. The defense, holding up its end of the bargain, watched the offense finally do its part when it had to, as three plays later Tommy DeVito found Trishton Jackson in the endzone for a go-ahead score. For a team averaging 15.7 points per game over its last three contests, the first quarter went as well as anyone could have hoped for Syracuse.

Then the clock ran out and Grosel hit White for 64 yards on the first play of the second, beginning the onslaught. 

Bye bye, bowl game?

With the loss, Syracuse is not mathematically eliminated from bowl contention. But, Syracuse would need to win three straight games to end the season just to get the necessary six wins to guarantee a bowl bid.

With road games at Duke and Louisville and senior night against No. 23 Wake Forest, it’s foolish to think a team without a conference or Power 5 win will suddenly figure out how to win back-to-back-to-back games.

Syracuse wasn’t expected to repeat its historic 2018 season, but against a light schedule with a promising young quarterback, experienced defense and top-notch special teams, it seemed likely that SU would maneuver its way to six victories. 

Now, it has one path to a bowl game: Win out.

Published on November 2, 2019 at 3:21 pm

Contact Andrew: aegraham@syr.edu | @A_E_Graham