Desperation Derby: Boston College and Syracuse Meet to End Season-Long Slumps

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The college football season comes to a quiet, frustrated close for both the Boston College Eagles and the Syracuse Orange this Saturday. The Eagles (1-10, 0-7 ACC) travel to upstate New York to face the Orange (3-8, 1-6 ACC) in a rivalry game that pits the two last-place teams in the ACC against each other, with both seeking to snap lengthy losing streaks.

The season has been deeply disappointing for Head Coach Bill O’Brien in his second year at BC, especially after making a bowl game appearance in his debut season. The Eagles enter the contest having lost nine straight games and are still searching for their first victory against an FBS opponent this year. They have had two weeks to prepare, benefiting from a bye following their devastating 36-34 loss to Georgia Tech.

Last-Second Heartbreak for the Eagles

Boston College’s season-long struggles were painfully underscored on Senior Day against the Yellow Jackets. Despite a ferocious 19-point fourth-quarter rally that saw the Eagles briefly take the lead, their defense failed to get the final stop. Georgia Tech racked up 626 yards of total offense, including 371 through the air.

Running back Turbo Richards was a bright spot, rushing for 142 yards and two touchdowns, including a 42-yard score with 4:09 remaining that put BC up 34-33. However, the Yellow Jackets engineered a final drive, culminating in Aidan Bir’s game-winning 23-yard field goal with just 13 seconds left. Offensively, the Eagles also saw big receiving performances from Lewis Bond (106 yards) and Reed Harris (142 yards, 1 TD). Bond’s output made him the all-time receiving yards leader in Eagles history.

On the defensive side, safety KP Price has been one of the team’s most reliable players. He tallied 10 tackles (9 solo) in the last game and ranks best in the ACC, and in the top-15 nationally, by averaging five solo tackles on the season.

Syracuse’s Historical Blowout

The Syracuse Orange arrive home reeling from a humiliating 70-7 loss to Notre Dame, their seventh consecutive defeat. The Irish completely dominated the line of scrimmage, rushing for 344 yards (329 net) and scoring six rushing touchdowns while averaging 13.7 yards per carry.

Despite possessing the ball for a staggering 41:50 of the game, Syracuse could only muster 207 total yards on 80 plays, averaging a paltry 2.6 yards per snap. The Orange were already down 56-0 heading into the fourth quarter, marking one of the worst defensive performances in program history.

Rivalry History

Saturday’s game, set to be the 59th meeting between the two schools, will take place on Senior Day for the Orange. Syracuse leads the all-time series 34-24. While they met 14 times as members of the old Big East Conference, the series has been perfectly split since both teams joined the ACC, with both programs winning six games apiece.

After a season of historic lows for both teams, Saturday’s contest represents a final opportunity for either Boston College to secure a win against an FBS opponent or for the Orange to end their long losing streak and gain momentum heading into the offseason.