Gouged, ran over, flattened, trampled, ground up. The specific terminology does not matter, but the Boston College run game certainly did. The Eagles (5-4, 2-3 ACC) piled up 313 rushing yards in snapping a three-game losing streak by defeating Syracuse at home, 37-31.
The Orange (6-3, 3-3) simply could not stop BC with any regularity, giving up 6.6 yards per rushing attempt. Kyle Robichaux had 198 yards at 7.1 yards per carry and Jordan McDonald 133 while averaging 8.9 yards per carry for Boston College.
The Eagles’ ground attack was successful early and led to them getting on the board first, converting a LeQuint Allen fumble into a short field and a 34-yard touchdown run three plays later. The extra point was good, giving Boston College a 7-0 lead with 2:43 left on the clock.
The Eagles doubled up that lead six minutes into the second quarter, capping a modest drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to make it a 14-0 game. The Syracuse offense was stuck in the mud to that point, owning 70 total yards of offense, including a net -2 rushing yards, on their first five possessions.
That’s when the Orange got into gear, marching 88 yards for a scoring drive. Kyle McCord connected on 3-of-4 passes for 61 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden II. Jackson Kennedy tacked on the extra point to draw SU within 14-7 shortly after the midpoint of the second.
The Syracuse defense got a quick stop and their offensive mates kept rolling. McCord directed another six-play touchdown drive, this time cashing in when Allen coasted into the end zone around the right side from three yards out. Kennedy’s extra point knotted the game at 14 a side with 2:10 left, which held to the end of the first half.
Coming out of intermission, Justin Barron forced a BC punt with a third down sack and McCord responded by dotting his receivers all the way down the field, then handing it over to Allen for the last two plays, including an untouched four-yard touchdown off the left side. Kennedy’s conversion extended the Orange lead to 21-14 with 8:36 left in the third quarter.
The Eagles needed just a minute to respond, racing down the field on three running plays to tie the game again. That score barely had time to settle on the board before it was changed, as McCord was stripped on a sack and the ball accidentally kicked out the back of the end zone by a Boston College defender. The play resulted in a safety and a 23-21 lead for the Eagles.
That was not enough for BC, as they marched down the field once more, grinding out a 12-play scoring drive for a 30-21 lead with under a minute left in the third. SU responded with a scoring drive capped by McCord putting a slant on Darrell Gill Jr. for a 12-yard touchdown. Kennedy’s kick was good, pulling Syracuse within 30-28 with 11:16 left.
The whole day of bullying the Orange on the ground paid off late for Boston College with a 4th-and-1 play-action touchdown pass to a wide open receiver from 18 yards out. The kick boosted the Eagles’ lead to 37-28 with under seven minutes to play.
Two possessions later, the SU offense bogged down in close and Kennedy connected on a 25-yard field goal to make it a one possession game at 37-31with 1:16 to play. Syracuse recovered the subsequent onside kick, but committed a penalty and had to re-kick, which was not successful
Kyle McCord finished with 392 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 31 completions on 48 attempts. Oronde Gadsden II had eight catches for 102 yards and a score while Jackson Meeks had seven grabs for 105 yards.
Justin Barron led the team with 11 tackles, including two for loss, one of which was a sack. Jayden Bellamy had an interception while Duce Chestnut added a sack.
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