Orange Turn Page to Rivalry Game With Boston College
11/19/2018 2:00:00 PM | Football
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Sharks versus Jets.
Head coach Dino Babers' allusion to "West Side Story" during his weekly press conference inside the Iocolano-Petty Football Complex Monday morning set the stage for the week of preparation leading up to No. 19 Syracuse's regular-season finale at Boston College (7-4, 4-3 ACC).
The two longtime rivals will clash Saturday, Nov. 24 at Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon on ESPN.
"In the second half of our season, we've got one loss," Babers said. "We have an opportunity to go 5-1 in the back half, and the biggest thing is seeing if we can make that happen. How cool would it be if we could find a way to win a game against our rival at their place and finish second in the ACC Atlantic?"
The history between the Orange (8-3, 5-2 ACC) and the Eagles runs deep. Saturday's matchup is the 52nd meeting between the programs, with the first coming in 1924. Syracuse owns a 31-20 all-time series lead and have won five of the last eight encounters.
Boston College, which has spent much of the season in the Top 25, enters this weekend unranked after back-to-back losses to No. 2 Clemson and Florida State. Despite the recent struggles, Babers expects a physical challenge against the hard-nosed, blue-collar Eagles.
"A fantastic, fantastic football team," Babers said of Boston College. "One of the most physical teams in the conference. They kind of do it the old-fashioned way. It's 1950s, 1960s, 1970s football, and you really don't have a chance to beat them unless you go back into their era and play them the way they want to play."
Running back AJ Dillon, who ran for 193 yards and three touchdowns against Syracuse in 2017, is averaging 116.9 yards per game on the ground this season. It's a figure that tops the ACC by more than 10 yards a contest. Quarterback Anthony Brown has thrown for 1,870 yards and 17 touchdowns. Brown's 141.4 passing efficiency rating is fourth in the ACC.
Defensively, Boston College is tied for third in the nation with 17 interceptions, including an FBS-best seven by defensive back Hamp Cheevers. The Eagles also boast two of the conference's best edge rushers in Wyatt Ray (42 tackles, team-high nine sacks) and Zach Allen (56 tackles, 6.5 sacks).
With the regular season coming to a close and an upcoming bowl appearance on the horizon, Babers said the Orange are not looking ahead. Saturday's game is the most important.
"We're not even thinking about a bowl game," Babers said. "That's how you get knocked out in the fight. This is all about Boston College and Syracuse University. This is the big game. This is not a freebie. This is the game. This is the Sharks and the Jets. You need to decide which side you're going to be on."Â
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
Head coach Dino Babers' allusion to "West Side Story" during his weekly press conference inside the Iocolano-Petty Football Complex Monday morning set the stage for the week of preparation leading up to No. 19 Syracuse's regular-season finale at Boston College (7-4, 4-3 ACC).
The two longtime rivals will clash Saturday, Nov. 24 at Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon on ESPN.
"In the second half of our season, we've got one loss," Babers said. "We have an opportunity to go 5-1 in the back half, and the biggest thing is seeing if we can make that happen. How cool would it be if we could find a way to win a game against our rival at their place and finish second in the ACC Atlantic?"
The history between the Orange (8-3, 5-2 ACC) and the Eagles runs deep. Saturday's matchup is the 52nd meeting between the programs, with the first coming in 1924. Syracuse owns a 31-20 all-time series lead and have won five of the last eight encounters.
Boston College, which has spent much of the season in the Top 25, enters this weekend unranked after back-to-back losses to No. 2 Clemson and Florida State. Despite the recent struggles, Babers expects a physical challenge against the hard-nosed, blue-collar Eagles.
"A fantastic, fantastic football team," Babers said of Boston College. "One of the most physical teams in the conference. They kind of do it the old-fashioned way. It's 1950s, 1960s, 1970s football, and you really don't have a chance to beat them unless you go back into their era and play them the way they want to play."
Running back AJ Dillon, who ran for 193 yards and three touchdowns against Syracuse in 2017, is averaging 116.9 yards per game on the ground this season. It's a figure that tops the ACC by more than 10 yards a contest. Quarterback Anthony Brown has thrown for 1,870 yards and 17 touchdowns. Brown's 141.4 passing efficiency rating is fourth in the ACC.
Defensively, Boston College is tied for third in the nation with 17 interceptions, including an FBS-best seven by defensive back Hamp Cheevers. The Eagles also boast two of the conference's best edge rushers in Wyatt Ray (42 tackles, team-high nine sacks) and Zach Allen (56 tackles, 6.5 sacks).
With the regular season coming to a close and an upcoming bowl appearance on the horizon, Babers said the Orange are not looking ahead. Saturday's game is the most important.
"We're not even thinking about a bowl game," Babers said. "That's how you get knocked out in the fight. This is all about Boston College and Syracuse University. This is the big game. This is not a freebie. This is the game. This is the Sharks and the Jets. You need to decide which side you're going to be on."Â
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
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