Preview: Second Place in ACC Atlantic on the Line at Boston College

#19 SYRACUSE (8-3, 5-2 ACC) VS. BOSTON COLLEGE (7-4, 4-3 ACC)
Game Details: 12 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 24
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass. | Alumni Stadium
Game Links: Tickets | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Television: ESPN
Radio: Syracuse IMG Sports Network
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes (PDF)
Boston College Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes (PDF)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 19 Syracuse (8-3, 5-2 ACC) squares off against longtime rival Boston College (7-4, 4-3 ACC) in the final game of the regular season at noon Saturday, Nov. 24. The matchup of former BIG EAST Conference foes turned ACC rivals will air nationally on ESPN, with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst) and Allison Williams (sideline) on the call.

Syracuse, picked to finish last in the ACC Atlantic during the preseason, can clinch second place in the division with a victory. The Orange saw their four-game winning streak snapped by Notre Dame last time out, but a win would make Syracuse 5-1 over the second half of the 2018 season.

Boston College, meanwhile, lost its second straight game to Florida State last weekend. The Eagles are 5-1 at home heading into Saturday's regular-season finale.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's clash is the 52nd meeting in a series that dates back to 1924. The Orange own a 31-20 advantage against the Eagles and were victorious the last time they visited Alumni Stadium. Quarterback Eric Dungey racked up a career-high 488 yards of total offense to lead Syracuse to a 28-20 victory in 2016.

This is the 13th time that the two Northeast foes will play in Syracuse's regular-season finale and it's happened five of the six season the Orange have spent in the ACC. The teams are 6-6 in those prior 12 contests.

While the Orange have won five of the last eight pairings, the Eagles claimed the most recent series meeting. Boston College emerged with a 42-14 victory in last year's finale at the Carrier Dome.

WHAT'S AT STAKE
Syracuse has already seen a significant turnaround in the win column this season. The Orange have doubled their win total from a season ago, tallying an additional four victories, which is tied for the third-best improvement in the FBS in 2018.

The Orange have an opportunity to grow that number Saturday. A win would raise Syracuse's overall record to 9-3, tying the 2001, 1997, 1992, 1991 and 1988 teams for the most regular-season wins since the 1987 team concluded its regular-season slate with a perfect 11-0 record.

A win would also clinch second in the Atlantic Division with a 6-2 record. The Orange, predicted to finish last on their side of the conference before the year, tied for third place in the division in 2013, their best ACC finish to date.

FRIENDLY FACES
Boston College head coach Steve Addazio was an assistant coach at Syracuse from 1995-98 under head coach Paul Pasqualoni. He was the tight ends coach for two years and the offensive line for two seasons. He is 38-37 as the grid boss at Boston College. Before that he spearheaded the program at Temple. Saturday will be Addazio's 100th game as a head coach.

Addazio has two former Syracuse assistant coaches on his staff. Jim Reid, the defensive line coach at Syracuse in 2004, is the defensive coordinator/defensive ends coach for the Eagles. Brian White, who served two years as offensive coordinator/tight ends coach under Greg Robinson at Syracuse, now mentors the BC running backs.

Former Orange player Reggie Terry is an integral part of the Boston College program as well in his role as assistant athletics director for football operations and player personnel. Terry held a variety of different positions on the Syracuse staff from 1993-2006.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
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.

Running back AJ Dillon is the Eagles' top offensive weapon, rushing for an average of 116.9 yards per game - a figure that tops the ACC by more than 10 yards a contest. Quarterback Anthony Brown, meanwhile, has thrown for 1,870 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. His 141.4 passing efficiency rating is fourth in the conference.

Defensively, Boston College is tied for third in the nation with 17 passes intercepted, including a nation-leading seven by defensive back Hamp Cheevers. The Eagles also boast two of the ACC's best edge rushers in Wyatt Ray and Zach Allen, who have combined for 98 tackles and 15.5 sacks this year.

Eagles return specialist Michael Walker is one the best in college football. He's the NCAA's active career leader in kickoff returns and kickoff return yardage. He is fourth in the ACC in all-purpose yards per game this season (120.9).

UP NEXT
The Orange are bowl eligible for the first time since 2013, snapping a four-year postseason drought. Syracuse will learn its bowl destination on Sunday, Dec. 2.

For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).

Preview: Second Place in ACC Atlantic on the Line at Boston College

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Eric Dungey

Syracuse University Athletics