Game Predictions - Syracuse

Game Predictions – Syracuse

Here are our picks from the WZBC Sports board for Syracuse.

TJ Hartnett: Game of the year for this Boston College squad vs Syracuse. The last three contests over my time at BC have been close so I’m expecting nothing less. Cuse may be 4-7 and struggling recently but its receivers are no joke. With Kam Moore done for the season, Isaac, Taj, and Hamp will need be be lockdown and avoid the deep ball. If Dungey is indeed out, BC’s job gets much easier, but even so, the questionable status of John Lamot worries me. He would be the 4th LB to go down this season for the Eagles. BC would be hurt without his leadership on the field from the majority of this season. On the offensive side, Darius Wade threw for 55 yards total last week, meaning AJ Dillon is going to have to show up once again to lead this team to victory. Utilize Dillon as well as play action with the TE’s to march down the field. Syracuse’s D is nothing special, BC can’t come out slow and fall behind, the hill may be too tough to climb. All in all, if Dungey is out, I’ve got the Eagles finishing 7-5 and heading to NYC for Christmas. If Dungey is playing, things get a bit more testy. Eagles finish strong on behind AJ Dillon and soar into bowl season 7-5. BC 21, Cuse 14

Steve McAlee: I thought Syracuse was going to surprise a lot of people this year, and by handing Clemson its first loss, they have made progress. However, four straight losses and two staright games of allowing well more than 50 points means they’re trending in the wrong direction. QB Eric Dungey is one of the toughest players in the conference and always a threat, but he appears to be out for the game and the momentum is solidly gone on his team’s season. The Eagles find a way to squeak by behind another big day from AJ Dillon. BC 23 – Syracuse 17

Landon Komishane: Last year’s matchup against Syracuse showed BC’s weakness against the hurry-up offense of Dino Babers. Eric Dungey shredded the Eagles for over 400 total yards. However, Dungey’s health is a question mark this time around, so we could see a battle of the backup quarterbacks. Syracuse has nothing left to play for at 4-7, but BC can improve their bowl position with a win. I’d like to see better quarterback play from Darius Wade, but it does not seem like he has Steve Addazio’s confidence yet. I expect AJ Dillon to continue rolling, and he will be a focal point of the offense in this game. BC will win because they still have something to play for. The Carrier Dome has been a house of horros for BC, but they will buck that trend on Saturday. BC 28, Syracuse 21

Matt Seelig: This is seriously one of the tougher game predictions I think I’ve had to make. BC’s offense sans Anthony Brown has yet to be tested by a conference opponent. We got a nice blowout at Fenway last Saturday, but Syracuse is not UConn. Or are they? Syracuse has not been playing well at all. The Orange have seen four straight losses, including a 46 point blowout from Louisville, a 21 point loss to Wake Forest, and a close loss to a struggling Florida State team. The team that upset Clemson appears to have checked out once November came around. That said, Syracuse is at home, and they desperately want for a win. This would be their fifth win, and Syracuse has a pretty good Academic Progress Rate, so a win today would put them in a pretty good spot to get to a bowl. Furthermore, BC is not a great position either. As mentioned previously, Anthony Brown is no longer a weapon of the BC offense, so Darius Wade needs to have a good game. He looked very good at Fenway, with probably his best performance ever with the Eagles, but UConn’s pass defense is the worst in FBS play. Syracuse isn’t great either, with pass defense around the 35th percentile, but they will be a step up for Darius. On top of that, BC’s defense did not look great against UConn. There were holes in the line that were uncharacteristic of the Eagles defense. It is unknown if Harold Landry will appear, but his absence may be partially responsible. If Landry doesn’t play, look for Lukas Denis to make a lot of big stops. Several times during the UConn game Denis was the last line of defense before a Husky breakaway play, and Denis consistently made the stop. There are a lot of unknowns going into the weekend, so this is tough call, but I see BC as a slight favorite. Final score: BC 28 – Syracuse 27

Kyle Maslan: BC 20 – Syracuse 13

Al Preziosi: I’m not confident BC’s passing offense with Darius Wade leading the way, but Syracuse is missing their quarterback as well. Expect a low-scoring game with BC having a bit more to play for giving them the edge. The Eagles will have a solid shot at the Pinstripe Bowl with a victory. BC 17 – Syracuse 13