Five Takeaways from Boston College's Win Over Syracuse
Yesterday marked arguably the biggest win on the 2024 schedule for Boston College as the Eagles took down the Syracuse Orange 37-31 on the back of a potent rushing attack and dominant play at the line of scrimmage.
Much can be gleaned from the win, but chiefly among those things is that Boston College now sits at just one win away from bowl eligibility and ensuring a .500 finish on the regular season - a big mark for Bill O'Brien and company in their first season and the helm. Kye Robichaux showed why he's been perceived as the number one on the team when healthy, and that brings up the first point.
1. When Robichaux is Healthy, Boston College is Hard to Beat
Robichaux ended the day with nearly 200 yards on the ground and a pair of scores - good enough to make him the team leader in rushing yards and of course touchdowns. Despite Thomas Castellanos having played some stellar football this season, this weekend's win shows that if Boston College wants to be successful throughout the rest of the regular season, a healthy Kye Robichaux has to be the straw that stirs the drink.
2. Boston College Simply Doesn't Have to Pass
Sure, it helps to be able to sling it around the yard, but if you're Boston College, it's simply not as necessary as it is for some teams. Thomas Castellanos exited the game following the opening drive of the second half, and BC never looked back. James did toss a touchdown in the win, and his 5/6 completion rate was good enough to allow BC to hold on to the lead.
3. The Second Half Defense Still Needs Work
Syracuse has one of the more impressive offensive units in the country, but Boston College did still allow 17 second half points in the game. Kyle McCord went 31-48 for 392 yards and two scores, so he did get to slice and dice the Eagle secondary for most of the affair. Any game in which two receivers have over 100 yards catching needs to be a point of improvement, win, lose or draw.
4. Donovan Ezeiruaku Continues to be Dominant
Ezeiruaku finished the game tied for the team-high in sacks, again, with two. Plainly put, he's a grown man amongst boys at times, and that showed again on Saturday. Not only did the star edge rusher get to the Syracuse quarterback twice, but he also added a pass deflection to the stat sheet - a full day at the office for one of BC's NFL hopefuls.
5. Thomas Castellanos can Still Add Another Element to This Team, but He Needs to Play Better
Castellanos made his way to the medical tent following the opening drive of the second half on Saturday. His future is still unclear, as more information will more than likely be made available in the coming days. When it comes to Castellanos, it's been the definition of Jekyll and Hyde this season. The veteran signal caller has had games in which he looked like the best player on the field, but those games have typically been followed by some real stinkers.
One thing is for certain if Castellanos continues in his starting role with the team - he has to be more consistent. He's been bitten by the turnover bug this season time and time again, and with postseason eligibility and the validation of the first year of the Bill O'Brien era at stake, the Eagles need more out of their star quarterback sooner rather than later, assuming he's healthy come next week.
