Cal's Three Keys to Victory

How can Syracuse beat Boston College on Saturday?

Spread the Wealth

What makes the Orange offense tick is Garrett Shrader and Sean Tucker. The duo make for a fierce rushing attack however against the Eagles, the Orange need to spread the wealth. Boston College is too good and too physical for the Orange to rely strictly on these two players. Inside linebacker Isaiah Graham Mobley for Boston College has a keen eye for the run and a nose for the ball. To make the game harder on him, spread the wealth. Meaning get Courtney Jackson, Anthony Queeley, Sharod Johnson, and Chris Elmore in the game. Take some of the incoming heat off of Tucker and Shrader.

Stop the Run

Against Virginia Tech the Orange struggled to defend the run. Certain packages the Hokies came out in the Orange were not prepared to defend. This Saturday you can expect a more definitive rushing attack out of Boston College. Without the run, Boston College’s offense ceases to exist. Allowing the Eagles to run the ball will only make this game harder for the Orange. Although the Eagles are ranked ninth in the ACC in rushing with 1150 yards, running the ball is their foundation. Running the ball is how the Eagles set up the pass. Expect to see a heavy dose of 12 personnel as the Eagles intend on asserting their physical dominance on the Orange. The linebacker core of Marlowe Wax, Stefon Thompson, Mikel Jones, and Geoff Cantin-Arku will play a big role in stopping the Eagles rushing attack.

Physicality

The game between Boston College and Syracuse will be one of those “oohhs and aahhs” games. Each team has proven to be very physical this season. The Orange defensive line and linebackers fly to the ball and are usually in the backfield for a tackle for loss or bringing down the opposing team's quarterback. The Eagles have the head hunter Isaiah Graham Mobley and ball hawks such as Brandon Sebastian and Josh Dewberry. Sebastian has three interceptions and Dewberry has two interceptions. The matchup between Mobley and Tucker should be an interesting one to watch. The physicality of the game will be set and determined through the run game for each team.