2025 Boston College Football Early Opponent Preview, Week 14: Syracuse

The Eagles hit the road for their regular season finale this year against the Syracuse Orange.

Nov 9, 2024; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Grayson James (14) throws against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Boston College Eagles football team wraps up its challenging 2025 campaign on the road as it heads to Syracuse, N.Y., to take on the Syracuse Orange. 

The contest marks the 12th consecutive game between the two programs with Boston College winning the last one 37-31 at Alumni Stadium in 2024. 

Let’s take a look at the matchup. 

Offense

Syracuse’s offense will look a lot different this season. The main change is that the team will have a new leader as it lost quarterback Kyle McCord in the draft in April. Last year, McCord went 391-of-592 for 4,779 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 13 games.

That is not the only big loss, however. The Orange also lost its top offensive weapons in running back LeAllen Quint, who amassed 1,021 yards and 16 touchdowns, and wide receiver Jackson Meeks, who signed with the Detroit Lions as a UDFA in May. Meeks led the team in receiving yards (1,021) and tied for the second-most touchdowns (7). The team did retain wide receiver Trebor Pena, however, who had the second-most yards (941) and most touchdowns (9). 

Syracuse did pick up a couple of additions out of the transfer portal to help with the losses. Most notably, the Orange landed wide receiver Johntay Cook II from Washington, quarterback Steve Angeli from Notre Dame, wide receiver Tyshawn Russell from South Carolina, and quarterback Rickie Collins from LSU. 

Defense

Just like the offense, Syracuse also had some big losses on the defensive side of the ball as well. The two most notable were linebacker Justin Barron, who signed an UDFA deal with the Dallas Cowboys, and defensive lineman Fadil Diggs, who was taken in the draft.  

Barron led the team in total tackles (93) as well as solo (48) and assisted (45) tackles while Diggs had the most tackles for loss (14) and sacks (7.5).

The biggest returner to the Orange’s defense is defensive back Deuce Chestnut, who tallied 62 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and five pass breakups. 

As for newcomers, Syracuse picked up a handful of players via the transfer portal, some of which include cornerback Chris Peal from Georgia, EDGE David Reese from Cal, and former Boston College defensive lineman George Rooks.

Schedule 

Boston College heads into this game well rested as it has a bye in the previous week. As for Syracuse, the team returns home after a two-game road trip. It will have a bye week in between the pair of road games. 

Outlook

Boston College has a good chance to end its season on a positive note and come out of Syracuse with a win. Although the team struggled on the road this season, the amount of Syracuse players that have left has the potential to be very beneficial for BC. On top of that, the Eagles have had success at Syracuse, winning four of the last five contests there.

Boston College at Syracuse: 

Boston College Eagles On SI takes a deep look at each of the Eagles' upcoming opponents this season, including their regular season finale at Syracuse in November.

The Game

Date: Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.

Time: TBD.

TV: TBD.

Location: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.

Series: Syracuse leads the all-time series 33-24.

Last Meeting: The last meeting between these two teams was during the regular season in 2024 on Nov. 9. Boston College defeated Syracuse 37-31 inside Alumni Stadium to snap a three-game skid.

The Team

The Coach: Fran Brown.

Offensive Coordinator: Jeff Nixon.

Defensive Coordinator: Elijah Robinson.

2024 Record: 10-3.

Players to Watch: WR Trebor Pena, DB Duce Chestnut, P Jack Stonehouse, K Jackson Kennedy. 

Top Newcomer: Recruit- S Demetres Samuel Jr.; Transfer- OL TJ Ferguson (Florida State).

The School

Location: Syracuse, N.Y.

Founded: 1870.

Enrollment: 22,698.

Nickname: ‘Cuse, Orange.

Colors: Orange, White, and Blue.

Mascot: Otto the Orange.

The Program

Last Time Beat Boston College: 2022.

Last Time Won ACC: Never.

National Championships: One — 1959.

Playoff Appearances: None.

Conference Championships: Five, all in Big East — 1996; 1997; 1998; 2004; 2012.

Bowl Appearances: 29 — 17-11-1 record.

Last Time Didn’t Play in a Bowl: 2021.

Heisman Trophies: One — Ernie Davis in 1961.

2024 NFL Draft: Four – TE Oronde Gadsden II- No. 165 overall (fifth round) by Los Angeles Chargers, QB Kyle McCord- No 181 overall (sixth round) by Philadelphia Eagles, RB LeAllen Quint- No. 236 overall (seventh round) by Jacksonville Jaguars, EDGE Fadil Diggs- No. 254 overall (seventh round) by New Orleans Saints.

Last 4 Recruiting Class Rankings: 2025 No. 53, 2024 No. 36; 2023 No. 73; 2022 No. 65. 

The Schedule

Aug. 30: vs. Tennessee (Atlanta, Ga.)
Sept. 6: vs. UConn
Sept. 12: vs. Colgate
Sept. 20: at Clemson
Sept. 27: vs. Duke
Oct. 4: at SMU
Oct. 18: vs. Pitt
Oct. 25: at Georgia Tech
Oct. 31: vs. UNC
Nov. 8: at Miami
Nov. 22: at Notre Dame
Nov. 29: vs. Boston College

Check out the other stories in Boston College Eagles On SI's early opponent preview series: Fordham (Week 1), Michigan State (Week 2), Stanford (Week 3), Cal (Week 5), Pitt (Week 6), (Week 7), UConn (Week 8), Louisville (Week 9), Notre Dame (Week 10), SMU (Week 11), and Georgia Tech (Week 12).