Boston College Athletics
Boston College
7-5 , 4-4
Syracuse
3-9 , 1-7
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Boston College | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Football Ends Regular Season with Win over Syracuse
November 29, 2014 | Football
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Chestnut Hill, Mass. - The Boston College football team earned a 28-7 victory Syracuse on Saturday afternoon in Alumni Stadium. In the 48th meeting between the two squads, the Eagles (7-5, 4-4 ACC) outscored the Orange (3-9, 1-7 ACC), 21-0, in the final three quarters to tally the first conference win over the Northeast rival on senior day.
With the victory, 2014 marks the second consecutive seven-win season and second year in a row BC went 4-4 in the conference under second-year head coach Steve Addazio. It was also the first win time the Eagles defeated the Orange at home since 2002.
The Eagles racked up 302 yards of offense while allowing just 128, the lowest total for a BC foe on the season. For the seventh time in 2014, the BC defense did not allow an opponent to rush for more than 100 yards.
Graduate quarterback Tyler Murphy set a new Atlantic Coast Conference record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,079 yards on the season, tallying 20 on the day to surpass Clemson's Woodrow Dantzler who tallied 1,061 in 2001.
Murphy threw for 160 yards on 13-of-17 attempts with a touchdown. He earned Scarminach Memorial award, given to BC's Most Valuable Player. The tradition was started in 1982 in memory of former BC football player Orrie Scarminach, a Syracuse native, who was killed in an automobile accident.
With 12 carries on the day, freshman running back Jon Hilliman broke the BC freshman record for attempts with 185 on the season. Montel Harris held the record since 2008 when he carried the ball 179 times for 920 yards, which is still the rookie record.
Sophomore Myles Willis opened the game with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead. It was his second kickoff return for a TD has he ran back one 98 yards in New Mexico State in his freshman year campaign. With the run, Willis moved into fourth place on BC's all-time list for kickoff return yardage. He has 1,455 in his career.
Syracuse evened the score with just under two minutes to play in the first quarter after the Eagles could not produce points on their following three drives. The six-play, 43-yard drive lasted 2:48 and was capped off with a four-yard keeper by quarterback AJ Long.
Long was 7-for-18 on the day for 59 yards and two interceptions.
BC did not allow another score for the rest of the game.
The Eagles pulled back ahead with 1:10 to play in the first half. Murphy hit freshman Sherman Alston with a 26-yard touchdown reception for the second of the freshman's young career and the 11th of Murphy's. The drive, which lasted 1:32 and was four plays for 55 yards, was highlighted by two runs by freshman Marcus Outlow for a combined 19 yards. The BC defense held Syracuse to a three-and-out to end the half.
Syracuse started with the ball in the second half, but junior Mike Strizak picked off Long's pass at the SU 31-yard line to give the Eagles the ball back. It was the first INT of the linebacker's career. On second-and-eight, Murphy rushed 18 yards, setting the new ACC record for rushing yards by a QB. On second-and-goal Hilliman ran seven yards for the score to give BC a 21-7 lead with 12:14 to go in the third quarter.
Sophomore Tyler Rouse put the Eagles up, 28-7, on a career-long 42-yard rushing touchdown with 8:43 left in the game. The Baldwinsville, N.Y., native finished off a nine-play, 80-yard drive with his third TD of the season. He led the BC backs with 61 yards on the day, carrying it nine times.
Senior Sean Duggan capped off Senior Day with his first interception of the season and second in his career with just about three minutes to play in the game.
The Eagles' bowl game will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Team Stats
SU 0, BC 7
BC - Willis,M 95 yd kickoff return (Knoll,M kick)
SU 7, BC 7
SU - Long, AJ 4 yd run (Murphy, C. kick), 6 plays, 43 yards, TOP 2:48
SU 7, BC 14
BC - Alston,S 26 yd pass from Murphy,T (Knoll,M kick) 4 plays, 55 yards, TOP 1:32
SU 7, BC 21
BC - Hilliman,J 7 yd run (Knoll,M kick), 4 plays, 30 yards, TOP 2:00
SU 7, BC 28
BC - Rouse,T 42 yd run (Knoll,M kick), 9 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:08
