Find The Gas Pedal, It's Syracuse Week

Last season was a magical year for Syracuse football. The preseason last place team in the Atlantic Division transformed into one of college football's most intriguing storylines after racing to a 4-0 start in September, then rebounded from consecutive losses with bounceback wins over North Carolina and NC State. It helped generate momentum, and the team rolled into November with bowl eligibility.

It was the first time Syracuse clinched a postseason game in six years, and it was the earliest qualifying time since the 2010 season in the Big East.

The team completely responded to its head coach, and Dino Babers became the darling name in college football. He made the offense into a lightning-quick machine with an unsurpassed intensity, and the year ended with a 34-18 win over No. 15 West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl. At 10-3 and No. 15 in the nation in year-end polls, it was the best year for Syracuse in 17 years.

It made Syracuse the Cinderella team of the 2018 season and transformed Babers into something of the program's fairy godmother. But if the clock struck midnight with the bowl win in Orlando, the 2019 season has been anything but a perfect fitting glass slipper. At 3-5 entering Saturday's game against Boston College, the Orange are in danger of turning this year into a pumpkin as they continue to hunt for their first conference win of the season in one of their most heated rivalry games.

"Boston College is right there (as a rival)," Babers said. "We had a couple of guys talking about this game as soon as we finished Florida State. This game is different, and it goes right along with our rival. We understand what that means. This is going to be a physical, physical contest. Older guys will need to lead because the younger guys don't know, but it's not their fault that they don't know."

There are a number of reasons for Syracuse's lack of carry over from last year to this season, but a big chunk comes from the team's inability to consistently sustain balanced success. Last year's Orange team physically dictated the flow and pace of many of its games by imposing incredible speed. Its offense shocked opposing defenses onto proverbial roller skates, then used its defense to generate key stops at the right moment. It constituted a performance engine-type motor, and it led directly to the two four-game winning streaks.

Last year saw Syracuse average over 40 points per game, a number that jumped to 46.5 points per game in its conference winning streak that spilled over from the end of October into November. It was a left lane highway cruise control, and the team scored 50 points in five different games, while going over 40 in every victory except for two.

This year's team hasn't quite generated the same type of speedy balance. The Orange shut out Liberty, 24-0, in the season's first game and scored 93 points in two later victories over Western Michigan and Holy Cross, but it stalled considerably in all five of its losses. Saturday's loss to Florida State marked the third time this season that the Orange failed to score 20 points, and it was the second time during the ongoing three-game losing streak.

"(Dick Tomey) was my head coach at Hawaii, and he had a line that I didn't understand as a freshman," Babers said. "As I got older, it started to stick with me. He used to say to 'try less harder.' I think (the players) get out there and want to win so bad and do well so bad that they jump or move or make a mental mistake. They will do it right a thousand times before we take a chance in the game, so we have a lot of confidence that they'll do it right. But then they just blank. So they have to take a deep breath and relax."

It's a reason why Syracuse should be feared despite a precipitous drop in its offensive statistical output. The Orange returned nearly every major piece of its personnel this season with one major exception in quarterback Eric Dungey, but even backup-turned-starter Tommy Devitto saw extended action in seven different games last season.

"I think he throws the ball really well," BC head coach Steve Addazio said of Devitto. "I think he's tough. He's taken a few hits, and he keeps rolling. He's a tough guy. He's pretty athletic. It's that 50-50 ball down the field that they're going to throw. It's a big part of who they are in their offense, and tempo is a part of it. Every game, that thing's going (downfield). It's by design, and they're good at it. They practice that."

Devitto is a wild card for this particular game. He's completed well over 60% of his passes for 1,786 yards, and he's more than doubled his touchdowns-to-interception ratio with 12 scores to just five picks. He torched Maryland earlier this season for 330 yards and three scores then followed it up with back-to-back four-touchdown performances against Western Michigan and Holy Cross. He then tossed for 300 yards and a score against NC State before struggling against both Pittsburgh and Florida State.

But if he's going to be an up-and-down quarterback, there's likely going to be motivation on Saturday in the rivalry game against Boston College because he almost ended up wearing maroon and gold. The four-star recruit ranked 136th on the ESPN 300, and the Don Bosco High School product was part of the Catholic school pipeline known for funneling up to Chestnut Hill. But he chose to attend Syracuse instead, committing to the Orange and becoming a prime example of how these teams intertwine against one another at the deepest of levels.

It's a story that's practically custom-fit for the Boston College-Syracuse rivalry. The Orange offense might not be putting up the same type of "video game numbers" as last year, but the Eagles understand that the available talent is capable of hitting the switch at the right moment. One game offers a redemption story, and it creates a compelling matchup for a BC defense looking to correct its own tale after surrendering a program-record number of yards last week against Clemson.

"I know (Devitto) pretty well," Addazio said. "We were involved with him here. I think he's a heck of a football player. He's probably taken an inordinate amount of shots, but to his credit, he's right in there. With the combination of their receivers and his ability to throw the ball, they can get it downfield on you."

BC and Syracuse will kick off at noon from the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. The game will be televised on the ACC Network and can also be seen on line via WatchESPN.com, though it will only be available to subscribers with access to the network. For a full list of available cable providers, visit www.getaccn.com.

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