Syracuse University
Boston College
Orange Defeats #17/19 Boston College 43-17 For Share of BIG EAST Title
11/27/2004 5:58:26 PM | Football
View the Photo Gallery from SU's Victory
BOSTON, MA -- Syracuse has won a share of the BIG EAST title for the fourth time in the last nine years after defeating #17/19 Boston College, 43-17 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. on Saturday, November 27. Senior Diamond Ferri scored three touchdowns, two on offense and one on defense, to lead the Orange. Ferri, who took over at tailback after Damien Rhodes was injured in the first quarter, rushed for a career-best 141 yards and had six tackles and one interception against the Eagles. Syracuse finishes the regular season with a 6-5 overall record and a 4-2 mark in league play.
Ferri's interception return for a touchdown with 4:28 remaining in the game sealed the Syracuse victory. After Boston College scored to cut SU's lead to 30-17, the Orange was unable to gain a first down on its next possession. The Eagles took over at their own 22-yard line with 5:23 remaining. On a third-and-two play, Ferri intercepted Matt Ryan's pass and returned it 44 yards for his third touchdown of the day. The extra point was blocked and appeared to be returned for a safety, but a personal foul penalty on Boston College negated the score.
On the ensuing kickoff, Thomas Whitfield recovered a Grant Adams' fumble to give Syracuse the ball at the Boston College 12-yard line. Three plays later Perry Patterson ran it into the endzone from five yards with 2:48 to play. Collin Barber coverted the PAT, thfinal point of the game, to give SU a 43-17 lead.
Syracuse never trailed in the game, taking the lead on the first play from scrimmage. Rhodes scored on a 69-yard run, the longest of his career. It marked the second time this season Syracuse has scored a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage (Cincinnati, 2004). Despite playing just one quarter due to a leg injury, Rhodes gained 107 yards, marking the third straight game he has gained 100 yards or more on the ground.
After Syracuse scored on its opening possession, the Orange defense forced Boston College to punt on its first possession of the contest. However, Syracuse gave the ball back on its first play of the drive when Patterson was intercepted by Ray Henderson, giving BC the ball at the Syracuse 14-yard line. SU held the Eagles to a field goal, cutting Syracuse's lead to 7-3. After neither team scored on its next possession, Ferri capped a five-play, 59-yard scoring drive with a 7-yard touchdown run, his first touchdown since the 2000 season.
Syracuse opened the second quarter with an impressive drive. The Orange gained 68-yards on the drive, all on the ground, in 10 plays taking 4 minutes and 34 seconds off the clock. Ferri, who rushed for 31 yards on the drive, scored on a 4-yard run to give a 17-point lead. Barber added a 33-yard field goal to give SU a 24-3 lead. Boston College scored its first touchdown of the day on a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown in the final minute of the half.
Barber scored all of Syracuse's points in the third quarter. He coverted on a 42-yard attempt on SU's first drive of the second half to give the Orange a 27-10 lead. Anthony Smith intercepted Ryan on Boston College's next possession which set up Barber's 35-yard field goal with 3:31 remaining in the quarter.
Syracuse rushed for 309 yards against the league's top-ranked defense against the run. Boston College had been allowing an average of 113.2 yards per game on the ground. It marked the fourth straight game that SU has run for more than 200 yards and the second time this season that two backs have rushed for 100 yards. Overall, the Orange had 397 yards of total offense while giving up just 271. Syracuse scored a season-high 43 points against a defense that had been allowing just 13.6 points per game, the lowest total in the BIG EAST.
Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni improves his coaching record at SU to 107-58-1 and his BIG EAST record to 62-33. He has the most victories of any coach in league history. Pasqualoni has guided the Orange to a share of the BIG EAST title for the fourth time in his tenure as head coach. Syracuse won or shared the conference title in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
