Syracuse football: Orange slip away late, lose 17-10 in sluggish bout with Boston College

Syracuse Orange football game ends in frustration with multiple injuries and a fifth-straight loss, raising questions about coach Dino Babers' future.

The Syracuse Orange football game of the 2023 season was undeniably the most frustrating one yet. The frustration began with the unexpected absence of Garrett Shrader, which led to Carlos Del Rio-Wilson taking the starting position. And it ended with Del Rio-Wilson sustaining a painful right leg injury, but still throwing a fourth interception that sealed SU's fifth consecutive loss.

Dino Babers, the head coach of the Syracuse Orange, must be hanging by a thread after yet another disappointment. Setting aside Shrader's situation, which we will delve into later, Del Rio-Wilson's performance was abysmal. He completed only 7 out of 17 passes for 34 yards and threw four interceptions. Despite his struggles and evident injury, Del Rio-Wilson was sent back onto the field with 2:18 remaining in the game, only to throw another interception.

Losing two more offensive linemen, Jakob Bradford and Chris Bleich, further compounded the challenges faced by Del Rio-Wilson. However, a significant portion of the blame still rests on the shoulders of the sophomore quarterback.

The game initially showed promise. Boston College's first series gained 11 yards and a first down, but the Syracuse defense managed to force a punt after Justin Barron and Anwar Sparrow came close to intercepting passes on consecutive plays.

Unfortunately, SU's first drive was derailed early when Del Rio-Wilson threw his first interception. Boston College capitalized on the turnover and scored three points thanks to the accurate arm of Thomas Castellanos, who completed passes to Lewis Bond, Dino Tomlin, and Jaden Williams.

Despite the setback, the Syracuse defense held strong and prevented Boston College from scoring a touchdown on a goal-to-go situation, forcing them to settle for a field goal.

The following Orange drive was quite impressive. LeQuint Allen broke free on the outside for a 32-yard gain, taking the ball from SU's own 35-yard line to the opposite side. Del Rio-Wilson then showcased his best play of the night with a 27-yard rushing touchdown.

Boston College managed to score a two-yard touchdown pass to Owen McGowan just before the end of the first half. The game then saw a series of punts and stalled drives from both teams until Syracuse tied the game with a 36-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

The defense did their part for the most part, spending nearly 43 minutes on the field and forcing two fumbles in the narrow loss. While the dropped interceptions were undoubtedly frustrating, they were not the sole reason for Syracuse's defeat. The team fought tooth and nail until they ultimately failed to stop Boston College's final push.

It was fitting that the game ended with a drive to the left by Thomas Castellanos. Needing eight yards to reach the endzone, Castellanos skillfully evaded Gregory Delaine's outstretched arms and stayed just inside the pylon. This moment was truly disheartening for the fans in attendance and the countless others watching on ESPN2.

With an 0-5 record in ACC play this season and an overall record of 19-44 during Dino Babers' tenure at Syracuse, one question lingers: Is Babers truly the right person to lead this program forward? This is a question that John Wildhack and the rest of SU Athletics will have to contemplate and address to their donors in next week's game at Yankee Stadium.

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