No. 20 Syracuse beats BC
BOSTON — Syracuse coach Dino Babers was watching Eric Dungey in practice this week when he realized his quarterback didn't look like a guy who had an injury.
“He did something that was really, really natural,” Babers said. “All the hair stood up on my arm because right then I knew we had a chance to win.”
Dungey threw for 362 yards and three touchdowns and ran for three more scores on Saturday, leading No. 20 Syracuse to a 42-21 victory over Boston College.
Dungey, who left last week's game against No. 3 Notre Dame clutching his lower back, is the third player in school history to account for six scores in a game; the first was Hall of Famer Jim Brown. With 32 running and passing touchdowns this year, Dungey also passed Donovan McNabb for the Syracuse singleseason record.
“I knew I was going to play really when I got in the training room,” Dungey said. “There was no way I wasn't going to play my last game.”
After losing its last five games last year, including a 42-14 defeat by BC in the finale, Syracuse was picked to land at the bottom in the Atlantic Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll. Instead, the Orange (9-3, 6-2) finished second to second-ranked Clemson, and will head to their first bowl game since 2013.
“It's crazy to think about,” Dungey said. “We've got another four weeks or something to get ready for the bowl game, trying to get a 10th win. I'm just at a loss for words.”
Boston College (7-5, 4-4) finished with a three-game losing streak after opening the season 7-2 and rising to No. 17 in the AP Top 25 before to losing to Clemson on Nov. 10.
“Early in the season, I would say we were taking the next step,” receiver Michael Walker said. “The last couple of weeks have been tough.”
The Orange finished with nine wins for the first time since 2001 and were second only to Clemson the entire ACC.
The Eagles concluded with a three-game losing streak and — unless they win their bowl game — their fifth seven-win season in six years under coach Steve Addazio.
“A week ago Saturday, we're the 19th team in the country. We had [ESPN's College] Gameday here,” Addazio said. “Why did we have Gameday here? Because we were playing for the conference championship just two weeks ago. We took a big step. We sold this place out — our first sellout in years. A lot of good things have happened.” in NC State wins in OT: NC State kept giving the ball to Reggie Gallaspy II, and he kept carrying it into the end zone. It added up to a historic day for the senior — and yet another victory over the Wolfpack's fiercest rival.
Gallaspy ran 1 yard in overtime for a touchdown, his school-record-tying fifth TD, and North Carolina State beat North Carolina 34-28 in a rivalry game marred by a fight in the end zone after it ended.
N.C. State has won three straight and four of five against the Tar Heels.
“Just having the opportunity just to say you trampled these guys since you've been here, it's just very exciting,” Gallaspy said.
Gallaspy rushed for a career-high 129 yards and scored on runs of 1, 4 and 34 yards before scoring the tying TD from 5 yards out in regulation. Ryan Finley was 16 of 28 for 200 yards for the Wolfpack (8-3, 5-3), who have won two straight.
“I've always said your attitude comes from your run game, and you can throw to score but you run to win,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “It's a DNA thing with your football team.”
Freshman Cade Fortin, whose only snap since Oct. 13 was a last-second heave two weeks ago against Duke, put North Carolina up 28-21 with a 1-yard touchdown run with 9:29 left. He finished 19 of 40 for 276 yards with a 37-yard touchdown pass to Beau Corrales, Javonte Williams had an 8-yard TD run and Freeman Jones kicked two field goals for the Tar Heels (2-9, 1-7).