BOSTON – When Syracuse took the field Saturday against Boston College, it had a lot to play for: a share of the Big East title, a bowl berth, possibly a Bowl Championship Series berth and bragging rights over the Eagles, who will depart the Big East next season.

Certainly not least in everyone’s mind, though, was how head coach Paul Pasqualoni would end his tenure at Syracuse. With longtime friend and boss, Director of Athletics Jake Crouthamel, retiring in June, a 6-5 record probably won’t save Pasqualoni after 13 years at SU.

His players, loyal to the end, soundly defeated BC, 43-17, in front of 44,500 on Saturday at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass., ending SU’s 10-game losing streak on the road. The Orange running game, minus star Walter Reyes, overwhelmed the Eagles and chewed up time, never giving the Eagles a chance to capture its first Big East Championship.

‘Considering this gives us a share of the conference championship, I’d say it’s a pretty special win,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘We’ve had some pretty special wins over the years, but this ranks (in the top five).’

Reyes was dressed and on the sideline, but the captain never took the field after the coin toss. He was nursing a sore right shoulder after he tore a muscle on Nov. 13 against at Temple.

Instead, backup Damien Rhodes opened the game with a 69-yard touchdown run, skipping into BC’s end zone untouched for the longest run against the Eagles this season.

‘My line did a great job,’ Rhodes said. ‘(Wide receiver) Jared Jones made a great block on his corner, but to see that hole open on the first play, I was like ‘Is this really happening?’

‘Hopefully, it got our team fired up. It gave everybody a little boost, but I think we had a boost before this game regardless.’

Boston College had chances to creep into the game, but little mistakes imploded any real shot. The penalties started with an illegal block on the ensuing kickoff, backing the Eagles to their own 8-yardline.

After driving to the Syracuse 46, BC punter Ryan Ohliger pinned the Orange inside its own 15. Perry Patterson’s first throw was picked off by Ray Henderson, but the Eagles could only muster a field goal after dropping two passes and failing to move the ball.

Rhodes carried the ball four times in the first quarter for 94 yards and one touchdown. On SU’s third drive, though, he was knocked out with a leg contusion.

‘I just banged up my knee a little bit,’ Rhodes said. ‘I’m all right. It’s just sore right now. It’s nothing major.’

Rhodes returned at the 12 minute mark of the second quarter after the knee was taped up. He would leave the game for good later in the quarter.

Diamond Ferri replaced him. After rushing once last week at Temple for 32 yards, Ferri ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries against BC. Ferri added a touchdown on defense after returning an interception for a touchdown with 4:28 remaining in the fourth quarter.

‘I asked (Ferri) during the week how many plays he thought he could play,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘He said 125 or 126. He was ready to go. I think you saw a kid out there who loves to play football – the true definition of a football player, a player, a warrior, whatever you want to call him.’

For Syracuse, the win gives it a share of the Big East Championship with BC, West Virginia and Pittsburgh. The tie-breaker goes to whichever team has the best head-to-head record among the four.

Because Pittsburgh and Syracuse are both 2-1 against the other two teams, whichever team holds the higher BCS ranking at the end of the season will get the special bowl bid. Pittsburgh has one game left next week against South Florida. At 7-3, it seems, Pittsburgh will secure that bid.

Pasqualoni’s future waits in the balance. Crouthamel is expected to make a recommendation on the future of the football program to Chancellor Nancy Cantor within the next two weeks.

The Orange, though, is just happy to beat the Atlantic Coast Conference-bound Eagles.

‘We got a Big East Championship ring now,’ Rhodes said. ‘I don’t care how we got it. We got one.’

Published on November 28, 2004 at 12:00 pm