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Dino Babers remembers Kingsley Jonathan coming into his office at the end of last season. Jonathan had started all 11 games for Syracuse but was deciding whether or not he wanted to come back for a fifth year. Babers said even after Jonathan left the office, the Baltimore native was still unsure of what he would do and had to talk to several other people before making his decision. 

“You’re not quite sure, but I’m telling you right now, it’s going to be the best thing for you,” Babers said to Jonathan. “It’s not even going to be close.”

After deciding to come back, Jonathan appeared in Syracuse’s first eight games but only recorded 1.5 sacks and eight total tackles. Instead, Cody Roscoe became the Orange’s top defensive lineman and entered Saturday’s game against Boston College leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in sacks.

Then, the Eagles came to the Carrier Dome. Roscoe said before the game that BC was an “old school” team that ran the ball “down your throat.” Its main rusher, Pat Garwo III, ranked fourth in the ACC in rushing yards per game, averaging over 6 yards per rush. But Boston College’s quarterback, Dennis Grosel, has been inconsistent all season throwing the ball. So Jonathan and Roscoe responded with one of their best performances of the year, totaling 3.5 sacks and 10 total tackles, and led an Orange defense that held BC to six points in a 15-point win. Jonathan’s three sacks were a career high, too.

“They were determined,” Babers said. “These weren’t like freshmen or sophomores on the D-line, these were some guys that have been here a while … and I think they just wanted to make sure that not only that they shut down the run against BC, but that they came out with a win.”

Against Virginia Tech, Syracuse allowed 36 points and over 400 yards against an offense that is one of the worst, statistically, in the ACC. The Hokies ran for 260 yards, averaging over 5 yards per carry, and had three touchdown runs. Roscoe said the struggles last week were a mix of not being physical enough and missing assignments.

Then, SU had to fix the mistakes from last week and prepare for a Boston College team that is known for emphasizing the run game over the pass game. 

“We don’t look back,” Jonathan said. “Every week, going into a new game, we prepare differently depending on what the other team is doing so the same preparation we do for each game is the same attitude. We attack the game, try not to look back.” 

While Syracuse’s offense struggled throughout the game on Saturday — held scoreless until the third quarter — the Orange’s defense kept them in the game. Garwo ran for 84 yards on 17 carries, but his longest run of the day went for just 9 yards. SU’s front six kept Garwo in front of them and never got beat horizontally.

When Boston College elected to throw the ball, Grosel and his backup, Emmett Morehead — who threw the ball 15 times off the bench — rarely had enough time to make multiple reads. Neither quarterback threw for more than 100 yards, and Morehead had a completion percentage under 50%. Jonathan said he emphasized rushing the passer hard so the Syracuse secondary didn’t have to stay in coverage too long. 

“The entire defense, we’ve been doing our jobs, we’ve been doing everything we’re supposed to do,” Jonathan said. “And if we go just 1-11, everyone’s gonna have a good game.”

On a first-and-10 play late in the second quarter, BC had the ball at its own 47. Morehead dropped back to throw but was quickly met by both Roscoe and Jonathan off the edges for a loss of 10 yards. Two plays later, Morehead handed off to running back Travis Levy, who was quickly swarmed by several SU defenders, forcing a punt. 

Roscoe has excelled in his second season at Syracuse, becoming one of the most effective pass rushers in the ACC after transferring from McNeese State, a Football Championship Subdivision team. He was named a midseason All-American last week and continued his success against Boston College. Roscoe’s success off the edge has helped Jonathan, especially on Saturday, the latter said. 

After Syracuse gained momentum in the third quarter following long rushing touchdowns from Sean Tucker and Garrett Shrader, Jonathan and the Orange’s defense trotted out trying to force a third-and-out. On a second-and-10, SU only rushed three defensive linemen, but Jonathan fought his way toward Morehead off the edge and picked up the sack, costing the Eagles 7 yards. On the next play, Garrett Williams batted down a pass, forcing the punt that was returned for 64 yards by Courtney Jackson for a touchdown.

“(The) defense did a great job today getting stops and not just letting up a touchdown all night,” Shrader said. “We were only one play away, and that really carried momentum.”

The six points Boston College scored were the fewest Syracuse has allowed all season, and the five sacks were the third-most. Now, Jonathan is one win away from playing in a bowl game for the first time in three years, and finishing his final year at SU that, after last season, he was unsure if he even wanted to take. 

“It’s definitely big to give the guys that came back an opportunity to go to a bowl game,” Jonathan said. “All the work put in the offseason, in spring ball, it’s going to come to fruition if we’re able to go to a bowl game and show what we got.”

Published on October 30, 2021 at 9:45 pm

Contact Connor: [email protected] | @csmith17_