With the season at a tipping point and in danger of collapsing again, the Boston College football team broke through with conviction.

After seeing double-digit leads disappear in losses to Virginia and Louisville, the Eagles saw a 14-point lead over Syracuse turn into a 7-point deficit on Saturday. This time, BC responded by playing inspired football late to secure a 37-31 win at Alumni Stadium.

Backup quarterback Grayson James entered with BC trailing by 7 early in the third when starter Thomas Castellanos limped off with an apparent leg injury. James led three scoring drives as the Eagles (5-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) continued to lean heavily on their offensive line to tire the Dutch (6-3, 3-3).

Kye Robichaux (28 carries, 198 yards, 2 TDs) and Jordan McDonald (15 carries, 133 yards, 1 TD) led the way as the Eagles collected 313 rushing yards.

James found a wide-open Jeremiah Franklin for an 18-yard strike on a fourth-and-1 play-action pass with 6:51 left to push the margin to 9. Jackson Kennedy cut it to 6 with a 25-yard field goal with 1:16 to go, Jayden McGowan recovered the onside kick to seal it.

BC’s game plan was no secret. The Eagles started with eight straight rushes before a promising drive resulted in a missed 29-yard field goal. BC’s defense neutralized Syracuse’s passing attack early, then Daveon Crouch forced a fumble and Quintayvious Hutchins recovered it to give the Eagles excellent field position.

Robichaux capitalized, bounced outside and scored from 34 yards out, putting BC ahead 7-0 with 2:43 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles took that lead in the second, and a Donovan Ezeiruaku sack paved the way for a 9-yard touchdown pass from Castellanos to Lewis Bond with 8:55 remaining in the half. The completion was Castellanos’ first of the match and one of only two in the half.

BC’s offense became predictable as the half progressed. Meanwhile, Syracuse found a rhythm and coupled it with a 17-yard reception from Oronde Gadsden II and a 3-yard rush from LeQuint Allen.

Castellanos then threw a pass behind Reed Harris late in the second. After starting the year with promise, Castellanos has deteriorated in recent weeks and things haven’t looked good.

The Eagles and Orange went into halftime tied at 14. BC had a commanding 172-35 lead on the ground, while Syracuse racked up 179 passing yards to BC’s 14. Teams with contrasting styles played to their strengths, and it resulted in a relatively even start. .

McDonald, a transfer from Central Florida who had five carries in the upcoming season, was a bright spot for BC with 105 rushing yards in the half. McDonald made quick, good decisions, showed his cunning and burst out in key spots.

Syracuse jumped ahead, 21-14, with a 3-yard TD run from Allen. On the next BC drive, Castellanos limped away after taking a hit on a pocket.

James came in and Robichaux provided a 41-yard run and a 5-yard touchdown to tie the score just 49 seconds later.

Moments after giving the defense an animated pep talk on the sideline, Ezeiruaku knocked the ball out of quarterback Kyle McCord’s hands. Ezeiruaku tried to corral it, but he kicked it out of bounds for a safety and to give the Eagles a 23-21 lead with 7:33 left in the third. It was BC’s first goal since 2012 against Miami.

McDonald ran in from 13 yards out to give BC a 30-21 lead on three, then Darrell Gill Jr. hauled in a 12-yard TD pass to cut the score to 30-28 with 11:16 remaining.

Then came Franklin’s offense, as the Eagles did enough to save their season.

Trevor Hass can be reached at [email protected].