Boston College Athletics
Photo by: Anthony Garro
Week 4 Notes: The Pitt Game
October 05, 2020 | Football
BC's third straight home game on the Heights is this Saturday at 4 p.m. on ACC Network against long-time rival Pittsburgh.
Two old Eastern rivals meet for the second straight season as Boston College hosts Pitt Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast nationally on ACC Network. Chris Cotter, former BC standout linebacker Mark Herzlich and Kelsey Riggs will call the game. Coverage on the Boston College Learfield IMG Sports Network begins at 3:30 p.m. with Jon Meterparel, Pete Cronan and Scott Mutryn. Fans can listen to the game locally on WEEI 93.7 FM, nationally on TuneIn and on Sirius channel 137, XM channel 193 and online via SiriusXM channel 955.
Boston College lost 26-22 to No. 11 North Carolina last Saturday, the first loss of the season for the Eagles. BC scored with 45 seconds left and went for a two-point conversion to tie the game, but UNC's Trey Morrison picked off the conversion and returned it for the game's final two points. Pitt also lost its first game of the year last week as NC State stunned the Panthers with a late touchdown for a 30-29 victory.
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The Match-Up
Pitt and BC met regularly from 1970 through 2004 as Eastern independents and later in the Big East Conference. The series between the two schools began in 1959. Boston College is 14-17 all-time against the Panthers. Last season, BC became bowl-eligible with a 26-19 win at Pitt to close out the regular season. The last home win for Boston College in the series was a 45-7 win in 2001 at Alumni Stadium.
BC-PA Connections
There are plenty of Pittsburgh storylines with Boston College this week. Head coach Jeff Hafley served on Dave Wannstedt's coaching staff at Pitt from 2006-10, first serving as a defensive assistant from 2006-07 before becoming the Panthers' defensive backs coach from 2008-10. Hafley also met his wife Gina while the two worked at Pitt. BC offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti held the same position at Pitt from 2009-10 on Wannstedt's staff. Cignetti grew up in Pittsburgh and later attended Indiana Area High School east of Pittsburgh.
Boston College starting quarterback is a Pittsburgh native. Jurkovec led Pine-Richland High School to a 16-0 record and 2017 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association 6A state championship. He finished his prep career with 11,144 total yards, 8,202 passing yards, 71 TD passes and 68.4 percent completion percentage (523 of 765) His 11,144 yards, second-best in Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League history, were compiled in only two and a half seasons (missed half of his sophomore year with a thumb injury). He threw for a career-high 3,969 yards in 16 games as a senior in 2017. Jurkovec became the second quarterback in Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in a season. Pine-Richland was ranked No. 12 in the final 2017 MaxPreps Top 25 and he was named the 2017 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year.
Scouting Pitt
• Pitt is 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the ACC to open the 2020 season. The Panthers lost for the first time last week against NC State 30-29 at Heinz Field. Pitt opened the year with a 55-0 shutout of Austin Peay, followed by victories over Syracuse (21-10) and No. 24 Louisville (23-20).
• Since taking over as head coach in 2015, Pat Narduzzi has guided the Panthers to the third-best record in ACC play with a 24-16 mark (tied with Virginia Tech) entering 2020. Only Clemson (38-2) and Miami (25-15) have better ACC records during that timeframe.
• Narduzzi's 36 overall wins are the most by a Pitt coach in his first five seasons in nearly four decades.
• Pitt boasts top-20 national rankings in total defense (second, 232.3 yards per game), rushing defense (se ond, 57.5 yards per game), passing defense (13th, 174.8 yards per game), scoring defense (11th, 15.0 points per game) and sacks (fifth, 4.75 per game).
• Quarterback Kenny Pickett is off to a hot start in 2020. The New Jersey native is third nationally with 1,123 yards passing and ranks 15th in the country with six touchdown passes and 23rd in passing efficiency (146.0).
• Pitt is 32nd nationally in total offense (419.3 yards per game) and 31st in scoring (32.0 points per game).
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Airing it Out
• Phil Jurkovec has burst onto the scene as the starting quarterback for the Eagles. In two of his first three games at the Heights, Jurkovec has thrown for 300 yards and quickly established himself as a threat both on the ground and with his arm.
• Against No. 11 North Carolina on Oct. 3, Jurkovec was 37-for-56 for 313 yards and two touchdowns. The 37 completions were tied for second in BC single-game history with Frank Harris (37 versus Army in 1968). Matt Ryan's 40 completions are the most in BC history against Wake Forest on Nov. 4, 2006.
• Jurkovec's 37 completions were an Alumni Stadium record. The previous best belonged to Matt Ryan with 37 completions versus Army on Sept. 22, 2007.
• His 56 pass attempts were also the most by a BC quarterback at Alumni Stadium since at least 1996 and was the highest overall total number of attempts since Ryan passed 56 times on Nov. 10, 2007 at Maryland. Jurkovec is tied for fourth in BC single-game history with the 56 attempts. Matt Ryan, Shawn Halloran and Frank Harris own the school record with 57 attempts.
• Jurkovec became the first BC quarterback with multiple 300-yard passing games in a season since Chase Rettig's three in 2012.
• Jurkovec opened the season becoming just the third BC quarterback since 2010 to throw for 300 yards in a game - and he did it in his first career game at BC against Duke.
• The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, has named eight quarterbacks as its "Stars of the Week." Jurkovec was one of the eight quarterbacks to be honored after his breakout performance at Duke.
• The Davey O'Brien Foundation announced its Great 8 list of the top quarterback performances for week three of the 2020 college football season and Jurkovec was honored for his efforts at Duke.
• The transfer from Notre Dame finished 17-of-23 passing for 300 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the Duke victory. He joined 10 other former BC signal callers to throw for 300 yards in a game since 1996 (Chase Rettig, Anthony Brown, Matt Ryan, Chris Crane, Matt Hasselbeck, Paul Peterson, Scott Mutryn, Tim Hasselbeck, Brian St. Pierre and Quinton Porter).
• Jurkovec became the first BC quarterback since Matt Ryan in 2007 to throw for 300 yards, multiple touchdowns and complete 70% of his throws in a game in leading BC to a 26-6 victory at Duke.
• Jurkovec made his first start at quarterback since Dec. 9, 2017 at HersheyPark Stadium in the Pennsylvania Class 6A state title game. Jurkovec led Pine-Richland to a 41-21 victory over St. Joseph's Prep.
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Saving the Best for Last
• Phil Jurkovec is third nationally among all quarterbacks with 495 yards passing in the second half. The Pittsburgh native is completing 75.0 percent of his passes (45-of-60) with four touchdowns in the second half in 2020.
• Jurkovec's four touchdowns in the second half are tied for fourth in the country while his 166.3 QB rating is 16th among all players in the nation.
• In the fourth quarter in three games, Jurkovec is completing 73.0 percent of his passes (27-of-37) for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
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Among the Nation's Elite
• Phil Jurkovec is 15th nationally with 274.3 passing yards per game. Jurkovec is 12th nationally in completion percentage (68.4%) and his five touchdowns passing rank 25th nationally.
• While just a small sample of only three games, Jurkovec is second among all BC quarterbacks since 1996 with 274.3 passing yards per game in a season.
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Haf Effect
• Jeff Hafley made an immediate impact on Ohio State's defense in 2019 and he is doing the same thing at Boston College in 2020.
• The year prior to Hafley's arrival at Ohio State, the Buckeyes ranked 71st nationally in total defense an 50th in scoring defense. In 2019, Hafley guided the nation's best defense allowing just 259.7 yards per game, an improvement of 143.7 yards per game from 2018. Ohio State yielded just 13.7 points per game in 2019, fourth-best in the nation.
• Hafley and the BC defensive coaching staff have turned things in the right direction on the Eagles' defense in 2020. BC is allowing 109 yards less per game than 2019, going from 125th nationally to 25th.
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The Nation's Leader
• Junior tight end Hunter Long has been BC's top receiving target in 2020 and he leads the nation in receptions for a tight end.
• Long has started the year with 25 receptions for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, Long is third nationally among all players regardless of position in receptions. Prior to this season, Long had just 32 receptions total over his first two years on the field at Boston College.
• He was named to the John Mackey Award watch list after earning All-ACC third-team honors last season. The John Mackey Award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey.
• Long led Boston College with 509 receiving yards and 18.2 yards per reception in 2019. He finished the season with 28 receptions and two receiving touchdowns. His 72-yard touchdown reception at Louisville was the longest reception of his career a year ago.
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Flowers in Full Bloom
• Zay Flowers totaled five receptions for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown in BC's 26-6 win at Duke. It was the first 100-yard receiving game for an Eagle since Kobay White's 121 yards at Florida State in 2018.
• Flowers was named the ACC Wide Receiver of the Week for the first time in his career following the Duke game.
• The 162 yards receiving by Flowers were the seventh-most by a BC player since 1996.
• Flowers averaged 32.4 yards per reception. No receiver in BC history had more receiving yards on fewer receptions than Flowers in a single game.
• Flowers was the first BC receiver since 2012 (Alex Amidon) to have over 150 yards receiving in a game.
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Make Way for Macrus
• Marcus Valdez was a key part of a BC defense that held Duke to six points and 351 yards of total offense in the Eagles' 26-6 win over the Blue Devils. He finished with five tackles, one sack, one QB hurry and a key fumble recovery inside the BC 10-yard line to end a Duke drive.
• For the first time since 2018, the Boston College defense held an opponent under 360 yards of offense. BC held Duke to 351 yards of total offense, the fewest yards allowed since Miami gained 305 yards of total offense in 2018.
• The six points allowed by the BC defense were the fewest since a 35-3 win over Florida State (10/27/17).
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Bloodhound
• Junior Isaiah McDuffie's nickname on the team is "bloodhound" and it is easy to see why with his play on the field. His ability to track down the opposing ball carrier has been on full display in 2020.
• After missing most of the 2019 season recovering from a knee injury, McDuffie has been explosive through his first three games in 2020.
• He is the only player in the ACC to rank in the league's top-10 in tackles (3rd, 10.0 per game), solo tackles (1st, 21), TFLs (7th, 4.0) and sacks (4th, 3.0).
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Starting A New Era on the Right Note
• Boston College opened the Jeff Hafley era with a convincing 26-6 victory at Duke on Sept. 19.
• It marked just the third time since joining the ACC in 2005 Boston College allowed less than 10 points in an ACC road game.
• For the first time since 2018, the Boston College defense held an opponent under 360 yards of offense in last week's 26-6 win at Duke. BC held Duke to 351 yards of total offense, the fewest yards allowed since Miami gained 305 yards of total offense in 2018.
• For the 29th time since joining the ACC in 2005, BC allowed one touchdown or less in the victory over Duke.
• The six points allowed by the BC defense against the Blue Devils were the fewest yielded since a 35-3 win over Florida State (10/27/17).
• BC forced five turnovers in the Duke victory; marking the second season opener in a row with five or more after forcing five against Virginia Tech (8/31/19) last season.
Boston College lost 26-22 to No. 11 North Carolina last Saturday, the first loss of the season for the Eagles. BC scored with 45 seconds left and went for a two-point conversion to tie the game, but UNC's Trey Morrison picked off the conversion and returned it for the game's final two points. Pitt also lost its first game of the year last week as NC State stunned the Panthers with a late touchdown for a 30-29 victory.
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The Match-Up
Pitt and BC met regularly from 1970 through 2004 as Eastern independents and later in the Big East Conference. The series between the two schools began in 1959. Boston College is 14-17 all-time against the Panthers. Last season, BC became bowl-eligible with a 26-19 win at Pitt to close out the regular season. The last home win for Boston College in the series was a 45-7 win in 2001 at Alumni Stadium.
BC-PA Connections
There are plenty of Pittsburgh storylines with Boston College this week. Head coach Jeff Hafley served on Dave Wannstedt's coaching staff at Pitt from 2006-10, first serving as a defensive assistant from 2006-07 before becoming the Panthers' defensive backs coach from 2008-10. Hafley also met his wife Gina while the two worked at Pitt. BC offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti held the same position at Pitt from 2009-10 on Wannstedt's staff. Cignetti grew up in Pittsburgh and later attended Indiana Area High School east of Pittsburgh.
Boston College starting quarterback is a Pittsburgh native. Jurkovec led Pine-Richland High School to a 16-0 record and 2017 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association 6A state championship. He finished his prep career with 11,144 total yards, 8,202 passing yards, 71 TD passes and 68.4 percent completion percentage (523 of 765) His 11,144 yards, second-best in Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League history, were compiled in only two and a half seasons (missed half of his sophomore year with a thumb injury). He threw for a career-high 3,969 yards in 16 games as a senior in 2017. Jurkovec became the second quarterback in Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in a season. Pine-Richland was ranked No. 12 in the final 2017 MaxPreps Top 25 and he was named the 2017 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year.
Scouting Pitt
• Pitt is 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the ACC to open the 2020 season. The Panthers lost for the first time last week against NC State 30-29 at Heinz Field. Pitt opened the year with a 55-0 shutout of Austin Peay, followed by victories over Syracuse (21-10) and No. 24 Louisville (23-20).
• Since taking over as head coach in 2015, Pat Narduzzi has guided the Panthers to the third-best record in ACC play with a 24-16 mark (tied with Virginia Tech) entering 2020. Only Clemson (38-2) and Miami (25-15) have better ACC records during that timeframe.
• Narduzzi's 36 overall wins are the most by a Pitt coach in his first five seasons in nearly four decades.
• Pitt boasts top-20 national rankings in total defense (second, 232.3 yards per game), rushing defense (se ond, 57.5 yards per game), passing defense (13th, 174.8 yards per game), scoring defense (11th, 15.0 points per game) and sacks (fifth, 4.75 per game).
• Quarterback Kenny Pickett is off to a hot start in 2020. The New Jersey native is third nationally with 1,123 yards passing and ranks 15th in the country with six touchdown passes and 23rd in passing efficiency (146.0).
• Pitt is 32nd nationally in total offense (419.3 yards per game) and 31st in scoring (32.0 points per game).
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Airing it Out
• Phil Jurkovec has burst onto the scene as the starting quarterback for the Eagles. In two of his first three games at the Heights, Jurkovec has thrown for 300 yards and quickly established himself as a threat both on the ground and with his arm.
• Against No. 11 North Carolina on Oct. 3, Jurkovec was 37-for-56 for 313 yards and two touchdowns. The 37 completions were tied for second in BC single-game history with Frank Harris (37 versus Army in 1968). Matt Ryan's 40 completions are the most in BC history against Wake Forest on Nov. 4, 2006.
• Jurkovec's 37 completions were an Alumni Stadium record. The previous best belonged to Matt Ryan with 37 completions versus Army on Sept. 22, 2007.
• His 56 pass attempts were also the most by a BC quarterback at Alumni Stadium since at least 1996 and was the highest overall total number of attempts since Ryan passed 56 times on Nov. 10, 2007 at Maryland. Jurkovec is tied for fourth in BC single-game history with the 56 attempts. Matt Ryan, Shawn Halloran and Frank Harris own the school record with 57 attempts.
• Jurkovec became the first BC quarterback with multiple 300-yard passing games in a season since Chase Rettig's three in 2012.
• Jurkovec opened the season becoming just the third BC quarterback since 2010 to throw for 300 yards in a game - and he did it in his first career game at BC against Duke.
• The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, has named eight quarterbacks as its "Stars of the Week." Jurkovec was one of the eight quarterbacks to be honored after his breakout performance at Duke.
• The Davey O'Brien Foundation announced its Great 8 list of the top quarterback performances for week three of the 2020 college football season and Jurkovec was honored for his efforts at Duke.
• The transfer from Notre Dame finished 17-of-23 passing for 300 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the Duke victory. He joined 10 other former BC signal callers to throw for 300 yards in a game since 1996 (Chase Rettig, Anthony Brown, Matt Ryan, Chris Crane, Matt Hasselbeck, Paul Peterson, Scott Mutryn, Tim Hasselbeck, Brian St. Pierre and Quinton Porter).
• Jurkovec became the first BC quarterback since Matt Ryan in 2007 to throw for 300 yards, multiple touchdowns and complete 70% of his throws in a game in leading BC to a 26-6 victory at Duke.
• Jurkovec made his first start at quarterback since Dec. 9, 2017 at HersheyPark Stadium in the Pennsylvania Class 6A state title game. Jurkovec led Pine-Richland to a 41-21 victory over St. Joseph's Prep.
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Saving the Best for Last
• Phil Jurkovec is third nationally among all quarterbacks with 495 yards passing in the second half. The Pittsburgh native is completing 75.0 percent of his passes (45-of-60) with four touchdowns in the second half in 2020.
• Jurkovec's four touchdowns in the second half are tied for fourth in the country while his 166.3 QB rating is 16th among all players in the nation.
• In the fourth quarter in three games, Jurkovec is completing 73.0 percent of his passes (27-of-37) for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
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Among the Nation's Elite
• Phil Jurkovec is 15th nationally with 274.3 passing yards per game. Jurkovec is 12th nationally in completion percentage (68.4%) and his five touchdowns passing rank 25th nationally.
• While just a small sample of only three games, Jurkovec is second among all BC quarterbacks since 1996 with 274.3 passing yards per game in a season.
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Haf Effect
• Jeff Hafley made an immediate impact on Ohio State's defense in 2019 and he is doing the same thing at Boston College in 2020.
• The year prior to Hafley's arrival at Ohio State, the Buckeyes ranked 71st nationally in total defense an 50th in scoring defense. In 2019, Hafley guided the nation's best defense allowing just 259.7 yards per game, an improvement of 143.7 yards per game from 2018. Ohio State yielded just 13.7 points per game in 2019, fourth-best in the nation.
• Hafley and the BC defensive coaching staff have turned things in the right direction on the Eagles' defense in 2020. BC is allowing 109 yards less per game than 2019, going from 125th nationally to 25th.
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The Nation's Leader
• Junior tight end Hunter Long has been BC's top receiving target in 2020 and he leads the nation in receptions for a tight end.
• Long has started the year with 25 receptions for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, Long is third nationally among all players regardless of position in receptions. Prior to this season, Long had just 32 receptions total over his first two years on the field at Boston College.
• He was named to the John Mackey Award watch list after earning All-ACC third-team honors last season. The John Mackey Award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey.
• Long led Boston College with 509 receiving yards and 18.2 yards per reception in 2019. He finished the season with 28 receptions and two receiving touchdowns. His 72-yard touchdown reception at Louisville was the longest reception of his career a year ago.
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Flowers in Full Bloom
• Zay Flowers totaled five receptions for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown in BC's 26-6 win at Duke. It was the first 100-yard receiving game for an Eagle since Kobay White's 121 yards at Florida State in 2018.
• Flowers was named the ACC Wide Receiver of the Week for the first time in his career following the Duke game.
• The 162 yards receiving by Flowers were the seventh-most by a BC player since 1996.
• Flowers averaged 32.4 yards per reception. No receiver in BC history had more receiving yards on fewer receptions than Flowers in a single game.
• Flowers was the first BC receiver since 2012 (Alex Amidon) to have over 150 yards receiving in a game.
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Make Way for Macrus
• Marcus Valdez was a key part of a BC defense that held Duke to six points and 351 yards of total offense in the Eagles' 26-6 win over the Blue Devils. He finished with five tackles, one sack, one QB hurry and a key fumble recovery inside the BC 10-yard line to end a Duke drive.
• For the first time since 2018, the Boston College defense held an opponent under 360 yards of offense. BC held Duke to 351 yards of total offense, the fewest yards allowed since Miami gained 305 yards of total offense in 2018.
• The six points allowed by the BC defense were the fewest since a 35-3 win over Florida State (10/27/17).
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Bloodhound
• Junior Isaiah McDuffie's nickname on the team is "bloodhound" and it is easy to see why with his play on the field. His ability to track down the opposing ball carrier has been on full display in 2020.
• After missing most of the 2019 season recovering from a knee injury, McDuffie has been explosive through his first three games in 2020.
• He is the only player in the ACC to rank in the league's top-10 in tackles (3rd, 10.0 per game), solo tackles (1st, 21), TFLs (7th, 4.0) and sacks (4th, 3.0).
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Starting A New Era on the Right Note
• Boston College opened the Jeff Hafley era with a convincing 26-6 victory at Duke on Sept. 19.
• It marked just the third time since joining the ACC in 2005 Boston College allowed less than 10 points in an ACC road game.
• For the first time since 2018, the Boston College defense held an opponent under 360 yards of offense in last week's 26-6 win at Duke. BC held Duke to 351 yards of total offense, the fewest yards allowed since Miami gained 305 yards of total offense in 2018.
• For the 29th time since joining the ACC in 2005, BC allowed one touchdown or less in the victory over Duke.
• The six points allowed by the BC defense against the Blue Devils were the fewest yielded since a 35-3 win over Florida State (10/27/17).
• BC forced five turnovers in the Duke victory; marking the second season opener in a row with five or more after forcing five against Virginia Tech (8/31/19) last season.
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