W2WF: Holy War

Phil Jurkovec laughed when he met with the gathered media during his introductory press conference at Boston College in January. He recognized his position as a Notre Dame transfer and understood what that meant in the greater conversation about the Holy War rivalry. He specifically thought about his former teammates, still his friends, and he smiled at the possibility of playing them at a later date. It was one of those funny moments where a football player would smile at a hypothetical without giving it an afterthought.

"I have a lot of friends at Notre Dame," Jurkovec said during that January press conference. "I know they're on the schedule in a couple of years, so if there's a chance to play them, that would be awesome."

That was a simpler time, one before COVID-19 blew the 2020 season apart and shredded the original football schedule. The pandemic outbreak forced leagues to adapt on the fly, and it pushed Notre Dame into a conference for the first time in program history. It redesigned the ACC schedule and created a logical fit for a late-season matchup in Boston between the Fighting Irish and their Holy War rivals, Boston College.

For his part, Jurkovec didn't think too much about it. He was still a quarterback trying to both obtain a waiver and earn a starting job. Notre Dame was a mile away and not something he wanted to think about. That was eight games ago, though, and before he revamped Boston College's offense. It was before Notre Dame ascended to the top of the ACC and before the Irish became the first team to beat Clemson in a regular season game since 2017.

This week, the laughter was gone.

"The guys in my class are pretty tight," Jurkovec said, "but this week, we haven't talked too much. I know they want to beat me badly, and it's the same for me. We're not friends on the field, (even though) I have good relationships with a lot of those guys."

There is no way around the conversation about Saturday's game. Phil Jurkovec's command of the Boston College offense forever changed the Eagles and introduced the country to a high-flying attack. His Notre Dame counterpart, Ian Book, is coming off two 300-yard games in the last three games and has his team positioned for a run at the national championship. Any hope of quieting that hype would be futile, even though the two don't actually take the field against one another.

That's exactly what Jurkovec did this week, though. He eschewed any conversation about Notre Dame and quieted the discussion about playing his former mates by simply focusing on the task at hand. He took an approach set forward by head coach Jeff Hafley, who earlier stated that focusing on anything other than football illustrates a lack of concentration on the tasks needed to beat the No. 2 team in the nation. He pushed forward and ignored the players or his relationships in order to professionally attack the necessary steps to potentially upset a championship team.

"At the end of the day, you have to focus on the numbers and players," Jurkovec said. "You can't let it affect you (to have) any personal connection. You have to focus on the defense and offense and play the game. It makes it a little more fun when you know the guys you're playing up against.

So, yes, this game is about the Holy War, and it's about the Red Bandanna Game. It's about Phil Jurkovec and Ian Book, and it's about BC's attempt to snap a seven-game losing streak against Notre Dame. It's about Brian Kelly's return to his home state and home city, and it's about Jeff Hafley's bid to do something his two predecessors couldn't: beat Notre Dame.

Here come the Irish, and here's what to watch for:

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Weekly Storylines (Top Gun Edition)

Charlie: You're not going to be happy unless you're going Mach 2 with your hair on fire.

Ian Book torched the Clemson defense last week for 310 yards passing with a touchdown and 67 yards on 14 carries, but his best work came on the final drive of the fourth quarter after Clemson downed the Irish with a punt inside the 10 yard line. He unflappably led the offense out to the 28, and after Kyren Williams chugged 15 yards on a 3rd-and-1 conversion, Book his Avery Davis for a 53 yard strike.

It gave Notre Dame a first down inside the Clemson 10, and after two incompletions, he again hit Davis for a game-tying touchdown to force overtime. It set the tone for the extra sessions, and it was a key reason why the Irish walked out of their home stadium with a 47-40 win.

"They're executing at a really high level," Jeff Hafley said. "The difference between Notre Dame and other teams is that (Notre Dame) has really good players, a good scheme, and they're well-coached. They're 100 percent on 3rd-and-1 (and are) very similar to Clemson when we stopped them at the end of the game (two weeks ago). Good teams are most efficient in the most important times, third down and red zone. It's the sign of a well-coached football team with good players."

Book's improvements are a big reason for that. He completed 20 passes for the first time this season in last week's win, and his 310 yards were arguably better than the 312 yards and three scores against Pittsburgh three weeks ago. He has just one interception thrown from the season opener against Duke, and it's his only pick dating back 11 games into last season.

He's starting to round into the quarterback who threw at least three touchdowns in four games to end last year's regular season. BC was one of the teams he achieved that against, and he did so with the most completions of that run.

Goose: No, no, Mav. This is not a good idea.
Maverick: Sorry, Goose. It's time to buzz the tower.

Book's ability to complete passes is aided by the fact that his teammates know how to get open. Five receivers have at least 10 catches this year, and eight players with more than one reception all average more than 10 yards per play. It's a multi-faceted attack stamped by Javon McKinley and Avery Davis at receiver, but it really stems from the dual threat ability of tight ends Michael Mayer and Tommy Tremble.

"I love the way they play the game," Jeff Hafley said. "They're tough and block. (Mayer) is going to be a big time football player. He reminds of (San Francisco 49ers tight end) George Kittle and catches and runs so violent. (Tommy Tremble) gets after it. He'd be a fun kid to coach. The problems they present, they can get in and out of personnel groupings. They can get in and out of 12 (personnel) and play like 11, and they can get in and out of 11 and play like 12. They have versatility, and I respect those guys. It's going to be a challenge."

The tight ends open up the run as much as they do the pass, and the combined strength with the offensive line opens up options for Book in the RPO game. Running back Kyren Williams only ran four times last year, but he's averaging six yards per carry this year with 740 yards and 10 touchdowns. Last week against Clemson, he ran 23 times for 140 yards and three scores, his first 100-yard game since he broke the century mark three times in the first four games.

It helps Notre Dame sustain time of possession, and the Irish enter Saturday as the No. 14 offense with over 34 minutes of ball time per game. They are one of the best in the nation at continuing drives on third down, and their clock-killing ability blends perfectly with their ability to get off the field on defense.

"Sustaining drives and holding possessions is the most important thing," Hafley said. "That's why turnovers are so important. They're still possessions, but when you're plus-2 or plus-3, you have a better job of winning. They're over 30 minutes in possession time...the ball is going to be a huge factor in this game because it will coincide with possessions."

Viper: In case some of you are wondering who the best is, they are here up on the plaque. Do you think your name will be on that plaque?
Maverick: Yes, sir.
Viper: That's pretty arrogant, considering the company you're in.
Maverick: Yes, sir.
Viper: I like that in a pilot.

Controlling the clock requires the BC defense to get off the field on key downs while tilting the field into lower percentage positions with special teams, but it equally requires the offense to sustain drives against the Notre Dame defense. This is where the narrative cycles back to Phil Jurkovec, the former Fighting Irish quarterback now starting at Boston College.

"People see Phil drop back and scramble, but for him, without a spring ball or training, to come in and learn and take command of our system tells a ton about how smart he is," Jeff Hafley said. "I probably haven't given him enough credit, (but) his football intelligence and IQ are pretty good for a guy that hasn't played a lot."

Jurkovec is plenty capable of executing different kinds of game plans within Frank Cignetti's framework. He was brutally efficient against Syracuse last week but played at high speed against Clemson. He fell just short of 100 yards rushing against Georgia Tech but threw for 300 yards in four of the five games prior, including a 358-yard, three-touchdown game against Pittsburgh.

Each of those games improved something upon the game before, and his whole demeanor builds a full-bodied approach full of different tones and notes within his larger symphony.

"He knows what to do," Hafley said. "He has to execute a game plan. We talked a little bit about (playing Notre Dame), but I'll keep those conversations between me and him. I want his mindset to be on the game. I know it's going to be hard. He's going to be excited, but he should be excited."

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Countdown to Kickoff

10…games between No. 1 and No. 2 involving the Irish. Notre Dame is 5-3-2 in those games, but only one came after the 1993 FSU game (a loss to Alabama in the 2013 BCS National Championship)
9…all-time victories by Boston College vs. ND.
8…conference championships won by Brian Kelly-coached teams, not including two Division II national championships.
7…consecutive victories by Notre Dame in the Holy War, dating back to 2009.
6…games is the longest winning streak by the Eagles over an eight year period.
5…years until Notre Dame's next scheduled appearance at Alumni Stadium, in 2025.
4…times, including this year, that the BC-Notre Dame game was broadcast on ABC.
3…consecutive seasons in which Notre Dame started the season ranked.
2...BC wins over teams ranked inside the Top Five, both over Notre Dame (1993 and 2002)
1…Catholic Conference championship won or shared by St. John's Prep during Brian Kelly's time as a student.

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BC-Notre Dame X Factor

The Red Bandanna Game

Saturday's game is the next chapter of the BC-Notre Dame rivalry, but the backdrop of the Red Bandanna Game offers a completely different perspective for the players, coaches, fans and observers.

Welles Crowther's story illustrates exactly what happens when ordinary people do extraordinary things for other people. Helping others in service to mankind is the baseline of Boston College's greater mission, and that resonates me every time I'm afforded the opportunity to discuss it. It always strikes me, but it hits home differently this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I wore a red bandanna as a face covering during the early stages of the pandemic, and I often think about Welles despite never meeting him personally. I think about how he helped other people and how wearing a facemask is a simple act to try and help other folks during this time. I feel insignificant in comparison to Welles and his bravery and courage, but I try to summon my own personal fortitude to act in his memory for others. Thinking about another person and acting in their interest without thinking about myself is a selfless act, and I'd like to think I can remind myself of those service acts.

This is a really difficult time for all of us (I especially miss my hugs), but it's important to remember good people are committing acts of kindness all around us. It's the first responders, and it's our nurses and teachers. It's the people who go out of their way to ensure food banks are well-stocked, and it's the folks who help older people through their isolation. It's all of us who want to bridge division but aren't quite sure how to do it. Our attitude is a selfless act, and sometimes the most important thing we can do is listen.

This has been a really bad year, and the fall and winter will additionally challenge us. That's where we can look to Welles as an icon and summon the courage to break through those differences. We can do something special. The red bandana can teach us that, and in that respect, Welles Crowther's message is enduring.

I wish you all continued good health and good spirit, and I look forward to the day when we're all together to watch the next incarnation of BC-Notre Dame.

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Dan's Homegrown Tailgate Tip of the Week

Massachusetts natives understand the difficulty in finding a good Irish breakfast. It's hard to trust anyone incapable of piling eggs on top of rashers, sausage, black and white pudding, toast and baked beans (or potatoes...or both). Add in a cup of rocket fuel coffee, and that big, greasy plate of food is the best way to start a Saturday.

I outlined a good amount of homegrown tailgate foods over the past month, but the cooler weather is enabling me to revisit heartier fare. This week, that good old fashioned Irish breakfast is making its way back into the Rubin household right before I fire up the slow cooker for an all-day cookfest leading up to the 3:30 p.m. kickoff.

I know I've mentioned before that the 3:30 start time makes things awkward for dinner. It's hard to plan a huge lunch unless I'm physically tailgating, and traditional dinner will fall right during the second half. I can't cook during any game, let alone a BC-Notre Dame game, but the concept of all-day cooking in something like a smoker is far too labor intensive to regulate temperature.

So I'm relying this week on my trusty slow cooker, and I'm keeping with the Irish theme to fire up some Guinness lamb stew. A good friend of mine introduced me to it a few years back when he swore against corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day, and it's probably one of the best meals I ever ate. I know everyone has a recipe for things, and mine recommends combining extra stout Guinness over a draught can in the broth. I can't confirm if it's better or not, but the Guinness taste makes everything better. In turn, I go the complete opposite direction with peas; I hate peas, so I leave them out even though the recipe I use tells me to use them. It's probably something left over from childhood dinners once a week.

The key here is to let the slow cooker stew the meat for six to eight hours. If timed correctly, it should be done around halftime and give me the option to eat during the second half with minimal effort.

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Scoreboard Watching

College football jackknifed a bit this week with several scheduling impacts involving top-ranked teams. Four postponed games in the SEC temporarily wiped No. 1 Alabama and No. 5 Texas A&M, and the Big Ten outright cancelled No. 3 Ohio State's game against Maryland after the Terrapins paused football-related activities.

The sheer nature of this season naturally threatened the college football polls with chaos, but this week is likely going to cause some severe weirdness. Alabama is the near-unanimous No. 1 team in both the Coaches Poll and the Associated Press poll, and Ohio State is one of two teams receiving other first place votes (the other being Notre Dame). The Buckeyes were only playing an eight-game season to begin with, but the cancellation leaves them with one above the minimum stipulated by the Big Ten for inclusion in the conference championship. It will further unbalance the schedule and rotate the team into a situation where head-to-head results can take precedence over winning percentage if teams have the same number of losses. In short, a potential three-way tiebreaker looms if Indiana beats Ohio State and loses to Maryland, though it's obviously more complex than that.

All of this will impact a College Football Playoff race as margins of error continue to thin. Florida rebounded from an earlier loss to Texas A&M, but an earlier postponement against LSU is now a critical game in hand at the end of the season. A slip anywhere by Florida, Texas A&M, or anyone else for that matter, opens the door for Cincinnati or Brigham Young - or both - to challenge for the last playoff spot.

Both the Bearcats and Cougars are undefeated, and BYU is especially pushing for inclusion after it crushed Boise State, 51-17. The team has two games left and return next week to play North Alabama before a season finale against San Diego State, but a postponed game against Army from earlier in the season is especially impactful as a potential win over another ranked team, if it is played.

This is all assuming another team loses. Clemson slid down to No. 4 after its loss to Notre Dame, but the Tigers' open path to the ACC Championship is still clear after this week's bye. They would have to lose again to open the door for a team like Miami, though the Hurricanes have a brutal path through the remainder of the season. They play all three two-loss ACC teams - North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest - although UNC plays Wake this week in what amounts to elimination game. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is the only team with games left against both Miami and Clemson, which opens a path for the Hokies to overcome previous losses to both the Tar Heels and the Demon Deacons.

All of this is contingent on Notre Dame holding its spot atop the ACC. The Irish only have one home game remaining, and a bye week awaits them after this week's Boston College hurdle. They do have to play at North Carolina in two weeks and at Wake Forest to end the season, but they have a loss to give with their head-to-head win over Clemson.

The wild card in all of this is Boston College. The Eagles have three losses but play Louisville and Virginia, who play each other this week, after the Notre Dame game. Neither opponent is above .500, but Louisville is the only team to hang with Notre Dame after pushing the Irish to a 12-7 final earlier this year. Still, a chaotic finish may require teams to look at their head-to-head record against a team like BC, and the earlier losses to Clemson, UNC and Virginia Tech would put Notre Dame at a clear disadvantage in any tiebreaker scenario.

That tees up the actual schedule for this week. Miami is at Virginia Tech at 12 p.m. opposite the North Carolina-Wake Forest game, and Louisville-Virginia kicks off opposite the BC-Notre Dame game. Later, Florida State plays NC State.

On the national circuit, Cincinnati plays on Friday night against East Carolina, and Indiana - a shocking top ten team after its undefeated start - plays Michigan State. In other games of note, a nationally-ranked Coastal Carolina team plays at Troy on Saturday afternoon, and Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns host South Alabama after returning to the national polls. It's worth noting the games out west as well, including Oregon's game against Washington State and the late game between UCLA and Utah.

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Around the Sports World

COVID-19's initial outbreak forced the postponement or cancellation of every major springtime sporting event, but this week, Magnolia Lane reopened to the PGA Tour and offered the glimpse of the first fall Masters tournament since its inception in 1934.

The Masters is one of my favorite traditions of the year. I love playing golf, and Augusta National is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It strips extraneous branding away from television and offers the peaceful calm of a piano theme song, and I annually fall asleep on the couch while windows and doors usher the first April breezes into my living room.

Things are obviously different this year. The tournament is in November when temperatures are normally cold, and the azaleas are replaced by a more colorful Georgia foliage. There aren't patrons, an expectation in the COVID era, and the shorter hours are forcing a more urgent playing pace than the peaceful spring.

The tournament is the centerpiece of a weekend built around football, and the sports world is doing its part to embrace the unusual change. ESPN's College GameDay program will broadcast from Augusta National on Saturday, and the SEC originally pushed its mid-afternoon start time to later in the evening before Alabama-LSU postponed. The NFL likewise restructured, and there won't be a 1 p.m. game on CBS. Fox is likewise filling its early window with a handful of games, and a larger bulk of professional contests will occur after the green jacket is awarded.

I'm just happy the tournament is happening this year. The Masters is a great tradition, and golf is a great way to get into the outdoors. I walked more courses this year to avoid using golf carts, and it rewarded me with some of the most memorable days in perfect weather. I'm still going to take that nap to the theme song, and I'm still going to wear red when Tiger Woods runs for the jacket. It will reignite my passion, and I'll be back out on the links this week trying to reenact Bryson DeChambeau's 400 yard drives - with minimal success and maximum shank.

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Pregame Quote and Prediction

You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind. -Irish proverb

I believe Boston College can win this football game. I'll say it again louder for the folks in the back.

I believe Boston College can win this football game.

Notre Dame is an elite football team with a championship pedigree. This team defeated Clemson last week by harnessing its chemistry in every phase, and it earned the inside track to both the conference championship and the College Football Playoff by knocking its way to the top of the ACC. There's no doubting the reputation, the resume or the predictions of glory.

That goes head-to-head with BC's special sauce this week. The Eagles played their first eight games without fear, and they gave the Tigers all they could handle a couple of weeks ago. They know how to dig deep, and they aren't afraid to lay every card on the table for their teammates.

After the UNC game, I received more than one text message telling me how BC would beat a team somewhere along the way and derail a perfect season. Clemson was the logical choice, but that didn't work out. Now a top-ranked Notre Dame team enters Chestnut Hill one week after it defeated the No. 1 team in the nation.

There is no way to openly predict a victory without proof, and BC still hasn't beaten a top-ranked team in years. I do believe, though, that the Eagles have the ability to do it as long as they play loose, play smart and execute.

The Holy War returns to Boston. It's time to let it rip, and it's time to get in.

Boston College and No. 2 Notre Dame will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday from Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The game can be seen on ABC with radio broadcast available on the BC Learfield IMG Sports Network, locally in Boston on WEEI 93.7 FM. Satellite simulcast is also available via Sirius channel 132, XM channel 194 and Internet channel 956.

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Players Mentioned

Phil Jurkovec

W2WF: Holy War

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Phil Jurkovec

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