Boston College Athletics
Eagles Rejuvenating Before Taking Shot At The Irish
November 10, 2020 | Football, #ForBoston Files
A much-needed rest on Sunday and Monday rebooted the tone before the Holy War.
Boston College's 16-13 win over Syracuse wasn't the prettiest game played by the Eagles this season. It was a dominant win over a longtime rival, but the lopsided statistical outcome didn't play out on the scoreboard. BC left something on the table in its own mind, and while it didn't quell the good feelings in the locker room after the game, it also didn't sit well on the short flight home from New York.
"There were a lot of points we left on the field," head coach Jeff Hafley said. "It felt like we were inside the (Syracuse) 40 (yard line) for much of the game. Those field goals needed to be touchdowns, and we had some 3rd-and-1 (situations) we needed to convert. If you look, (we had) 20 first downs to 14 and 400 yards to 240. Time of possession was 38 minutes to 21 minutes. If you just gave me the stat sheet without the score, it would look like we won by 30 points, but we didn't. There are games like that, and you learn from them. We found a way to win, and at the end of the day, that's what we need to do, but we need to get better."
It wasn't surprising that the Eagles found their way past Syracuse, but the lopsided balance sheet told a story unlike any other game this season. The numbers drenched the running game and supported an older style built by strong, fundamental defense while illustrating a completely different scheme.Â
David Bailey gained 125 yards and battered the Orange's front seven, and Travis Levy engineered 73 yards, while not totally changing BC's pace. Bailey rushed 25 times for the second time in his career and the first time since a game against Louisville during his freshman, 2018 season, and Levy carried the ball for 10 times or more for the third straight game.Â
It cut into Phil Jurkovec's overall production and diminished some of his eye-popping numbers for a third straight week, but it further enabled the quarterback to spread the ball around with a slower comfort. He completed 20 passes for the first time since the Virginia Tech game but upped his efficiency to a lethal, 69 percent completion percentage, and he finished his third consecutive game and fifth game of the season without an interception even though his favorite target, Hunter Long, only caught two passes, his lowest output of the season.
"Zay (Flowers) had six catches," Hafley said. "Travis had four, Jehlani (Galloway) had three, Jaelen (Gill) had two, Spencer (Witter) had two, and CJ had one. Seven guys, Phil spread the ball to. There were a couple of times that Hunter (Long) was open, and Phil just checked down the other way. Phil takes what's given to him, and he did a good job of spreading the ball around. Hunter played a good game, but he just didn't have a big stat line."
It illustrated BC's evolution throughout an unorthodox season that required adjustment to a frenetic pace. The team opened up with its hair on fire on offense and piled up yards but gradually incorporated new balance as the schedule chugged forward. The game plan centered on the pass but eventually worked its way back to a more balanced approach as the Eagles played in different game styles.Â
Saturday enabled BC to rely on its running game while the passing offense worked out some kinks. Jurkovec finished with 208 yards but didn't look quite right in the first half. Instead of allowing Syracuse to take advantage, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti relied on the offensive line and the running backs until the thrower was able to iron out the wrinkles and earnestly complete more passes.
"He missed some throws early on," Hafley said. "I don't know, he seemed out of it, but we welcomed him back with a scramble. He looked great for the rest of the game. I like the way he recovered. A guy misses throws, and it can bleed into the third and fourth quarter. He (still) went 20-for-29 for 208 yards, but we're just used to seeing him throw for 350 yards."
If nothing else, it showed BC the difficulty in playing a full season with no breaks. The Syracuse game appeared sludgy and slow in comparison to the high-flying games of the past, and the Eagles failed to punch the ball into the end zone with any kind of regularity. In response, Hafley returned home to focus on the team's recovery prior to the Notre Dame game this week and addressed it from top to bottom with the coaches.
"Week One was our bye week," Hafley said, "so we had to look at (fatigue) or we would wear everyone out. I backed up the morning (on Sunday) and started the staff meeting (later). I wanted (the coaches) to get sleep, and, truthfully, I wanted to get sleep. We wanted to get our rest, and it got our players rest. I cut down reps in practice and cut down meeting times."
Even that short break is enough to rejuvenate the coaches and players, all of whom have been grinding at nonstop football since the program returned to campus in June. It's a necessary step before the team hosts Notre Dame, its archnemesis, in an emotional setting in the annual Red Bandanna Game.
"It's not just physical," Hafley reiterated. "It's mental. I want everyone to stay sharp. We want great treatment and great recovery...I don't want to burn this team out, and I don't want to burn the staff out because I feel the same way about them.
"You want to play the best teams that you can," he said, "and (Notre Dame) is clearly one of the best teams in the country. Nobody's beaten Clemson (since 2017), so this is a great opportunity. That's maybe the (best) team in the country. Let's put together a great week of practice, get confident, and go swing as hard as we can."
Boston College and No. 2 Notre Dame will kick off at 3:30 p.m. from Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill. The game will be televised nationally on ABC with radio broadcast available on the BC Learfield IMG Sports Network.
"There were a lot of points we left on the field," head coach Jeff Hafley said. "It felt like we were inside the (Syracuse) 40 (yard line) for much of the game. Those field goals needed to be touchdowns, and we had some 3rd-and-1 (situations) we needed to convert. If you look, (we had) 20 first downs to 14 and 400 yards to 240. Time of possession was 38 minutes to 21 minutes. If you just gave me the stat sheet without the score, it would look like we won by 30 points, but we didn't. There are games like that, and you learn from them. We found a way to win, and at the end of the day, that's what we need to do, but we need to get better."
It wasn't surprising that the Eagles found their way past Syracuse, but the lopsided balance sheet told a story unlike any other game this season. The numbers drenched the running game and supported an older style built by strong, fundamental defense while illustrating a completely different scheme.Â
David Bailey gained 125 yards and battered the Orange's front seven, and Travis Levy engineered 73 yards, while not totally changing BC's pace. Bailey rushed 25 times for the second time in his career and the first time since a game against Louisville during his freshman, 2018 season, and Levy carried the ball for 10 times or more for the third straight game.Â
It cut into Phil Jurkovec's overall production and diminished some of his eye-popping numbers for a third straight week, but it further enabled the quarterback to spread the ball around with a slower comfort. He completed 20 passes for the first time since the Virginia Tech game but upped his efficiency to a lethal, 69 percent completion percentage, and he finished his third consecutive game and fifth game of the season without an interception even though his favorite target, Hunter Long, only caught two passes, his lowest output of the season.
"Zay (Flowers) had six catches," Hafley said. "Travis had four, Jehlani (Galloway) had three, Jaelen (Gill) had two, Spencer (Witter) had two, and CJ had one. Seven guys, Phil spread the ball to. There were a couple of times that Hunter (Long) was open, and Phil just checked down the other way. Phil takes what's given to him, and he did a good job of spreading the ball around. Hunter played a good game, but he just didn't have a big stat line."
It illustrated BC's evolution throughout an unorthodox season that required adjustment to a frenetic pace. The team opened up with its hair on fire on offense and piled up yards but gradually incorporated new balance as the schedule chugged forward. The game plan centered on the pass but eventually worked its way back to a more balanced approach as the Eagles played in different game styles.Â
Saturday enabled BC to rely on its running game while the passing offense worked out some kinks. Jurkovec finished with 208 yards but didn't look quite right in the first half. Instead of allowing Syracuse to take advantage, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti relied on the offensive line and the running backs until the thrower was able to iron out the wrinkles and earnestly complete more passes.
"He missed some throws early on," Hafley said. "I don't know, he seemed out of it, but we welcomed him back with a scramble. He looked great for the rest of the game. I like the way he recovered. A guy misses throws, and it can bleed into the third and fourth quarter. He (still) went 20-for-29 for 208 yards, but we're just used to seeing him throw for 350 yards."
If nothing else, it showed BC the difficulty in playing a full season with no breaks. The Syracuse game appeared sludgy and slow in comparison to the high-flying games of the past, and the Eagles failed to punch the ball into the end zone with any kind of regularity. In response, Hafley returned home to focus on the team's recovery prior to the Notre Dame game this week and addressed it from top to bottom with the coaches.
"Week One was our bye week," Hafley said, "so we had to look at (fatigue) or we would wear everyone out. I backed up the morning (on Sunday) and started the staff meeting (later). I wanted (the coaches) to get sleep, and, truthfully, I wanted to get sleep. We wanted to get our rest, and it got our players rest. I cut down reps in practice and cut down meeting times."
Even that short break is enough to rejuvenate the coaches and players, all of whom have been grinding at nonstop football since the program returned to campus in June. It's a necessary step before the team hosts Notre Dame, its archnemesis, in an emotional setting in the annual Red Bandanna Game.
"It's not just physical," Hafley reiterated. "It's mental. I want everyone to stay sharp. We want great treatment and great recovery...I don't want to burn this team out, and I don't want to burn the staff out because I feel the same way about them.
"You want to play the best teams that you can," he said, "and (Notre Dame) is clearly one of the best teams in the country. Nobody's beaten Clemson (since 2017), so this is a great opportunity. That's maybe the (best) team in the country. Let's put together a great week of practice, get confident, and go swing as hard as we can."
Boston College and No. 2 Notre Dame will kick off at 3:30 p.m. from Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill. The game will be televised nationally on ABC with radio broadcast available on the BC Learfield IMG Sports Network.
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