Cignetti, Quarterbacks Exploring Their Depth Through Spring Drills

Last season was an offensive renaissance for the Boston College football team. The Eagles underwent a transformation and replaced their ground-and-pound attack with a pro style attack, and the aerial-based mentality helped pressure teams to a degree unseen in almost 15 years. It centered around a high-profile transfer quarterback in Phil Jurkovec, but the entire scheme stemmed from the NFL career of offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, Jr.

The first year produced eye-popping numbers and reset the standard of the BC offense. The Eagles averaged more yards than any other team short of the 2007 Matt Ryan offense and finished the year with the third-most yards in school history since 1996. It lit up opposing defenses and ended the season with an unprecedented flourish in the final game.

That it all happened with less than one year's preparation only raises the ceiling on what could happen in 2021.

"Obviously it had been our first time together," Cignetti said of last season. "We kind of had to find out a little bit about who we were in terms of personnel. As the season went on, we learned more about ourselves in terms of how we had to call a game - the run schemes, the protection schemes, the passing game - to put ourselves in a position to be successful. We've seen that really carry over to the spring, that in 'Year Two,' you're learning it (and) have a chance to master it."

"It's definitely a different feeling going into spring ball this year," Jurkovec said. "We have our whole offense installed. We've had a lot of reps in it. So although we might have (more) wrinkles in the offense, it's the same one that we've repped throughout the spring and summer. There's a lot more of a comfort level with it."

It's an opportunity offered to Cignetti by the first true practice session since he arrived with head coach Jeff Hafley after the 2019 season. He installed the playbook via virtual environment after COVID-19 memorably canceled the 2020 spring session after five dates, and Jurkovec wasn't declared eligible until just before the season opener against Duke in the fall. It translated to a stripped down scheme for that first game, even though the quarterback torched the Blue Devils for more than 300 yards.

The concepts were new to everyone at the time, but Cignetti found ways to incorporate new complexities into the scheme. Jurkovec threw for 300 yards in four of the first five games with 10 touchdowns and just four interceptions, two of which came as he attempted to will points onto the scoreboard against Virginia Tech. He likewise found dual-threat purpose with 77 carries and three rushing scores, and he became the first BC quarterback since 2016 to gain 90 yards on the ground in a single game when he rushed for 94 against Georgia Tech.

."You have to remember that when Phil came in here last year, just the rest of the guys, everything was new," Cignetti said. "The terminology, the actual scheme, the fundamentals, and technique. They were starting over as quarterbacks, and now that they have a year in the system, they understand what to do and how to do it. They understand what it's going to look like, and they can think and react much quicker."

The performances redefined the offense and produced statistics unseen since the Matt Ryan era. Cignetti rebuilt the quarterback room in his desired image with quarterbacks who both bought into and understood his concepts - even in a virtual environment - while advocating for one another.

Jurkovec was the star, but backup Dennis Grosel rallied the team through the late season spots. He completed a four-yard pass after Jurkovec temporarily went to the sidelines against Clemson and came off the bench to throw for 44 yards and two scores against Louisville. The next week against Virginia, he started in place of Jurkovec and completed 32-of-46 passes for 520 yards and four touchdowns. He did throw three interceptions, but the yardage total was only the second game in BC history with over 500 yards and matched Doug Flutie's single game record.

"I saw how well our offense worked and what it could be," Jurkovec said. "Seeing it from the sidelines just put a different perspective on it. Throughout the year, as it progressed, the offense became more comfortable because we didn't have spring ball. Once we got into the season, we were able to compete. It was completely different for all of us."

How BC builds on that is then the question facing the Eagles in the interim period between the end of last season and the first game in September, against Colgate. The entire room returned and added freshman recruit Emmett Morehead, and virtually every player in the room is built alike. Yet they all offer something completely different to the offense and can uniquely compete for snaps against one another in practice.

"Spring ball is different," Jurkovec said. "It's a time for growth to maybe try out some new styles or drills, whatever you can. We have a long way until the season, so we can take our time with things, going back through the offense, step-by-step, through the fundamentals of everything."

"I'll tell you what, we are so proud of those quarterbacks," Cignetti said. "I've been a part of special rooms throughout my career, and the room we have here is outstanding. First off, they're unbelievable student-athletes. They're great guys. They have high character. They're good leaders, they work hard on and off the field. They've taken the knowledge from the classroom to the practice field (and) to the game field. The way they compete with each other is really neat to see (because of) how close they are and how well they work together."

That inevitably is what makes this team - and the quarterback position - special. Jurkovec is the undisputed centerpiece as a redshirt junior, and his season in 2020 offered a magical story of a quarterback who transferred and earned his eligibility at the last second. Grosel is the wily veteran who seamlessly adapted his skills from one offense into the next with a contagious positive attitude and unmatched determination.

The others - Matt Valecce, Matthew Rueve, Daelen Menard, and even Morehead and Andrew Landry - are in the mix, improving and learning to work with one another. It's a very different look for an NFL coordinator used to working with two or three players at most, but it's an opportunity appreciated by the entire team.

"The room's really the same (as the NFL)," Cignetti said. "You just have a couple more numbers. In terms of how you teach NFL quarterbacks and college quarterbacks, especially within our system with the meeting room, the training room, how we practice, what the expectations are, they haven't changed. You have a few more quarterbacks that go through your drills, and maybe a couple of guys might not get as many reps throughout practice."

"It's spread out a little bit more because of COVID still happening," Jurkovec joked, "but it's great. We always have fun in the room. There are a bunch of guys, and everyone chimes in. It's a really good atmosphere. The more the better, really, for us. I think we do a good job of getting people reps in practice, and in those meetings, everyone gets to chime in."

Cignetti, Quarterbacks Exploring Their Depth Through Spring Drills

Players Mentioned

Dennis Grosel

Phil Jurkovec

Andrew Landry

Daelen Menard

Emmett Morehead

Matthew Rueve

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