Category Archives: Football

Jurkovec vexes Jackets

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QB Phil Jurkovec led Eagles to another ACC win yesterday. Atlanta Journal/Constitution

Previous win by the Eagles wasn’t a fluke!

Quarterback Phil Jurkovec continued BC’s comeback from a tepid start in conference play by accounting for five touchdowns (two passing, three running) in yesterday’s 41-30 comeback win over Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga. Jurkovec, who had missed six games and most of a seventh this year with a hand injury, had returned to lead the Eagles to its first ACC victory over Virginia Tech, 17-3, on Friday, October 5. BC had gone 0-4 in conference play before his return.

The Eagles remain low in the ACC Atlantic Division, tied with Syracuse at the bottom with 2-4 conference records. But BC is 6-4 overall and thereby qualifies for a post-season bowl game. The final two games of the season, against Florida State and #12/13 Wake Forest, both in Alumni Stadium, will determine which bowl.

The game against Georgia Tech started off gangbusters. Receiving the opening kickoff, the Eagles went 75 yards in five plays, capped off by a 48-yard touchdown pass from Jurkovec to WR Zay Flowers. The Yellow Jackets didn’t even need a drive to respond. Tech’s Jahmyr Gibbs returned the BC kickoff 98 yards to tie the score. Two touchdowns in the first 2:14.

Georgia Tech scored two touchdowns after long drives to take a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter. BC’s offensive explosiveness (so absent in the first five ACC games) then made its appearance, as the Eagles scored three touchdowns in brief drives (four, four, and five plays) to go into halftime ahead 28-21. The first score came on a 38-yard pass to Flowers, and Jurkovec scored the other two on eight- and four-yard runs.

The third quarter, which so often before had been BC’s time of despair, was quiet this time. Georgia Tech had the only score, a field goal to cut the lead to 28-24. BC started the fourth quarter scoring with a field goal, but the Yellow Jackets countered with a touchdown. Tech then missed the extra point to stay behind, 31-30.

Jurkovec added his final touchdown with a 31-yard run to make the score 38-30. On the ensuring Georgia Tech drive, with the Yellow Jackets facing fourth-down and 14 yards to gain, BC’s Marcus Valdez sacked the Tech quarterback, who fumbled. The ball was recovered by BC’s J.T. Thompson, who advanced it to the GT 18. A 27-yard field goal by Connor Lytton closed out the scoring at 41-30.

The Eagles gained 505 yards in total offense, exceeding 500 yards for the first time in conference play this year. Jurkovec was particularly efficient passing, going 13 of 20 for 310 yards, averaging 28.3 yards per completion. Five BC receivers had longer pass receptions than any Georgia Tech player.

Jurkovec was also BC’s second leadng rusher, averaging 8.9 yards per carry in gaining 71 yards. RB Patrick Garwo was the workhouse on the ground, carrying the ball 20 times for 104 yards. Overall, the Eagles ran for 195 yards.

Georgia Tech gained a total of 213 yards on the ground, but only 130 yards passing, despite completing 18 passes.

Here are highlights.

BC (6-4) (2-4) meets the Florida State Seminoles (4-6) (3-4) in Alumni Stadium on Saturday, November 20, at 9 am PT.

Jurkovec juice

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QB Phil Jurkovec returned to lead Eagles to first ACC win. Barry Chin/Boston Globe

Friday night game against Virginia Tech. National television game in Alumni Stadium. Red bandana game. Four straight games lost in the ACC. Game BC needed to win.

Cue the return of starting Eagle quarterback Phil Jurkovec, injured in the second game of the season against UMass and not expected to come back this year. In a combination of grit, determination, and good fortune, Jurkovec led BC to a 17-3 win over the Hokies last night to garner its first conference victory.

BC coach Jeff Hafley said Jurkovec had been medically cleared to play the previous Friday. Rumors that the Eagles’ top quarterback would return to play appeared earlier yesterday and were confirmed just before game time. The coach noticed things were different with Jurkovec back.

“It’s probably the most confident, fearless, and the best leadership I’ve seen from him since we’ve been here,” Hafley said in the post-game press conference. “Not his best performance, but he threw some good balls. He had a different way about him today and we all felt it.”

Statistically, it was a mediocre performance by Jurkovec. He was 7 of 13 passing for 112 yards. Two passes accounted for 81 of those passing yards. And he threw an interception.

It was that interception, however, that offered a sense of how Jurkovec’s presence might be a special factor.

On BC’s first possession, the Eagles had reached the VaTech 35. Jurkovec’s throw on second-and-12 was intercepted at the six-yard line. On the return, BC’s Jaelen Gill forced a fumble that was recovered on the 13 by . . . Jurkovec.

On the subsequent third down, Jurkovec ran for an eight-yard touchdown, vaulting into the end zone.

If BC’s offense was “adequate,” Virginia Tech’s was lethargic, as the score would indicate. VaTech’s total offense was 235 yards, 162 of them on the ground.

The Hokies’ starting quarterback, who played at La Jolla Country Day, was injured early in the game and did not return. VaTech overall was 7 of 17 for 73 yards.

The Eagles totaled 346 yards in offense, 234 on the ground. They ran 67 plays in the game, compared to 51 for Virginia Tech.

Patrick Garwo ran for 116 yards.

For the game, Jurkovec ran nine times, for 65 yards. He was not sacked. Leading rusher for BC was Patrick Garwo, who gained 116 yards on 30 carries.

Here are highlights.

(Special thanks to Lori Mahler, who brought red bandanas to the San Diego Eagle game watch for those of us who did not have one. The photo below shows the group at The Corner Drafthouse.

The red bandana, of course, is symbolic of 1999 graduate Welles Crowther, who saved the lives of numerous people during the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, but perished. People noted that the young man who had guided them to safety amid the dust and debris wore a red bandana over his nose and mouth. That covering was the accessory Crowther carried since boyhood. The Eagles wear a special uniform and fans wear the red bandana in his honor at the annual game.)

The Eagles’ record improved to 5-4, 1-4 in the ACC. Three games remain for BC to get a sixth win and bowl game eligibility.

Syracuse 21, BC 6
I was too bummed by the result of the BC-Syracuse game on Saturday, October 30, to post a game story. I apologize for shirking that duty.

The Eagles had led in that game, 3-0, at halftime and they added another field goal to go up 6-0 in the third quarter. In a five-minute span, however, the Orange scored three touchdowns on runs of 51 and 48 yards and a 68-yard punt return.

You can watch if you want. :)

The Eagles meet Georgia Tech in Atlanta next Saturday, November 13. Game time 12:30 pm PT.

Eagles stumble on

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QB Dennis Grosel was sacked three times by the Cardinals. USA TODAY photo

Have to acknowledge that my headline is a variation of the headline used on today’s Boston Globe article about BC’s 28-14 desultory loss to Louisville yesterday. Either I couldn’t do better or didn’t have the enthusiasm to try.

After pasting three cupcake opponents and then beating SEC Missouri in an exciting overtime game to start the season 4-0, the Eagles were seemingly on the verge of getting into the top 25. They then went into Death Valley against a weakened Clemson team and lost. Ditto against N.C. State. Yesterday’s loss brings BC to 0-3 in conference play.

The Eagles’ defense forced four turnovers by the Cardinals — two fumbles and two interceptions. BC had three turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble — of their own, however.

It was the BC offense, though, that was offensive. The Eagles gained fewer than 150 yards either running or passing for a total of 266 yards offense. QB Dennis Grosel was 17 of 32 passing for 141 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. BC averaged 3.5 yards per rushing attempt, gaining a total of 125 yards. Leading rusher Patrick Garwo gained 86 yards on 15 carries.

Louisville had 331 yards rushing on 47 carries, with QB Malik Cunningham running 16 times for 133 yards and three touchdowns. RB Trevion Cooley ran 13 times for 116 yards. The Cardinals passed for only 107 yards total.

The Eagles opened the scoring with an eight-play, 63-yard drive on their second possession. RB Alec Sinkfield finished it with an 11-yard touchdown run. They also closed to within a touchdown in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of a Louisville fumble at their 30-yard line. Grosel passed to WR Jaelen Gill for a six-yard touchdown.

The Cardinals answered right back with an eight-play, 75-yard drive for a touchdown. BC’s last possession ended with a Grosel fumble at the BC 40 that allowed Louisville to run out the clock.

“Highlights.”

 (I failed to put up a post about the N.C. State game on October 16, which the Eagles lost 33-7. I was in Alumni Stadium for the game with a group of classmates and friends. We left late in the third quarter when the score reached 31-7 and it began to rain steadily. On Sunday, I didn’t bother to read coverage of the game in the Boston Globe or anywhere else and began a multi-day tour of the Cape visiting friends. Sorry for the omission, but it was beyond me.)

The Eagles (4-3) (0-3) go to upstate New York to meet Syracuse Saturday, October 30, at 12:30 pm PT. The Orange (4-4) (1-3) beat Virginia Tech yesterday for their first ACC win.