College Football News Preview 2020: Boston College Eagles Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Boston College Eagles Offense
The passing game has to be steadier and more productive. It’s not that it didn’t work over the past few years, but it just wasn’t a priority considering how fantastic the ground game was.
However, there wasn’t any consistency whatsoever, completing fewer than 50% of the passes in the last three games and in six of the last eight games. There were a few downfield plays here and there, but considering all of the emphasis on the ground game, there should’ve been more connections for big plays.
Those stalled as the season went on.
Getting Notre Dame quarterback Phil Jurkovec should help, and the emphasis on the running game won’t entirely go away, but if the nation’s 113th ranked passing attack can average over 60% completion rate and 200 yards per game, the offense will be far more effective.
Biggest Key To The Boston College Eagles Defense
To get simple about it … be better at playing defense. The problem was that BC just didn’t make enough plays – as generic as that sounds, too.
There wasn’t a pass rush, there weren’t enough takeaways, and the defense had one of its worst yards-allowed season in the program’s history. It all tied together, and that included being miserable on third downs.
The Eagles allowed offenses to convert over 46% of their third down chances on the season, and were hammered for 50% or more in six of the last nine games, and was 0-7 on the season when allowing that many.
Going back to 2013, the program is 1-17 when the defense gives up half of of the opposing third down tries.
There’s too much experience and too much talent returning to be that bad again under the new coaching staff, but get off the field, and everything else should fall into place.
Key Boston College Eagles Player To A Successful Season
QB Phil Jurkovec, Soph.
He was supposed to be it. He was supposed to be Brian Kelly’s guy to run the Irish offense, coming in as a high-powered recruit in the 2018 class with the talent and upside to challenge for the job right away. The program was light on quarterback recruits over the previous few years – all it had in place was some three-star Ian Book guy from the 2016 class – but …
Book took the gig and hasn’t let it go, and Jurkovec will get his shot to make the Boston College program his.
It’s not a 100% lock that he gets the gig – Dennis Grosel had the job late last season, and other options will get a shot – but if he’s the prospect he was expected to be going into his time at South Bend, the Eagles have a franchise player to build around for the next few years.
Key Game To The Boston College Eagles Season
Syracuse, Sept. 4
It’s been a strange run for the series with the road team winning the last four. It’s the ACC opener – and the first game of the Jeff Hafley era – in a game that could lead to a big early run.
Yeah, the Eagles lost to Kansas last year – and badly – and now the date is on the road, but with the Jayhawks, Ohio, and Purdue to follow before welcoming Clemson to Chestnut Hill, a 4-0 run isn’t out of the question if they can beat the Orange.
– Boston College Eagles Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Boston College Fun Stats
– BC 2nd Quarter Scoring: 163 – 3rd Quarter Scoring 54
– Field Goals: Opponents 25-of-28 – Boston College 12-of-18
– Time of Possession: Opponents 32:11 – Boston College 27:49