Tag: Phil Jurkovec

No. 2 Notre Dame-Boston College: FIW Staff Predictions

How high of alert should the college football world be on when Notre Dame travels to Boston College? The FIW staff predictions are in

The ultimate letdown game?

The Man in the Red Bandanna Game for Boston College.

And November 20, 1993.

It’s Notre Dame and Boston College this Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts as the Irish look to move to 8-0 on the year and avoid a letdown after their incredible upset victory over previously No. 1 Clemson last week.

Should the Irish be on upset alert or will the train keep rolling right on through this match-up?  Here is what the Fighting Irish Wire staff sees happening on Saturday – and a kind reminder you can follow all four of our guys on Twitter at:

@GFClark89
@MikeFChen
@JF_Fey
@NickShepkowski

Geoffrey Clark’s Notre Dame-Boston College Prediction…

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Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Javon McKinley vs. Zay Flowers

It’s still almost inconceivable that Notre Dame’s top receiver going into the Boston College game has yet to score this season.

It’s still almost inconceivable that Notre Dame’s top receiver going into the Boston College game has yet to score this season. However, that’s exactly where Javon McKinley finds himself. It’s not really his fault as the Irish don’t have a dominant player at the position this season, and he earns his credibility by averaging only a little below 20 yards a catch. He still has a few games to get to the end zone, but you have to wonder where his patience is with that.

The Eagles have no issues with getting points from their receivers because they have Zay Flowers. Plus, Flowers has exactly twice the number of receptions McKinley does. There’s no question Phil Jurkovec will look to him frequently, and the chances he scores at least one touchdown are high. The Irish will have to limit his opportunities, and no matter how well they play defense, that might not be easy.

 

Must See: Brian Kelly’s reaction to ’93 Notre Dame-Boston College

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly had the same reaction every Notre Dame fan does whenever they hear about the ’93 Boston College upset.

If you’re a Notre Dame fan you already know the heartbreak and pain that comes with thinking about the series with Boston College.

Sure, Notre Dame leads all-time head-to-head with the Eagles 16-9, but the most memorable moment of the series came in 1993 when Tom Coughlin, Glen Foley and Boston College came to South Bend a week after the Irish upset No. 1 Florida State and ruined the title dreams.

If you’re a Notre Dame fan, regardless of age, you’re undoubtedly sick and tired of hearing about that game.

The good news for you is that so is Brian Kelly.

During his Thursday media availability Kelly was asked about the ’93 meeting with Boston College and his reaction was exactly that of every Notre Dame fan whenever that game is brought up.

Kelly eventually responded to being asked about that game by saying:

“It’s more about where your mind is at and and who you’re playing. If we were playing a JV team, it wouldn’t matter. That BC team that Notre Dame played, I think it was a nationally ranked team. It was a really good football team. This is a really good football team we’re playing, so it matters who you’re playing. We’re playing them in their red bandanna game, which is their most sacred game, if you will. There’s certainly a lot to the BC-Notre Dame game. We talk about much more in terms of how we’re preparing for a team that is a really good football team and certainly that you’re the No. 2 team in the country, you have a target on your back. That’s really much more relevant than the historical significance of the game and if they understand that, then you’re going to get the preparation that you need so you’re prepared to play at the level you need to play at.”

Related: A look back at Notre Dame’s most recent meeting with Boston College

Notre Dame football: ACC leading Jurkovec on decision to leave Irish

Phil Jurkovec met the media Wednesday and gave detail on his decision to leave Notre Dame for Boston College last spring

Phil Jurkovec is the latest name on a long list of quarterbacks to come to Notre Dame with sky-high expectations only to see things fail to play out the way both sides probably had once hoped.

Jurkovec entered with the 2018 recruiting class and saw his first game action in the same game Ian Book took over the starting reigns, a blowout victory over Wake Forest in late September of that fall.

But Book’s success mixed with the team success meant playing time was a lot harder to come by than many expected it to be for Jurkovec.

Jurkovec, now Boston College’s starting quarterback and the current ACC leader in passing yards, spoke to the media

“Notre Dame, it was my dream school growing up” Jurkovec said, “There’s a lot of great things about Notre Dame: the school, just how much they win, the culture of it, the players.  There’s a lot of good people there.  For me, football was really changing.  I was debating about switching positions because I don’t think I could have done another year just sitting on the bench.  I had to go play somewhere, I was really down.

“I was basically on the brink of not playing quarterback, at that point I was talking to my family and they were like, ‘You have to go somewhere to play’

“I was trying to play something, it’s really tough not being able to play and not being able to showcase what you can do.  It grew frustrating to me and I just wanted to get on the field however I could.” – Phil Jurkovec

Jurkovec also added that he still texts with regularly with most of that 2018 Notre Dame recruiting class.

On Tuesday night Notre Dame defensive lineman Ade Ogundeji spoke highly of his former teammate who he’ll face this Saturday, calling Jurkovec a great teammate and great guy before calling him “a play-maker that can make every throw”.

Brian Kelly was also very complimentary of Jurkovec when getting into Boston College week on Monday:

“What he’s doing this year on film is he’s making plays outside the realm of the offense, which he was very accustomed to doing in high school and when he was here as well. Outside the pocket, he’s a great scrambler. He can throw on the run, he’s got a strong arm, great size, and he’s a tough kid.”  – Brian Kelly

Jurkovec has led Boston College to a 5-3 record so far this season while throwing for an ACC-best 2,083 yards with 15 touchdown passes and three rushing touchdowns to just four interceptions.

Related:  Boston College jerseys for ND game pay tribute to American hero
Photos:  Notre Dame’s 40-7 win over Boston College last year
Position Previews:  Ian Book vs. Phil Jurkovec and Kyren Williams vs. David Bailey

Tale of the Tape: Starting QB Comparison – Ian Book vs. Phil Jurkovec

When Notre Dame visits Boston College, Ian Book once again will find himself the inferior quarterback of the matchup.

When Notre Dame visits Boston College, Ian Book once again will find himself the inferior quarterback of the matchup. While he’s thrown only one interception and is able to run the ball, the number of people who haven’t accepted that he won’t blow anyone away on paper has to be almost nonexistent by now. Still, you can’t fault the leadership he’s shown, and he’s still productive enough to make a difference for the Irish. He just does it in a “slow and steady wins the race” kind of way.

The Eagles have more of a pure thrower in Phil Jurkovec, and the numbers show. When he has to run, it’s typically only for short gains. So the key to beating him is by taking those open receivers away because that’s how he finds most of his success. If you do that, you will force him into playing a game he’s not comfortable with most of the time.

Notre Dame preps for decades long Boston College issue

Notre Dame has seen a pair of unbeaten seasons end against Boston College, one coming a week after knocking off No. 1.

It’s pretty simple.

Simply say the name “Boston College” to any Notre Dame fan and nightmares are immediately brought back.

It’s as easy as 1993, a week after knocking off No. 1 Florida State in the “Game of the Century”, Notre Dame laid the golden egg of all eggs and lost at home to Boston College which in turn kept the Irish from a national championship.

Nine years later it was Notre Dame in their first year under Tyrone Willingham shocking the nation and jumping out to an 8-0 record after upsetting Florida State in Tallahassee.

One week later, in the most hideous green jerseys the world has ever seen, quarterback Carlyle Holiday got injured and No. 4. Notre Dame fell to Boston College 14-7 and were never able to recover under Willingham’s tenure as they’d go just 13-15 the remainder of his watch starting with that game.

Related:  The best photos from Notre Dame’s upset of No. 1 Clemson

No. 2 Notre Dame hits the road this week to again take on Boston College one week after a massive win.

A win certainly wouldn’t get the talk of Boston College ruining Notre Dame’s title hopes forever, at least unless the second ranked Irish were able to put and end to their 32 year title drought this January.

But a win over Boston College even in 2012 didn’t make those awful memories go away, even when Notre Dame wound up in the national championship game.

This Boston College team is significantly improved compared to the 2019 Eagles that Notre Dame beat up 40-7 late last season.

They may be 5-3 but are dangerous under former Notre Dame backup quarterback Phil Jurkovec.

The Eagles had a 28-10 lead at Clemson just a week ago before giving it up and falling 34-28.

They also nearly knocked off a then-unbeaten North Carolina team before falling late, but in their only other defeat they were blasted by Virginia Tech, 40-14.

They also had to sneak out with a victory over traditional powerhouse Texas State, 24-21 and also barely got by a bad Syracuse team last week with a 16-13 win.

It’s hardly a great team Notre Dame faces in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts but it’s certainly one that has made life hard on some good teams to date.

There will be plenty of story lines and memories of both 1993 and 2002 when Notre Dame hits the road this weekend but if talent has anything to do with it, it should be a game the Irish roll to 8-0 in before their bye week.

Watch: Clemson Defensive End Xavier Thomas Ejected for Targeting

We’re a week away from Notre Dame playing its biggest game of the season at Clemson, but we’re already seeing implications for that contest.

We’re a week away from Notre Dame playing its biggest game of the season at Clemson, but we’re already seeing implications for that contest. We don’t know how Trevor Lawrence will play coming off his COVID-19 diagnosis. Now, the Tigers will be missing part of their defense, albeit temporarily. Late in the Tigers’ 34-28 comeback win over Boston College, defensive end Xavier Thomas targeted the head of Eagles quarterback Phi Jurkovec.

Not only did Thomas cost his team an interception, but by rule, he will miss the first half of next week’s game in South Bend. Of course, missing only one player on defense for 30 minutes might only affect the Tigers so much. Still, the Irish’s offense might be able to breathe a little easier knowing it has the chance to take advantage of a player’s who’s temporarily absent thanks to his own stupidity. Every little bit can help with so much on the line.

Former Notre Dame quarterback Phil Jurkovec ruled eligible to play at BC

Phil Jurkovec was supposed to be the next great quarterback at Notre Dame. Now he’s set to play against the Irish in 2020.

Phil Jurkovec came to Notre Dame in 2018 as a four-star quarterback that appeared to be the future at the position for the Fighting Irish.

Instead Jurkovec wound up transferring after two seasons at Notre Dame choosing Boston College this past winter.

Jurkovec had been being held in a holding pattern since announcing his transfer and even recently was posting pictures to his Instagram page showing his displeasure with the NCAA not ruling on his eligibility for 2020.

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The NCAA finally announced their decision on Jurkovec on Tuesday and good news for the former Fighting Irish signal caller came as it was announced he’ll be immediately eligible to play at Boston College.

An added bonus for fans of story lines, Jurkovec and Boston College were added to Notre Dame’s 2020 schedule just last week.

Buckle up because the trip to Boston College just got a lot more interesting this fall.

Will a true freshman be Notre Dame’s rising ACC star?

There is lot of hype surrounding an Irish true freshman and his opportunity to make an impact early for the Notre Dame Football team.

It seem’s weird to be included into ACC content regarding the Notre Dame football team, but here we are. It’s been a very odd year, but as football gets closer and closer, 247Sports took a look at up-and-coming players that they were excited to see this fall.

Irish incoming freshman Michael Mayer made Charles Power’s list, and for very obvious reasons. With the departure of Cole Kmet to the NFL, the path to early playing time is in the hand of the 5-Star recruit. Power believes “Mayer is a ready-to-go type prospect who is entering what looks to be a favorable situation in South Bend.”

What we don’t know is how quickly Mayer will pick up the playbook from new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. If he is able to grasp the scheme quickly, the talented freshman should be able to hit the field running. “He’s (Mayer) physically developed and skilled enough to make an impact as a freshman,” said Power.

It makes sense to at least give Mayer a shot early to see if he can prove himself on the field. Since players are now able to play in 4 games without losing a redshirt season, Mayer could even play a bit part without losing a year of eligibility. Ideally, this is not the case, with Mayer forcing Brian Kelly’s hand to play him throughout the year. I think this is the most realistic scenario, as Mayer should. work his way into the tight end rotation this year, before breaking out nationally as a sophomore.

It’s worth noting that former Notre Dame quarterback Phil Jurkovic made the list for Boston College, although the NCAA has yet to determine if immediate eligibility will be granted to the transfer. With BC on the new Irish schedule for 2020, it would be interesting to see how Jurkovic performs against his former teammates if eligible.

Notre Dame Player Preview: Brendon Clark – Quarterback

The race to be Notre Dame’s backup quarterback in 2020 is on. Find out more about the leading candidate for it, Brendon Clark, right here!

We get a day closer to Notre Dame football returning and although we’re anything but certain as to what exact day that will be, we’re still excited for the idea of it.

Before the ball is kicked though we need to keep informing you on those that will suit up in blue and gold this fall (or next spring).

In this edition we look at a young man who isn’t going to be starting any games in 2020 but will be working towards being the starter at his position in 2021.

We’re talking about quarterback Brendon Clark, a young man who has never shied away from a difficult path.

Stats and Information…

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