10 Burning Questions for the 2021 Eagles
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Staff Writer
We’re one day away from Boston College’s season opener, and that means it’s time to ask the top-10 burning questions about the Eagles’ upcoming campaign.
Expectations are greater than they’ve been since the late 2000s. They even top 2018 when BC’s roster was cluttered with NFL talent, including a Heisman Trophy candidate running back.
In the ACC Preseason Poll, the Eagles were voted to finish third in the Atlantic Division—they haven’t been picked to finish that high since 2010—and they are returning the 11th-most offensive production of any team in the country.
The question remains, can BC finally get over the hump of ACC mediocrity? Well, that’s not one of the 10 below, but it’s the cloud that’s been hanging over the program for the last decade.
Without further ado, let’s jump in:
1. Will Phil Jurkovec take another step, regress or maintain his 2020 level of play?
Jurkovec put up numbers last year that quarterbacks haven’t sniffed at BC since Matt Ryan. The Notre Dame transfer became the first player in program history to throw for 300 or more yards in three of his first four starts. He’s drawn comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger, and one NFL scout said he looks like a more talented Ryan Fitzpatrick. He’s been projected as high as the first round, and other analysts see him as a middle-of-the-pack ACC signal caller. Jurkovec turned heads with his magic outside the pocket. If he’s to take the next step, he’ll have to consistently do that when he’s inside the tackle box, too.
2. How long will Travis Levy really be RB1—and will the Eagles have rushing success?
Levy was pronounced BC’s starting running back when the team released its Week 1 depth chart earlier this week. The coaching staff loves him. But will the Eagles really use him as a three-down back? It seems unlikely with all of the other weapons in the backfield. Alec Sinkfield transferred to BC for playing time, and Xavier Coleman appears to be one of those electrifying true freshmen who’s too good not to play. It’ll probably be a committee of four, with Pat Garwo III getting few touches here and there. The Eagles will need to at least split the difference between their 118th and eighth rushing offense rankings in 2020 and 2019, respectively, if they want to keep defenses on edge.
3. Were BC’s struggles up front last year a result of scheme change or alignment?
It’s back to the good ol’ days in the trenches. Zion Johnson is at left guard, Tyler Vrabel has returned to the blind side and Ben Petrula has slid over to right tackle again. We’ll see if it’s that simple, though. It’s possible BC’s vaunted offensive line was just better at man blocking. The zone scheme that second-year offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. introduced last year undoubtedly caused some growing pains. That said, BC did improve as the season progressed, and the unit was going off practically no spring ball and limited fall camp. It will be interesting to see how the offensive line performs in this system now that Johnson, Vrabel and Petrula are in their old positions.
4. How will Jeff Hafley and his staff manage the Eagles’ crowded safety room?
Hafley told reporters this week that he believes he has two starters at free safety right now: Jason Maitre and Mike Palmer (it’s worth noting that Deon Jones appears to still be recovering from a knee injury he suffered in last year’s season finale at Virginia). The same goes for the strong safety position, where Florida State transfer Jaiden Lars-Woodbey and incumbent starter Jahmin Muse are duking it out for snaps. Hafley assured that all four of those safeties will play Saturday. What the playing time breakdown will be, however, has yet to be determined. We could see more dime packages this year, with an extra safety in the box.
5. Which linebackers will we see the most of this season?
Isaiah Graham-Mobley is basically a lock at middle linebacker. And it seems like Kam Arnold—who converted from safety this offseason—is poised to get some good run on the strong side. If BC plays in nickel or dime, those two will probably stay in the second level. Hafley, defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu and linebackers coach Sean Duggan will likely use the first few weeks to find out what they have in Vinny DePalma and Bryce Steele on the weak side. If that’s a sore point, don’t be surprised if you see more defensive backs filing onto the field and BC using safeties as pseudo-linebackers in the box.
6. Will BC be able to stop the run (notably, the QB run)?
The Eagles ranked 73rd nationally against the run in 2020. They allowed an average of 171.4 yards per game on the ground. And that was with an experienced defensive line. Now, BC is without Luc Bequette (returned to Cal for one final season) and Chibueze Onwuka (tore his Achilles in fall camp). Plus, factor in BC’s unproven linebacking corps, and you’ve got some serious cause for concern. A recurring issue for the Eagles, even before Hafley took over, was defending the quarterback run. Opposing quarterbacks averaged 83.4 rushing yards against BC in the Eagles’ final seven games of 2020. Virginia Tech’s Hendon Hooker (now with Tennessee), Louisville’s Malik Cunningham and UVA’s Brennan Armstrong all reached or eclipsed 130 yards on the ground versus BC. The Eagles will be tested in that regard this year as well.
7. Is Zay Flowers a Heisman candidate?
The hype surrounding the first-team All-ACC wide receiver was already real in January when he was listed with Heisman Trophy odds by MyBookie Sportsbook. Then, this summer, Flowers was named to the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list. He piled up 892 receiving yards last year, the 18th most in the FBS. He’ll have the spotlight on him this time around, but BC has so many offensive weapons that Flowers could still find himself in his fair share of 1-on-1s. If he’s to contend for the most prestigious award in college football, though, he’ll have to be consistent. Flowers had four games last year with three or fewer receptions, including a one-catch outing against Georgia Tech and a two-grab contest versus Texas State. He also had seven drops, according to Pro Football Focus, posting the second-highest drop percentage on the team (11.3%).
8. Will the Eagles stall in the red zone again?
No team had more red zone field goals in 2020 than BC. Good for Aaron Boumerhi. Not so good for the Eagles, who were tied for second in the country with 35.3% of their red zone trips ending in three. Against North Carolina, three Jurkovec third-down passes intended for Hunter Long misfired, leading to a trio of BC field goals. It was a similar story against Notre Dame when the Eagles settled for a trio of first-half field goals despite reaching the red zone each of those possessions. Turning chip-shot field goals into touchdowns will be key for BC in 2021, especially against the ACC’s top-tier teams.
9. Can BC cut down on the penalties?
Hafley wants his guys to play loose on Saturdays. It lets them be fearless. Occasionally, though, it results in an abundance of infractions, some more egregious than others. BC was tied for 109th last year in penalties per game (7.6). False starts were a problem in the beginning of the year. Pass interference calls came and went, and Hafley wasn’t mad about those—in his eyes, that’s what happens when you’re playing free. But it was the personal fouls that bothered him. And when the Eagles needed to be the most disciplined version of themselves, the laundry was all over the field. BC averaged 9.7 penalties per game against ranked opponents in 2020.
10. Will the Eagles finally beat an AP Top 25 opponent?
If they want to earn national respect, they’ll have to. BC has an easy schedule this year. At the moment, Clemson is the Eagles’ lone opponent ranked in the AP Top 25, but that’s bound to change. And when it does, BC will have to capitalize. The Eagles haven’t topped an opponent ranked in the AP Poll since 2014 when they beat USC in the first annual Red Bandana Game. Steve Addazio finished his seven-year BC tenure 1-17 against teams in the AP Top 25. Under Hafley, the Eagles made things interesting last year, coming within a two-point conversion of forcing overtime versus No. 12 UNC and losing by a combined 20 points to No. 1 Clemson and No. 2 Notre Dame. But being close to pulling an upset doesn’t put BC back on the map.
