Colgate Game: Quotables and Notables
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Staff Writer
Series note: After every game this season, Eagle Action will compile notable stats, milestones and moments from that matchup as well as the best postgame quotes.
It was fitting that Boston College’s 51-0 blanking of Colgate Saturday marked the Eagles’ first shutout in a season opener since 2009. After all, that’s the last time BC had an eight-win season and finished above .500 in ACC play. The Eagles are expected to end that drought this fall.
Here are this week’s quotables and notables.
QUOTABLES
Jeff Hafley was amazed by the support of the BC community Saturday, namely the students who showed out in force, filling six sections of Alumni Stadium. The season opener was the first BC home game with fans since the Eagles’ Nov. 9, 2019 Red Bandana Game versus Florida State. As a result, it was also the first chance for not only freshmen but also sophomores to see the program in action.“When we walked out of Gasson and started walking, it was like 9:45 a.m., and the students were already out. There were people lined up yelling my name. So I was hearing, ‘Jeff,’ ‘Jeff.’ It was awesome. And then to walk past the mods and then to see the students in there. Hear the band, see the cheerleaders, walk in, see my family—it was kind so morbid last year just walking into a dead campus.
"This is what college football is all about. And it takes all of us. It takes our players, our staff. It takes the school. And it was awesome. It was a really fun day, and I’m very grateful to be part of it.”
Tight end Trae Barry sparked a frenzy in Alumni with his highlight-reel hurdle that capped a 51-yard touchdown reception. He said he had previously pulled off the acrobatic feat at Jacksonville State, where he played for four years before transferring to BC. As impressive as his jumping ability was, Barry knew there’d be at least one family member with some pointers.
“My sister did track all through high school and college as well. … “I’ll get her on the phone later, and she’ll critique it.”
About that hurdle…Barry’s teammates were shocked. Wide receiver Zay Flowers said that he’s going to try to jump over a defender at some point but, for now, he’s going to “let Trae have it.” Quarterback Phil Jurkovec didn’t even think Barry would make it near the goal line.
Flowers: “I just put my hands on my head. That’s the only thing I could do. ’Cause, at the time, I thought he was just probably gonna run through the tackle, but he’s showing me something that I didn’t think he had.
"We already had energy going, but that just gave us even more steam to just go and have fun. That right there just showed everybody he’s having fun with the game. So everybody just started having fun from that point on.”
Jurkovec: “I was expecting him to be tackled at the 15. To see that hurdle, that was amazing.”
Jurkovec had his own 1-on-1 down the sideline in the second half. Instead of preparing for liftoff, though, he veered out of bounds, quietly polishing off a 41-yard keeper. He faked the handoff on the zone-read, followed a Jaden Williams block and took off. Still, he knows there was more to be had there.
“I wish I could have that one back because if I had really hit it, I think I could have scored. But I was kind of running a little tentative. It felt good to see that gap open up.”
Hafley applauded Jurkovec’s performance, especially considering the expectations that the redshirt junior gunslinger is facing this year. Jurkovec threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to scampering for 61 yards on the ground.
“The way he handled this today says a lot about him. Just proud of him.”
Hafley wanted to get veteran wide receiver Kobay White some touches Saturday. It was White’s first game back after tearing his ACL before last season. Hafley wanted to see how the graduate wideout responded, and he was proud of White for coming through.
“That’s tough, right. He’s been around here, has a ton of catches and he’s fighting back. Probably still isn’t 100%. But to see him come out there and make that catch and run, return some punts for us today—just watch, he’s gonna continue to feel better, play better. He’s gonna help us win a lot of games this year.”
Colgate head coach Stan Dakosty served on the Raiders’ coaching staff for 14 years before being named head coach. Prior to picking up the clipboard, he played at Colgate alongside BC defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu in the early 2000s. They both were letterwinners on the Raiders’ 2002 Patriot League championship team.
“I talked to Tem before the game a little bit. We haven’t talked much this month, but the previous months, we talked a lot. He’s great. He’s a great coach, he’s a great person and the sky’s the limit for him in this profession. Not bad for a small, high-academic private school in central New York to look across and see one of your teammates doing great things in a Power Five program in big-time college football.”
NOTABLES
— Flowers eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark in the first half. He ended with seven catches for 135 yards and a score. That was his fourth time reaching or surpassing the century mark. He ranks eighth all-time in program history for 100-yard receiving games.— Jurkovec topped the 300-yard passing barrier in the season opener for the second straight year. He now has thrown for 300 or more yards in five of his 11 games with the Eagles. That already puts him at fifth on the BC leaderboard for career 300-yard passing games.
— BC didn’t allow Colgate to convert a single third down. The Raiders were 0-of-10 in those situations. It was a great start for an Eagles defense that ranked 65th nationally in third-down defense (40.43% conversion rate) last year.
— No BC running back had more than nine carries. Travis Levy led the way with nine totes for 34 yards and a score, his first touchdown since 2019.
— White made his first catch since 2019: It was a 25-yard catch and run on a screen pass.
— Defensive end Shitta Sillah piled up a team-high seven tackles, all of which were solos, and registered a sack.
— Punter Grant Carlson booted a career-long punt of 65 yards that rolled deep into Raiders territory.
— True freshmen running back and wide receiver Xavier Coleman and Jaden Williams, respectively, both got their first career touches on pop passes.
— Wide receiver Jacob Kraft, the grandson of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, caught his first career pass Saturday.
— Isaiah Graham-Mobley led BC’s new-look linebacking corps with six total tackles, including 0.5 TFLs. He teamed up with Brandon Barlow to blow up Colgate running back Max Hurleman behind the line of scrimmage.
