Flowers Sets New Standard with Second Weekly Honor
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Jeff Hafley told reporters earlier this season that he likes to see players live before making judgments about their potential. When he watched Zay Flowers’ tape after getting the Boston College head coaching job, he saw “a glimpse” of the speedy wideout’s skill set. Months later, however, he got a better idea of what kind of player he had on his hands.
“I really didn’t know who he was, probably, [until] we got going in training camp,” Hafley said on Sept. 22, three days after Flowers’ monster performance at Duke.
“I really saw it start to come out.”
Now, the whole country is enjoying the same view.
Flowers became the first player in program history to earn ACC Wide Receiver of the Week honors twice in the same season Monday afternoon. The 5-foot-11 sophomore hauled in six receptions for 162 yards and a trio of scores, including the game-winner, in BC’s thrilling overtime win over Pittsburgh this past weekend.
He was also named ACC Wide Receiver of the Week after logging five receptions, 162 receiving yards, and one touchdown during the Eagles’ season opener versus Duke.
Before Flowers, the last BC player to receive the accolade was Alex Amidon in 2013. Only one Eagles wide receiver in the past six seasons has eclipsed the 500-yard receiving mark: Kobay White in 2018. Flowers is well on his way to shattering that mark.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native ranks seventh in the nation with 405 receiving yards, and he’s tied for seventh with four touchdown catches. Flowers also sits atop the ACC with 101.3 receiving yards per game.
Last year, he had just 341 receiving yards, as his offensive footprint was largely reduced to jet sweeps, screen passes, and underneath routes in the back half of the 2019 season. But with Frank Cignetti Jr. calling plays, Flowers’ number has been called upon quite often, especially for downfield shots.
All three of his touchdown receptions Saturday evening spanned at least 25 yards. Twice, he beat the single-high safety, Pitt’s Jason Pinnock, and Phil Jurkovec dropped a high-arcing pass that hit a striding Flowers right in the bread basket, resulting in touchdowns of 44 and 77 yards.
The duo’s last hookup occurred in overtime. Following Flowers’ 77-yard score, BC mustered only 59 total yards of offense the rest of regulation. But Flowers wasn’t worried.
“I knew we were going to get the 25 [yards],” he said postgame. “As soon as we heard overtime, I knew we were going to get the 25. There was no doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to get it.”
Jurkovec, who sustained five sacks and three quarterback hits throughout the game, stepped up on 3rd-and-10 and delivered a 25-yard strike to Flowers, registering what would be the game-winning touchdown. Flowers said that he had a feeling the pass was coming to him.
“I’m pretty good at overtime,” he said smiling.
Jurkovec rounded out the night with four total touchdowns, en route to sharing ACC Co-Quarterback of the Week honors with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. The redshirt sophomore gunslinger has thrown for the most yards (1,181) of any BC quarterback in his first four games. Jurkovec’s favorite target has been tight end Hunter Long, yet his rapport with Flowers has taken the top off defenses.
“It started way back last spring,” Flowers said. “We started connecting, started talking. Then it really came together after we got back from quarantine. That’s when we really built the connection. And now, we just going.”
For the second time this season, Flowers received a helmet sticker during ESPN’s Saturday night “College Football Final.” He even drew the attention of the face of NFL RedZone, Scott Hanson.
With runaway speed and balletic moves, Flowers poses problems for defenses everywhere.
“I think he’s one of the best receivers in the country,” Jurkovec said after BC’s win over Pitt. “The way he can move is unlike really anybody I’ve seen.”
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Jeff Hafley told reporters earlier this season that he likes to see players live before making judgments about their potential. When he watched Zay Flowers’ tape after getting the Boston College head coaching job, he saw “a glimpse” of the speedy wideout’s skill set. Months later, however, he got a better idea of what kind of player he had on his hands.
“I really didn’t know who he was, probably, [until] we got going in training camp,” Hafley said on Sept. 22, three days after Flowers’ monster performance at Duke.
“I really saw it start to come out.”
Now, the whole country is enjoying the same view.
Flowers became the first player in program history to earn ACC Wide Receiver of the Week honors twice in the same season Monday afternoon. The 5-foot-11 sophomore hauled in six receptions for 162 yards and a trio of scores, including the game-winner, in BC’s thrilling overtime win over Pittsburgh this past weekend.
He was also named ACC Wide Receiver of the Week after logging five receptions, 162 receiving yards, and one touchdown during the Eagles’ season opener versus Duke.
Before Flowers, the last BC player to receive the accolade was Alex Amidon in 2013. Only one Eagles wide receiver in the past six seasons has eclipsed the 500-yard receiving mark: Kobay White in 2018. Flowers is well on his way to shattering that mark.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native ranks seventh in the nation with 405 receiving yards, and he’s tied for seventh with four touchdown catches. Flowers also sits atop the ACC with 101.3 receiving yards per game.
Last year, he had just 341 receiving yards, as his offensive footprint was largely reduced to jet sweeps, screen passes, and underneath routes in the back half of the 2019 season. But with Frank Cignetti Jr. calling plays, Flowers’ number has been called upon quite often, especially for downfield shots.
All three of his touchdown receptions Saturday evening spanned at least 25 yards. Twice, he beat the single-high safety, Pitt’s Jason Pinnock, and Phil Jurkovec dropped a high-arcing pass that hit a striding Flowers right in the bread basket, resulting in touchdowns of 44 and 77 yards.
The duo’s last hookup occurred in overtime. Following Flowers’ 77-yard score, BC mustered only 59 total yards of offense the rest of regulation. But Flowers wasn’t worried.
“I knew we were going to get the 25 [yards],” he said postgame. “As soon as we heard overtime, I knew we were going to get the 25. There was no doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to get it.”
Jurkovec, who sustained five sacks and three quarterback hits throughout the game, stepped up on 3rd-and-10 and delivered a 25-yard strike to Flowers, registering what would be the game-winning touchdown. Flowers said that he had a feeling the pass was coming to him.
“I’m pretty good at overtime,” he said smiling.
Jurkovec rounded out the night with four total touchdowns, en route to sharing ACC Co-Quarterback of the Week honors with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. The redshirt sophomore gunslinger has thrown for the most yards (1,181) of any BC quarterback in his first four games. Jurkovec’s favorite target has been tight end Hunter Long, yet his rapport with Flowers has taken the top off defenses.
“It started way back last spring,” Flowers said. “We started connecting, started talking. Then it really came together after we got back from quarantine. That’s when we really built the connection. And now, we just going.”
For the second time this season, Flowers received a helmet sticker during ESPN’s Saturday night “College Football Final.” He even drew the attention of the face of NFL RedZone, Scott Hanson.
With runaway speed and balletic moves, Flowers poses problems for defenses everywhere.
“I think he’s one of the best receivers in the country,” Jurkovec said after BC’s win over Pitt. “The way he can move is unlike really anybody I’ve seen.”
