Go Figure: Entering the Double Bye, 10 Stats to Know
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Boston College has two games remaining in the regular season, but it’s going to take a while to get there because of the Eagles’ impromptu double bye.
In the meantime, there’s a lot to unpack from the last nine weeks. Jeff Hafley has reinvigorated the fan base, the Eagles have given a pair of ranked opponents, including then-No. 1 Clemson, legitimate scares and played a No. 2 Notre Dame team tough. Phil Jurkovec has emerged as a budding star, and BC’s secondary has taken a huge step forward after a disastrous 2019.
Yet the Eagles have struggled to finish drives with touchdowns and marquee games with wins. The O-Line took a while to establish chemistry, the run game has improved but isn’t anywhere close to where people expected it to be, and penalties have routinely haunted BC.
Entering this two-week hiatus, here are 10 stats, good and bad, every Eagles fan should know:
61.8 QB rushing yards per game allowed in last five weeks: Defending the QB run has been a problem for BC’s defense this season. The Eagles were exposed at Virginia Tech on Oct. 17 when they couldn’t wrap up Hendon Hooker, who finished with 164 rushing yards—the most by a Hokies signal caller since Michael Vick—and three touchdowns. Since, an opposing quarterback has rushed for a score against BC in all but one of the Eagles’ past four games. Ian Book had a game-high 85 yards on the ground during last week’s Holy War. Containing the QB will continue to be paramount for BC, with Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong (347 rush yards, four TDs) and Louisville’s Malik Cunningham (417 rush yards, five TDs) still on the schedule.
625 receiving yards: Zay Flowers is the first Eagle to ever win ACC Wide Receiver of the Week twice in the same season. The speedy sophomore wideout is also the first BC player to eclipse the 600-yard receiving mark since Alex Amidon (2013), not to mention that he has the most touchdown catches of any Eagle in a single season since Amidon also tallied seven in 2012. Flowers has reeled in 41 receptions this year, second on the team only to tight end Hunter Long. He’s averaging 15.2 yards per catch and has done wonders for BC in space.
78.0 RB receiving yards per game allowed in last five weeks: Just like dual-threat quarterbacks, pass-catching running backs have also been a thorn in the Eagles’ side this year. Travis Etienne comes to mind. After all, Clemson’s star tailback caught seven balls for 140 yards and a score against BC. Each of the following two weeks, opposing running backs recorded five receptions and 64+ yards against the Eagles. Running backs have totaled 60 or more receiving yards in four straight games versus BC, dating back to the Eagles’ blowout win over Georgia Tech, a game in which a trio of Yellow Jacket backs combined for 79 receiving yards. BC’s linebackers have lost RBs in the flat from time to time, and it’s proved costly.
17 takeaways: BC’s defense kicked off the year with a bang, holding Duke to a mere six points while forcing five turnovers. The next four games, the Eagles came up with only three takeaways—a number that BC has matched twice in the past four weeks. Since turning the ball over five times at Virginia Tech, the Eagles have flipped the script, piling up nine takeaways and committing just two turnovers of their own. BC has skyrocketed to second in the nation in takeaways (now tied with Syracuse) and is 24th in the country in turnover margin.
393.4 total yards allowed per game: Hafley was brought in to restore BC’s defensive tradition, and he’s exceeded expectations in year one. Albeit still a work in progress, the unit, led by defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu, is giving up 393.4 yards per game—85.3 fewer yards than last season’s average and good for 53rd nationally. The Eagles rank in the top half of the FBS in pass defense (62nd, 235.2 passing yards per game allowed), rush defense (59th, 158.2 rushing yards per game allowed), and scoring defense (50th, 26.9 points per game allowed). A year removed from one of the worst defensive seasons in program history, BC fans have to be pleased with the direction the team is heading on that side of the ball.
697 rushing yards in last five weeks: Four games into the season, the Eagles had one of the worst rushing attacks in college football. For a program that ranked eighth in rushing the previous year and returned four All-ACC offensive linemen, it was surprising to say the least. The Eagles accumulated a meager 241 yards on the ground through their first four weeks of competition, averaging a lowly 1.87 yards per carry. Over the past the five games, however, BC has made significant strides in the run game. Spearheaded by the duo of David Bailey and Travis Levy, the Eagles have totaled 697 rushing yards and averaged 3.98 yards per carry. In that span, Bailey has found the end zone four times and even surpassed the century mark at Syracuse. It’s been far from perfect, and it’s nowhere near what it was under Steve Addazio, but the rushing offense has given BC a bit more balance of late and helped sustain long drives.
8.0 penalties per game: The Eagles have shot themselves in the foot with penalties all season. They had six last Saturday against Notre Dame but are averaging eight per game, the 19th-most of any team in the FBS. False starts, unnecessary roughness calls, excessive celebration flags, intentional grounding infractions, you name it—there’s been a lot of laundry this season for Hafley’s crew. Luckily for the Eagles, Florida State is the only team in the ACC that’s opponents have racked up more penalties than BC’s.
59.9% completion percentage: Phil Jurkovec hit on a combined 68.4% of his pass attempts against Duke, Texas State, and UNC. But his accuracy has dipped since. While maintaining his playmaking ability, Jurkovec has only had one game in the past six weeks where he has completed more than 62% of his passes (BC’s win at Syracuse). In that month-plus window, he’s logged a 55% completion percentage. It’s important to note that Jurkovec separated his throwing shoulder at Clemson and still wasn’t 100% for last weekend’s game against Notre Dame. Still, now sitting at a 59.9% completion percentage, he’s in play to finish the year as the first BC quarterback to complete more than 60% of his passes in a single season since 2013.
76.5% field goal percentage: Aaron Boumerhi drilled a trio of field goals last Saturday against Notre Dame, improving to 13-of-17 on the year. His 13 field goals are the sixth-most in the ACC. And although his 76.5% field goal percentage is ninth among the league’s starting kickers, it’s 9.8 percentage points higher than his 2019 mark and the highest a BC kicker has posted since Mike Knoll in 2016. Boumerhi, who kicked the game-winner against Texas State, is 13-of-15 inside 50 this year and has made a pair of 40-yarders. He’s putting together an impressive season, especially considering that he’s coming off his second right hip surgery.
15 red zone field goals: Boumerhi has finished off a bunch of drives in the red zone, probably too many for Hafley’s liking. In fact, the Eagles lead the country with 15 red zone field goals. That’s not a stat any coach wants. Even though BC is scoring on 85.4% of its trips to the red zone, it’s only coming out with touchdowns 48.8% of the time. Following last Saturday’s loss to Notre Dame, Hafley talked to reporters about how BC has to do a better job of turning field goals into touchdowns. It can make all the difference against a ranked opponent.
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Boston College has two games remaining in the regular season, but it’s going to take a while to get there because of the Eagles’ impromptu double bye.
In the meantime, there’s a lot to unpack from the last nine weeks. Jeff Hafley has reinvigorated the fan base, the Eagles have given a pair of ranked opponents, including then-No. 1 Clemson, legitimate scares and played a No. 2 Notre Dame team tough. Phil Jurkovec has emerged as a budding star, and BC’s secondary has taken a huge step forward after a disastrous 2019.
Yet the Eagles have struggled to finish drives with touchdowns and marquee games with wins. The O-Line took a while to establish chemistry, the run game has improved but isn’t anywhere close to where people expected it to be, and penalties have routinely haunted BC.
Entering this two-week hiatus, here are 10 stats, good and bad, every Eagles fan should know:
61.8 QB rushing yards per game allowed in last five weeks: Defending the QB run has been a problem for BC’s defense this season. The Eagles were exposed at Virginia Tech on Oct. 17 when they couldn’t wrap up Hendon Hooker, who finished with 164 rushing yards—the most by a Hokies signal caller since Michael Vick—and three touchdowns. Since, an opposing quarterback has rushed for a score against BC in all but one of the Eagles’ past four games. Ian Book had a game-high 85 yards on the ground during last week’s Holy War. Containing the QB will continue to be paramount for BC, with Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong (347 rush yards, four TDs) and Louisville’s Malik Cunningham (417 rush yards, five TDs) still on the schedule.
625 receiving yards: Zay Flowers is the first Eagle to ever win ACC Wide Receiver of the Week twice in the same season. The speedy sophomore wideout is also the first BC player to eclipse the 600-yard receiving mark since Alex Amidon (2013), not to mention that he has the most touchdown catches of any Eagle in a single season since Amidon also tallied seven in 2012. Flowers has reeled in 41 receptions this year, second on the team only to tight end Hunter Long. He’s averaging 15.2 yards per catch and has done wonders for BC in space.
78.0 RB receiving yards per game allowed in last five weeks: Just like dual-threat quarterbacks, pass-catching running backs have also been a thorn in the Eagles’ side this year. Travis Etienne comes to mind. After all, Clemson’s star tailback caught seven balls for 140 yards and a score against BC. Each of the following two weeks, opposing running backs recorded five receptions and 64+ yards against the Eagles. Running backs have totaled 60 or more receiving yards in four straight games versus BC, dating back to the Eagles’ blowout win over Georgia Tech, a game in which a trio of Yellow Jacket backs combined for 79 receiving yards. BC’s linebackers have lost RBs in the flat from time to time, and it’s proved costly.
17 takeaways: BC’s defense kicked off the year with a bang, holding Duke to a mere six points while forcing five turnovers. The next four games, the Eagles came up with only three takeaways—a number that BC has matched twice in the past four weeks. Since turning the ball over five times at Virginia Tech, the Eagles have flipped the script, piling up nine takeaways and committing just two turnovers of their own. BC has skyrocketed to second in the nation in takeaways (now tied with Syracuse) and is 24th in the country in turnover margin.
393.4 total yards allowed per game: Hafley was brought in to restore BC’s defensive tradition, and he’s exceeded expectations in year one. Albeit still a work in progress, the unit, led by defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu, is giving up 393.4 yards per game—85.3 fewer yards than last season’s average and good for 53rd nationally. The Eagles rank in the top half of the FBS in pass defense (62nd, 235.2 passing yards per game allowed), rush defense (59th, 158.2 rushing yards per game allowed), and scoring defense (50th, 26.9 points per game allowed). A year removed from one of the worst defensive seasons in program history, BC fans have to be pleased with the direction the team is heading on that side of the ball.
697 rushing yards in last five weeks: Four games into the season, the Eagles had one of the worst rushing attacks in college football. For a program that ranked eighth in rushing the previous year and returned four All-ACC offensive linemen, it was surprising to say the least. The Eagles accumulated a meager 241 yards on the ground through their first four weeks of competition, averaging a lowly 1.87 yards per carry. Over the past the five games, however, BC has made significant strides in the run game. Spearheaded by the duo of David Bailey and Travis Levy, the Eagles have totaled 697 rushing yards and averaged 3.98 yards per carry. In that span, Bailey has found the end zone four times and even surpassed the century mark at Syracuse. It’s been far from perfect, and it’s nowhere near what it was under Steve Addazio, but the rushing offense has given BC a bit more balance of late and helped sustain long drives.
8.0 penalties per game: The Eagles have shot themselves in the foot with penalties all season. They had six last Saturday against Notre Dame but are averaging eight per game, the 19th-most of any team in the FBS. False starts, unnecessary roughness calls, excessive celebration flags, intentional grounding infractions, you name it—there’s been a lot of laundry this season for Hafley’s crew. Luckily for the Eagles, Florida State is the only team in the ACC that’s opponents have racked up more penalties than BC’s.
59.9% completion percentage: Phil Jurkovec hit on a combined 68.4% of his pass attempts against Duke, Texas State, and UNC. But his accuracy has dipped since. While maintaining his playmaking ability, Jurkovec has only had one game in the past six weeks where he has completed more than 62% of his passes (BC’s win at Syracuse). In that month-plus window, he’s logged a 55% completion percentage. It’s important to note that Jurkovec separated his throwing shoulder at Clemson and still wasn’t 100% for last weekend’s game against Notre Dame. Still, now sitting at a 59.9% completion percentage, he’s in play to finish the year as the first BC quarterback to complete more than 60% of his passes in a single season since 2013.
76.5% field goal percentage: Aaron Boumerhi drilled a trio of field goals last Saturday against Notre Dame, improving to 13-of-17 on the year. His 13 field goals are the sixth-most in the ACC. And although his 76.5% field goal percentage is ninth among the league’s starting kickers, it’s 9.8 percentage points higher than his 2019 mark and the highest a BC kicker has posted since Mike Knoll in 2016. Boumerhi, who kicked the game-winner against Texas State, is 13-of-15 inside 50 this year and has made a pair of 40-yarders. He’s putting together an impressive season, especially considering that he’s coming off his second right hip surgery.
15 red zone field goals: Boumerhi has finished off a bunch of drives in the red zone, probably too many for Hafley’s liking. In fact, the Eagles lead the country with 15 red zone field goals. That’s not a stat any coach wants. Even though BC is scoring on 85.4% of its trips to the red zone, it’s only coming out with touchdowns 48.8% of the time. Following last Saturday’s loss to Notre Dame, Hafley talked to reporters about how BC has to do a better job of turning field goals into touchdowns. It can make all the difference against a ranked opponent.
