Boston College QB Jurkovec takes aim at Texas State
Once he found a rhythm in his Boston College debut, quarterback Phil Jurkovec realized how much he had missed the physicality of the game.
“I haven’t been out there playing real football in so long,” he said. “Getting out there, taking hits and playing again was so much fun.”
After throwing for 300 yards and two touchdowns last weekend in Boston College’s 26-6 victory at Duke in its Atlantic Coast Conference and season opener, Jurkovec looks to keep it rolling Saturday as the Eagles (1-0) host Texas State in their lone nonconference game.
The Bobcats (1-2) can expect to see plenty of Jurkovec. The Notre Dame transfer, who endured a lengthy wait to gain eligibility and hadn’t started since his senior year of high school in 2017, featured prominently in the win over the Blue Devils. The redshirt sophomore rushed 12 times and completed 17 of 23 passes with one interception.
“We’re gonna throw the ball,” first-year Boston College coach Jeff Hafley said. “You guys saw (Saturday), we threw it for what, 300 yards? We’re gonna throw the ball, we’re gonna throw it downfield, we’re gonna have a quick game, we’re gonna have screen, we’re gonna do it all.”
Texas State boasts a budding passing game of its own. In his two games, junior Tyler Vitt has passed for 602 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions.
However, Vitt is likely to split snaps with sophomore Brady McBride, Bobcats coach Jake Spavital said Tuesday, acknowledging the team’s situation under center was “up in the air” now that McBride has returned to health.
McBride, who started the season opener against SMU, didn’t travel with the Bobcats for their 38-17 victory at Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday, as he spent the week in COVID-19 protocol. Texas State earned its first road win since Nov. 3, 2018, behind the athleticism of Vitt, who passed for 256 yards and two scores while carrying the ball 11 times for a team-best 82 yards and a touchdown.
The Bobcats also got it done on defense, with Jarron Morris tying a school record with a 100-yard interception return touchdown to cap the scoring. Texas State also turned an earlier turnover into a touchdown.
“It was all about playing with physicality and playing with extreme effort and playing with emotion,” Spavital said. “That’s what we preached all week.”
The Eagles forced five turnovers at Duke and were especially opportunistic in the red zone, where the Blue Devils committed four of those miscues.
Boston College’s defense helped Jurkovec settle in and get acclimated with his new targets. The Eagles outscored Duke 19-0 after halftime, with Jurkovec connecting with wide receiver Zay Flowers (five receptions, 162 yards) and tight end Hunter Long (seven receptions, 93 yards) for touchdowns.
Hafley told reporters Tuesday that the season status of senior wide receiver Kobay White, the team’s leading returning wideout, remained questionable due to a knee injury. White didn’t play at Duke.
Saturday marks the first meeting between Boston College and Texas State. The Eagles have won 14 of their past 20 home openers.
–Field Level Media
