2021 season: 6-6, 2-6 in the ACC (6th in the Atlantic Division)
Head coach: Jeff Hafley (3rd season)
For the program that brought us the Hail Mary and Matt Ryan, it has been a steady stream of mediocrity in the last few years. Mediocrity doesn’t necessarily imply bad, but all signs point to another six-ish win year where Boston College reminds us of its football heritage but seems just slightly too far away to wholly recreate it. Case in point, there probably won’t be a play named after this Eagles team, but Boston College won’t be an easy matchup for any of its ACC opponents.
One of the main reasons why comes down to the return of star quarterback Phil Jurkovec. The Notre Dame transfer was sidelined for all but six games last season and as a result left the Eagles without their starter—let alone a pro-ready one. The season prior, Jurkovec passed for 2,558 yards in just 10 starts and became the first quarterback since Ryan in 2007 to log four or more 300-yard games in red and gold.
Doubtless due to Jurkovec’s lengthy absence, however, Boston College slumped to the worst-rated offense in the conference. One would expect this to jump with a talented quarterback returning from injury and a strong receiver group, and if it does, the group could surprise its ACC rivals with a comeback similar to Pittsburgh’s last season.
Speaking of Boston College's receiving corps, this one should get fans excited. Headlining the group is 2020 All-ACC First Team Zay Flowers, who hauled in five touchdowns last season on top of 746 receiving yards. Across his time with the Eagles, he has cemented himself as the fifth-most prolific catcher in program history and as a starter this year. Keep an eye on the connection between Jurkovec and Flowers; if it works, it’ll be lethal.
On the other side of the ball, Hafley’s squad returns most of a talented defensive unit that ranked third in the conference in total defense. A good secondary lays the bedrock for a dominant offense, and all things considered the defense pulled its weight amid a lackluster offensive showing. If the two can synergize and the starters it lost can be replaced, Boston College could offer up some surprises.
Long story short, Boston College is a historic and proud program that’s been knocked off of its metaphorical perch in recent years but has a crop of players and a quarterback that are capable of bringing it back up. That doesn’t guarantee anything as the ACC promises to be better than last year, but something at or around.500 seems plausible, with a few close runs at ranked conference foes thrown in.
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Andrew Long is a Trinity senior and recruitment/social chair of The Chronicle's 120th volume. He was previously sports editor for Volume 119.