Boston College Eagles: Phil Jurkovec in spotlight after remarkable 2020 season

Chatter around the Boston College Eagles football team as an under-the-radar candidate to win the ACC continues to grow as their opening game approaches.

Marching towards an ACC championship and a magical season is not out of the question. A lot of what transpires in 2021 will rest on the success — and health — of redshirt junior quarterback Phil Jurkovec.

Now with a full year and a full offseason under his belt, Jurkovec promises to build on an outstanding 2020 campaign. A few hiccups were had, to be sure, but Jurkovec’s play in Boston College’s offensive scheme were a big reason the Eagles went 6-5 last year.

Putting up the stats for Boston College Eagles

Jurkovec’s arrival as a transfer from Notre Dame brought a lot of potential coupled with a lot of unknowns.

From game one, however, Jurkovec took the reins and proved to be a leader on this team.

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He blasted out of the gate with a bang, throwing for 300 or more yards in four of the team’s first five games. Yardage fell off a bit as the season progressed, but Jurkovec still managed to pass for 2,558 yards in ten games.

There were touchdown passes in every game but one, totaling 17 on the season, and Jurkovec only threw five interceptions in completing 61 percent of his passes.

Jurkovec, after the hot start, did cool off the last five games as the opponents got tougher. His highest yardage total in the season’s second-half was 272 against Notre Dame and Jurkovec hovered closer to 200 yards than 300 in the other four games.

Part of this drop can be attributed to a run game that struggled, with Jurkovec often times picking up the biggest chunks himself. Nothing is wrong with Jurkovec using his feet to help propel the offense but the big hits he took last season need to be limited.

Settling in, things should be brighter in that regard in 2021. It’s not impossible to think that Jurkovec could reach 3,000 passing yards and even 25-30 touchdown passes if things are going well.

The offensive line is geared to make up for somewhat of a down year in 2020 and that should also aid Jurkovec and the offense. The unit up front will look to be a wrecking crew in not only protecting Jurkovec but by helping jumpstart a lackluster 2020 running game.

Jurkovec was also banged up for parts of those final games, including missing the final game of the season. As with any team, a healthy first-string quarterback is vital to a team’s success. For Boston College, though, if something were to happen to Jurkovec, a viable option is waiting in the wings.

Boston College Eagles: Experience under center

Redshirt senior Dennis Grosel was handed the reins for the final game of 2020 with Jurkovec out. Grosel was no stranger to the starting 11, having started seven games in 2019.

And while Boston College was unable to come away with a victory against Virginia to close out 2020, Grosel had himself a career-day with 520 yards and four touchdown passes.

Having that experience will come in handy, both on and off the field. Plus, Grosel can also move the offense with his legs, too, as he ran the ball for 209 yards back in 2019.

As capable of a player Grosel is, this is Jurkovec’s team. Bright things are on the horizon for him and the Boston College Eagles. That first taste of 2021 will be when Boston College hosts Colgate on September 4. From there, the spotlight on Jurkovec is bound to only get bigger. And if there’s one player ready to take on center stage and its responsibilities, it’s him.