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At the bye week, here are 5 telling statistics about BC football
Every year during the bye week, regardless of how the Boston College football season is unfolding, coach Jeff Hafley believes it’s important to take a step back and examine the big picture.
He and his staff study what the Eagles are doing well and what they need to fix, they evaluate players and their roles, and they discuss whether or not their messages are getting through.
This season, BC sputters into the bye week with a 2-4 record (1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) following a 31-3 loss to No. 5 Clemson last Saturday.
The Eagles have shown their potential in flashes, highlighted by a win over Louisville and an encouraging first half against the Tigers. They’ve struggled mightily at other times, including a back-breaking last drive against Rutgers, lopsided road losses to Virginia Tech and Florida State, and a disheartening second half in the Clemson game.
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This is a team with talent, and Hafley’s goal is to help the Eagles maximize that talent in the second half of the season, starting with a tough game at Wake Forest Oct. 22.
“I like this team,” Hafley said. “Maybe the results don’t show it, but the last two weeks, we’ve gotten better. I’m confident of that. We need to get healthy. We need to hopefully put the injuries behind us, but we’re getting better.”
Here are five stats to help contextualize the first half and what needs to happen in the second half for the Eagles to salvage their season.
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· BC quarterbacks have been sacked an ACC-high 22 times.
The offensive line is young to begin with, but injuries haven’t helped. Opponents have sacked Phil Jurkovec or backup Emmett Morehead 22 times for a loss of 183 yards, while the Eagles have gotten to opposing QBs just 12 times for a loss of 61.
The Eagles often find themselves in third-and-long situations, which puts defenses in the driver’s seat. The offensive line has made major strides, but it still has plenty of room to improve.
“Ever since the first game of the season, everybody’s answer against us has been to pressure,” Hafley said. “They’ve seen we’ve had different offensive linemen in and we’ve had some injuries. We’re playing from behind, so it makes it easier for them to pressure.”
· BC averages 69.5 rushing yards per game.
This goes hand in hand with the sacks. The Eagles are averaging an ACC-low 2.2 yards per carry and 69.5 rushing yards per game.
They’ve found success in spurts, but overall their inability to regularly run the football has proven to be costly.
Last week was a setback, but it came against an elite run defense and with the Eagles shorthanded.
· Zay Flowers leads the ACC with 42 catches, 556 yards, and 5 receiving touchdowns.
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Jurkovec’s favorite target is making even more of a name for himself.
Flowers turned down significant money this offseason and the move has paid dividends when it comes to his NFL Draft stock. He already was considered an intriguing prospect, but he’s gotten even more glowing reviews this season.
He has as many receptions as BC’s next three receivers combined. George Takacs (17), Jaelen Gill (14), and Jaden Williams (11) are all threats, as is freshman Joe Griffin, so spreading the ball around could go a long way for Jurkovec. Of course, doing so is easier said than done, and Flowers is often the one able to get separation.
“I’d like to see it even out a little bit, but I think Zay deserves to catch the football and get the ball in his hands,” Hafley said. “But you’d definitely like to get those guys involved also.”
· Elijah Jones has 9 passes defended, tops in the conference.
Jones was piecing together a terrific game against Clemson before he left with an injury.
He has emerged as one of the better defensive backs in the ACC, but his health is something to monitor moving forward.
BC’s pass defense as a whole is in the middle of the pack (eighth) in the ACC at 219 yards per game. The Eagles had the 28th-best pass defense in the nation a year ago.
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· BC averages the fewest penalty yards in the ACC at 38.7 per game.
That number is 13th in the nation when it comes to fewest penalty yards per game.
The Eagles have been extremely disciplined, which is particularly difficult to do when Hafley is asking the secondary to play such an aggressive style.
“We press Clemson more than anybody in the country,” Hafley said. “We force them to make really hard throws each year, and it shows.”
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