College Sports

Boston College football has no answers for Sam Hartman, Wake Forest offense

Chuck Burton
Boston College couldn't slow down Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman. Chuck Burton/AP Photo

By Trevor Hass, The Boston Globe

3 minutes to read

Boston College knew what to expect from Wake Forest’s high-octane offense.

That didn’t make defending it any easier.

The shorthanded Eagles struggled to stymie the Demon Deacons, falling victim to their trademark “slow mesh” delayed run-pass option and veteran quarterback Sam Hartman’s brilliance. No. 13 Wake Forest played its best football in critical moments, running away with a 43-15 win Saturday at Truist Field in Winston-Salem, N.C.

“Ultimately in football, the players make the system go,” BC coach Jeff Hafley said. “That’s an impressive group …  I think it might be the best overall team we’ve played all year.”

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Boston College (2-5, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) kept it close for a while, trailing 14-9 late in the second quarter, but the Demon Deacons (6-1, 2-1 ACC) extended the lead to 21-9 at halftime and cruised from there.

For the second straight game, the Eagles hung around with a ranked opponent for two-plus quarters before unraveling.

“You’ve got young guys out there,” Hafley said. “I’ve got to look hard at that, but I feel like we’re wearing down and getting a little bit overwhelmed in the second half. Hopefully with experience, that will get better.”

Connor Lytton drilled a 29-yard field goal to put the Eagles ahead early, but a missed opportunity to score a touchdown hurt. Hartman then found Jahmal Banks for a 15-yard score and Taylor Morin for a 12-yard toss to make it 14-3.

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The Eagles, playing without starting center Drew Kendall (broken wrist) and starting left guard Finn Dirstine (shoulder, out for the season), turned to a relatively inexperienced starting offensive line of Ozzy Trapilo (LT), Dwayne Allick (LG), Jackson Ness (C), Nick Thomas (RG), and Jack Conley (RT).

Punter Danny Longman, who perfectly executed a fake early in the second quarter, had more net rushing yards (24) than any other Eagle. Longman’s scamper — followed by a two-fumble play that kept an unusual Eagles’ drive alive — led to a 61-yard strike from Phil Jurkovec (20-for-38 passing, 221 yards, 1 TD; 21 yards rushing, 1 TD) to Zay Flowers (10 catches, 135 yards, TD) to slice the deficit to 14-9.

Flowers, who leads the ACC in receptions (52) and receiving yards (691), was dynamic and slithery once again. He helped the Eagles stay within striking distance, and, as a decoy, opened up opportunities for freshman Joe Griffin Jr. (four catches, 50 yards) and other playmakers.

The only problem was that whenever BC converted, Wake Forest answered right back.

Hartman (25-for-40 passing, 313 yards, 5 TDs, INT; 7 yards rushing, 1 TD) hit A.T. Perry for a 13-yard strike late in the half to create some separation. The Eagles held the edge in yards and time of possession in both the first and second quarters, but couldn’t match the Demon Deacons’ efficiency.

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Wake Forest extended its lead to 28-9 on a 4-yard dart from Hartman to Morin, then Jurkovec scurried in from 7 yards out to cut the deficit to 28-15 with 4:41 left in the third. At that point, the Eagles were still very much in the game.

Redshirt freshman Cole Batson intercepted a pass on the next drive, but the Eagles couldn’t capitalize. Hartman scored from 2 yards out and connected with Ke’Shawn Williams for a 2-point conversion to extend the lead to 36-15 through three.

Hartman’s sixth touchdown came midway through the fourth, when he delivered a pinpoint pass to Banks for a 16-yard dagger. He was poised, patient, and accurate, and BC’s secondary had no answer the bulk of the game.

“We knew coming into the game that they run a very unique offense,” defensive lineman Marcus Valdez said. “They’re going to really ride out that mesh.”

The Eagles did what they could, and put up a fight for two-plus quarters, but they lost to a more experienced and explosive team. BC leads the all-time series, 14-13-2, but the Demon Deacons have dominated the last two meetings by a combined score of 84-25.

Boston College is still searching for its first win over an Associated Press-ranked opponent since 2014.

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With a must-win game against UConn on the horizon, and a tougher-than-expected matchup with Duke after that, it’s now or never for a struggling BC team.

Hafley said defensive back Jason Maitre addressed the team after the loss and encouraged the Eagles to continue to stay unified.

“We’ve got five games,” Flowers said. “I believe we can win these last five games. We’ve just got to do it together.”

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