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BC football hopes to take down another ranked opponent — this time Notre Dame
The Eagles won their first game against a ranked opponent in eight years when they took down North Carolina State last week.
Boston College football coach Jeff Hafley keeps a card with his father’s name on it near his computer as a constant reminder to push through challenging times.
When Hafley coached at Pittsburgh in the late 2000s, he learned that his father, Greg Hafley, had colon cancer and was given three weeks to live. Doctors told Greg that chemotherapy may kill him faster, but he elected to do it.
“He’d rather fight through it, and know that he fought, than let it just kill him,” Hafley said.
Hafley at times had to carry his father out of chemo sessions because he was too weak to walk, but he is forever grateful that his father showed him the value of resilience. Greg ended up living for an additional year, and Hafley cherished those extra moments they spent together before he died Nov. 14, 2011.
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“If he can fight through that, what can’t I fight through?” Hafley said. “When things get hard, and you lose games, that’s where my mind goes. If I can’t be inspired to fight and coach and play a game that I’m blessed to coach, and he can go through that, then I’m not a real leader. That’s probably the biggest inspiration in my life.”
Hafley said the Eagles “got a win for him” when they stunned No. 17 North Carolina State, 21-20, on a touchdown with 14 seconds left last Saturday night. He believes his father “had a little bit to do with some of those plays,” nearly 11 years to the day after his death.
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Hafley’s relentless optimism and ability to keep the Eagles unified paid off in a tangible way against the Wolfpack. Now the Eagles (3-7, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) will hope to keep the momentum rolling when they visit No. 18 Notre Dame (7-3) Saturday.
The players know one game won’t necessarily translate to the next, but they’re confident they can give another elite team fits if they play to their potential.
“Last week’s done,” Hafley said. “I told the team that. It’s over, it’s done. It doesn’t mean anything anymore. It’s what’s ahead of us now.”
The Eagles are 21-point underdogs and haven’t beaten the Fighting Irish since 2008. They’ll try to knock off a ranked opponent once again after not doing so from 2015-21.
“There’s nothing more exciting for me than to be in a sold-out arena and be able to hear a pin drop,” defensive back Elijah Jones said.
After the Eagles beat North Carolina State, Hafley said, no one wanted to leave the locker room, and some players had tears in their eyes. It was just one game, but it felt like much more given all they have endured together.
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“I feel like it showed the kind of resilience we have as a team and the kind of culture,” Jones said. “It’s not like, ‘All right, well, we’re not making a bowl, so it’s time to lay down and let other people live out the best of their dreams.’
“It was Senior Night. It was such a perfect story for them. It just felt good to, in one swoop, kind of just take it all away.”
As the Eagles try to salvage a season gone wrong, they’re willing to embrace the role of spoiler. They’d rather make something out of nothing than be in denial or sputter to the finish line.
Jones acknowledged there’s “a lot more meaning” for this game. There is palpable excitement coming off a road win and facing a storied program.
One other wrinkle is that they’ll have to overcome an illness they suspect is the flu that has knocked out more than a dozen players this week. Hafley didn’t specify which players are out, but it has changed how he organized practices.
They’re also in an unusual spot at quarterback. Redshirt freshman Emmett Morehead put up eye-popping numbers in a loss to Duke in his first career start, then he fueled the Eagles to a come-from-behind triumph over the Wolfpack.
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Hafley reiterated that Phil Jurkovec is the starter when healthy, but Jurkovec has been in concussion protocol and dealing with a right knee injury and a rib problem.
Asked if Jurkovec will play, Hafley said, “Yeah, there’s a chance.”
While Jurkovec would relish the opportunity to take down his former team, Morehead has given Hafley plenty of reason to ride with him moving forward. On the off chance Jurkovec is out and Morehead is one of the players with the flu, Matthew Rueve would likely get the start.
Regardless of how it shakes out, Hafley credited Jurkovec for the way he’s handled a difficult situation. He praised him for offering up his first-class seat on the plane to tackle Owen Stoudmire and volunteering to sit in the back.
“I know the guy wants to play,” Hafley said. “I’m sure it’s not the easiest week for him emotionally, but his attitude has been outstanding. He seems to be in really good spirits.”
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