Five Questions Boston College Has To Answer to Defeat #12 UNC
Boston College faces off with a very tough North Carolina squad in Chestnut Hill on Saturday. The Eagles, who are now two touchdown underdogs, have to clean up their game if they want to pull off the upset. But what are the five biggest questions facing the team? And what do they need to answer if they stand a chance of winning their first game against an AP Top 25 team since 2014?
Can Jurkovec get it going quicker?
Head coach Jeff Hafley joked this week that he is going to tell his star quarterback that every quarter is the 4th quarter in order to get him going quicker. Jokes aside, the statistics speak for themselves. First half: 15/25 142 yards and a pair of interceptions, no touchdowns. Second half: 28/36 368 yards and three touchdowns. Taking a while to get it going against Duke or even Texas State didn't hurt them, but UNC is a team that can put up points. If Jurkovec can't move the ball through two quarters, it may be too late.
Can the defense produce turnovers?
BC has six turnovers this season, and as Jeff Hafley has said that is going to be the key to their defense. The Eagles are opportunistic and will need to make those big plays to get off the field. UNC looked sloppy against Syracuse, with three turnovers of their own, but have had three weeks to clean up their play. If BC is going to win this game they are going to need to make those key turnovers.
Can the offensive line and rushing attack kick it in to gear?
One of the more concerning stories this young season has been the disappointing play of the offensive line. For a group that was lauded as one of the best in the ACC, just look at the stats. The rushing game: 248 total yards, averaging 2.48 yards per game. Phil Jurkovec has been sacked eight times (quite a few of those are on him). Two touchdowns taken off the board due to penalties. UNC has a strong defensive unit, who had a lot of success rattling Syracuse (though that is partially due to Syracuse's o-line playing horribly). The front five for Boston College has to play better and they need to establish the run.
Can the defense prevent long drives?
Hafley talked about this during his press conferences this week. They need to get off the field. Last week against Texas State, Boston College allowed four drives of eight plays or more. They were fortunate enough that it only cost them 21 points total, but BC needs to stop shooting themselves in the foot on defense. Costly missed tackles, and penalties were a huge factor in those drives and the defense can ill afford either against Sam Howell and that offense.
Can the Eagles win special teams?
College football is a three phases game, and Boston College made the plays on special teams to beat Texas State. Grant Carlson flipped the field on a booming punt, and Aaron Boumerhi hit the game winning field goal. On our podcast this week, cohost Eric Hoffses talked about UNC's special teams as a possible chink in their armor. Syracuse almost had a punt return for a touchdown (negated by a block in the back) and they missed a field goal. If Boston College can play a clean game on special teams that could put them in much better position to pull off the upset.