Five Can't Miss Boston College Football Games For 2022
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Boston College enters year three of the Jeff Hafley era with some hope and higher expectations as they return star quarterback Phil Jurkovec and wide receiver Zay Flowers for one more season. While there has been excitement under Hafley, the Eagles still are only one game over .500 over the past two seasons. 2022 will be critical for the direction of the program, as BC will look to show that they are more than a 6 or 7 win team.
The team certainly has their strengths, with the aforementioned passing attack, but also a pass defense that was third in the country last year. But there are still some concerns, as BC will replace four out of their five starting linebackers, and their pass rush was one of the worst in the conference last season.
Top 5 Games of 2022 for the Boston College Eagles
Clemson Tigers
Over his first two seasons, Jeff Hafley has battled Clemson as consistently as any other team in the country. Losing both games by only six on the road, with chances to win both games were tough pills to swallow, but 2022 could be different. The Eagles will face Clemson at home on October 8th. This will be the first time since 2018 due to the funky COVID-19 scheduling changes of 2020, and it will be the Red Bandana game. Those matchups usually have a little extra spirit to them, so could BC finally end the Tigers 11 game winning streak? It will be tough, Clemson will have arguably the best defensive line BC faces all season.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The storylines heading into this installment of the Holy War will be all anyone will talk about heading into the November 19th matchup in South Bend. Phil Jurkovec will get his second crack at his former team, this time on the road. John McNulty and George Takacs, Boston College's offensive coordinator and tight end respectively both returns to face their former squad. The Marcus Freeman hiring was a brilliant move by the Irish, and if Boston College can gel this season, and make this a Top 25 team, the Hafley/Freeman matchup could be fascinating.
NC State Wolfpack
This offseason, the NC State Wolfpack have become a popular pick to win the ACC. After beating Clemson last season, they went on to take Wake Forest to the brink in one of the best games of the ACC season. The Pack pounded Boston College in the second half of last season, but that was a game that unraveled around halftime. This matchup could see two of the best quarterbacks in the conference, with Jurkovec and Devin Leary, which adds lots of intrigue. This game comes near the end of the schedule, November 12th, meaning there are lots of potential shifts in strengths and weaknesses for both programs that could happen before then.
Florida State Seminoles
If you are looking for Boston College's first big "test" you can argue it will be either Virginia Tech or Florida State. Given their rebuild, and new head coach, it probably won't be the Hokies even though that game is on the road. The Seminoles on the other hand have always been a matchup challenge for the Eagles, given their speed and athleticism. Last season, quarterback Jordan Travis lit up the Eagles for 250 yards and three touchdowns through the air. As FSU continues to rebuild their program under head coach Mike Norvell, they most likely will only continue to get better. Circle this game on September 24th as one of the most important for the Eagles in 2022.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
One of BC's ugliest games last year was their season finale against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, a game the Eagles lost 41-10. With a struggling and clearly still recovering Jurkovec, BC couldn't get anything going on offense, while Sam Hartman and Co. marched down the field effortlessly. The Deacs have a two game winning streak in this series, dating back to 2018, but overall the series has been evenly matched with BC leading 14-12. In this game on October 22, will the Eagles defense be strong enough, and developed enough to slow down Wake? The offense should be fine, as long as Jurkovec is healthy, but if Wake's offense turns this into a track meet, this could be a really tough out, especially on the road.
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