Virginia Tech 40 Boston College 14: Grading the Game
Boston College got soundly defeated by Virginia Tech on Saturday night 40-14. It was easily the worst game of Jeff Hafley's young career, and a tough outing for the team. Usually we grade out each player, but it was tough in this game, so we are going to grade each position unit.
(Because of COVID-19 this evaluation was done using the network TV feed. There certainly were moments the video missed. We did the best we could to evaluate what was visible. Also for grading: A: Great Game, B:Good Game, C: Average Game D: Below Average F: Poor Game)
(Because of COVID-19 this evaluation was done using the network TV feed. There certainly were moments the video missed)
Quarterback: C- This was not the best game in young Phil Jurkovec's young career. He was able to move the ball effectively through the first three quarters, but made two careless turnovers that cost BC points. On the fumble, the play broke down, Hunter Long was not where he was supposed to be (according to Hafley), Jurkovec should have just ate the sack. And on his first interception, he just made a really bad throw. These types of mistakes are due to happen, hopefully he learns from them and moves on.
Running Backs: D The group itself was looking good to start the game. David Bailey (Individual Grade: B-), looked as strong as he has all year. But on that same drive, Patrick Garwo put the ball on the ground, the first of five turnovers. He never saw the field again. With BC still in the game in the fourth quarter, Travis Levy coughed up the ball. They averaged 3.6 yards a carry, their best outing on the season, but the turnovers were brutal.
Wide Receivers: A. As a unit this was the best group playing for Boston College on Saturday. Zay Flowers didn't have an explosive play, with a 17 yard as his long, but still had one of the moments of the game when it looked like he made an incredible play for a touchdown. Jaelen Gill was easily the MVP for the Eagles on Saturday, CJ Lewis had a pair of nice catches, and Jehlani Galloway played very well. BC needs guys to step up on this unit to help Jurkovec spread the ball around. That was the most promising outcome of the game.
Tight End: A-. Just watching on TV it looked like VT was focused heavily on covering Hunter Long. Even with that being the case he had an incredible catch and run for a touchdown, and did a really nice job in run blocking.
Offensive Line: C-. They looked really good to start the game, helping the rush attack, and really opening some holes for David Bailey. Thought the pass protection looked good. It was when BC was forced to become one dimensional that they started to struggle. Virginia Tech started throwing the kitchen sink at Jurkovec, and he started to take hits. But in the end, the line only allowed one sack, which is a positive. Slightly below average game for the unit.
Defensive Line: D-. If BC was going to stand any chance against the zone read combo of Hendon Hooker and Khalil Herbert someone on this line needed to start making plays, and get some sort of push to disrupt the option. They didn't, allowing over 350 yards. And on the plays they actually got pressure, they couldn't wrap up the ball carrier. It was just an overall tough effort from this group, who were mauled by Virginia Tech's offensive line. On top of that we saw some careless errors near the end of the game, that cost the Eagles points. It's just a one week grade and not indicative of the group itself, maybe they grow from this week.
Linebackers: D+ Max Richardson and Isaiah McDuffie combined for 26 tackles on the day, and it wasn't even close to enough. The pair kept the band aid on the defense for most of the game, but they lacked that "big play" that could get VT off the field. Hate giving this pair such a tough grade, because they clearly busted their tails off, but it wasn't the prettiest outcome.
Secondary: C-. The Hokies only threw the ball 15 times in the game, and completed 11 of them. Jason Maitre had the lone sack of the game. But the passing attack wasn't the biggest issue. Hooker and Herbert gashed the defense, and the secondary didn't have the speed to shut them down. It's not the easiest thing for a cornerback to stop a running back who comes at him full speed without being touched. But this was clearly an issue.
Special Teams: D+. There were at least three plays on special teams that I thought were costly. Jaelen Gill at one point fielded the ball at about the one yard line on a kickoff, and BC got pinned deep. And there were two kickoffs that ended up with the Hokies getting great field position. All these errors seemed avoidable, and something the coaching staff can clean up.
Coaching: D. Hafley even said it himself after the game, there is a lot the coaching staff have to clean up in the way they coached the game.
Overall: D Defense got ran off the field, tackling was sloppy and the offense was careless with the ball, yet somehow BC was still in this game late into the third quarter. This was a tough learning experience for a new coaching staff, but something they can hopefully build on and avoid in future games.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook- BostonCollegeSI
Twitter - @BostonCollegeSI and AJ Black at @AJBlack_BC