Grading the Boston College Offense vs. Texas State
Boston College completed a fourth quarter comeback on Saturday evening, defeating a pesky Texas State team 24-21. The Eagles scored ten points in just over a minute in the final moments of the game, capped by a 36 yard field goal by kicker Aaron Boumerhi. We’ve broken the game down in many ways, and now it’s time to hand out grades, beginning with the offense.
(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)
Coaching: C. This was a game of halves, kind of like the Duke game. In the first half Boston College had just over a 100 yards, and they weren't moving the ball effectively. The play calling seemed disjointed as well, as the team couldn't throw or pass the ball. This continued into the third quarter, but the fourth quarter was a totally different story. BC was able to put up 103 yards, and the play calling was much more crisp and manageable. I think what BC needs to find is an identity, and the coaching staff can help them find it.
Phil Jurkovec: B-. It's tough to be critical of a quarterback who led two fantastic drives in the fourth quarter in which he looked masterful. But the truth is, he had lots of negative plays and areas he needs to work on. He held on to the ball too long throughout the first half, and he needs to be more careful trying to thread the ball into triple coverage on passes to Hunter Long. There were also plays where he missed open receivers because he didn't see them. He's a young quarterback, so hopefully he will continue to grow, but he's going to need to turn it on quicker against UNC this week.
David Bailey: D. Not a factor at all in this game. 8 rushes for 33 yards. Not being used is one thing, but when he was being used he doesn't seem as physical as he did last year. Don't know what was going on with him, or if he is dinged up, but definitely doesn't seem like himself.
Travis Levy: B-. Effective in the pass game, not so much in the run game. As a punt returner he has got to start calling more fair catches, was really starting to get concerned he would get hurt.
Jaelen Gill: B. Had four catches for 32 yards including a big first down catch late in the game. His integration into the offense seems to be going as planned. As teams key in on Flowers and Long, Gill is going to need to be used more and will find himself getting more targets.
Hunter Long: A. Another big game for the big tight end who continues to grow into one of the best tight ends in the country. Jurkovec clearly trusts him and looks for him as one of his top reads. Nine catches, the big touchdown in the end zone.
Zay Flowers: C. Didn't record a catch until the fourth quarter. Clearly teams are going to start focusing on him like Long, how will he get the ball moving forward?
CJ Lewis: B-. Had the touchdown catch that was called back because of a penalty. Had the mishap with Gill later in the game where Jurkovec scrambled and both were in the area on a pass.
Spencer Witter: B. Snuck out on a power run play action, which turned into a big gain.
Offensive Line: C-. Thought last weekend's game against Duke was going to be an outlier for this group, but it didn't appear that way against Texas State. The Bobcats constantly threw pressure at them, and disguised it well, and the line struggled. The running game was almost non-existent, rushing for 87 yards and just over three yards a carry. Mentioned this in another post, but I'm not sure if this is all due to a change in blocking schemes, or moving players around. They are going to need a much better showing against UNC next weekend.
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