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Boston College was one of the few ACC teams to complete a full 11 game schedule in 2020, finishing 6-5 against a very favorable schedule. Looking ahead to 2021, they have nine starters back on both sides of the ball and avoid North Carolina and Miami from the Coastal division, giving them a good chance at a seven or eight-win season, perhaps even more if they catch some breaks.

Second-year head coach Jeff Hafley is looking to take a program that hasn’t won more than seven games in a season since 2009 to the levels they had achieved from 2001 to 2009 when the Eagles won at least eight games every season and won seven of nine bowl games. Boston College has a dynamic passing game that finished third in the ACC and 24th in the nation in 2020 and is led by experienced junior quarterback Phil Jurkovec.

Boston College Eagles Standings

The Boston College Eagles are currently holding a solid position in the NCAAF standings. With a solid record and impressive stats, the team has been putting in a strong performance this season. Despite some challenges, the Eagles are working hard to maintain their spot in the standings and make a strong push for the top.

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2020 Summary

The Eagles won six games in 2020, but only one was against a team with a winning record, and their losses weren’t restricted to teams that finished above them in the standings. Statistically, the strength of the team was their passing offense, averaging 284 yards a game that ranked 24th nationally.

Otherwise, the numbers were mediocre, especially their 101.7 yards per game gained on the ground, 14th in the 15 team ACC, and 118th among the 127 teams that fielded a team in the FBS in 2020. Defensively they were in the bottom half of the nation, allowing almost 417 yards a game with neither the running nor passing units distinguishing themselves. Boston College gave up 28.4 points a game, which wasn’t atrocious, but they gave up an average of almost 43 points in losses to Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and Virginia.

Key Players

Clearly, quarterback Phil Jurkovec is critical for the Eagles, with the passing game the lone bright spot for the entire team. He completed 61% of his passes, throwing 17 touchdown passes and five interceptions while averaging 7.6 yards per attempt.

Boston College returns their leading receiver, with Zay Flowers catching 56 passes for 892 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging just under 16 yards a reception in 2020. He’ll be instrumental in again providing Jurkovec a key target as the Eagles attempt to develop a running game to complement their air attack.

The Eagles don’t have a true leader coming back in the running game, so while there isn’t a specific player mentioned here, someone is going to need to emerge if the team expects to reach some semblance of balance on the offensive side of the ball.

Key Additions

Linebacker Isaiah Graham-Mobley transferred in from Temple and will be expected to fill a gap created by the departure of players leading the team in tackles and sacks. Although the defense made strides in 2020, it could take a step back if players like Graham-Mobley don’t step up and perform.

Key Subtractions

Leading tackler Isaiah McDuffie also contributed 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and an interception in 2020 from his linebacker position. He’ll be playing for the Green Bay Packers, who made him one of two sixth-round draft picks.

Linebacker Max Richardson was the Eagles’ second-leading tackler and led the team with eight tackles for loss. Richardson signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent.

A third departing linebacker was Maximilian Roberts, who played eight games in 2020 and led the team in sacks with 4.5 and had six tackles for loss. He signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams.

Divisional Outlook

Clemson won the ACC Atlantic five consecutive times from 2015 – 2019, with the conference not using the division in structure in 2020 as Notre Dame was a one-season member of the conference. It didn’t make much difference, as Clemson won their sixth conference title in a row.

There isn’t a serious contender to the Tigers in 2021, so everyone but Clemson is playing for second place in the ACC Atlantic. N.C. State is the most likely challenger, with Boston College possibly posing a threat, but only if their defense can continue to develop, which is unlikely.

Florida State and Louisville are rebuilding while Wake Forest can be a serious spoiler, but behind Clemson, there is a lot of balance, and the league standings might depend primarily on differences in schedules. Florida State plays Miami and North Carolina from the ACC Coastal, while Louisville has the benefit of facing off against Duke and Virginia, which makes it likely Louisville will finish ahead of the Seminoles even if they don’t have a superior team.

Boston College Offense

Without a proven running game, the Eagles offense will revolve around Jurkovec’s ability to continue to lead an efficient passing game. A favorable schedule will help the offense, but the lack of a ground game puts the Boston College team in a high-risk situation, especially against elite defenses, which, fortunately for the Eagles, they don’t have many on their schedule.

On the positive side, the passing game and Jurkovec’s experience will clearly give them a chance to compete in every game except against Clemson. A solid running game could help them have a special season, but it doesn’t look like that will happen.

Boston College Defense

The defense, even though they improved from 2019 to 2020, still wasn’t very well last year. Although Boston College brings back a lot of starters, they lost most of their leading tacklers and their entire linebacking crew.

Their hold on defensive improvement is tenuous at best, with losses to the NFL seemingly not offset by the incoming talent, either through recruiting or the transfer portal. The secondary will be the strength of the unit, but without an effective pass rush, they may face a huge challenge to move up from 82nd in the nation through the air.


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Boston College Eagles​ FAQs

How many national championships has Boston College won?

One, 1940.

When did Boston College join the ACC?

2005

How many conference championships has Boston College won?

One, the Big East title in 2004.

What is Boston College’s all-time record?

512-402-14

Who is the winningest coach in Boston College history?

Tom O’Brien won 75 games from 1997 to 2006.

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