Jurkovec's 3 TD passes carries BC past Colgate, 51-0

Updated Sep. 4, 2021 6:06 p.m. ET

Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec is now on the radar screen with much higher expectations on him in his second season with the Eagles.

His first test went well.

Jurkovec threw for three touchdowns and 303 yards in a little over three quarters, leading BC to a 51-0 victory over Colgate on Saturday in the season opener for both schools.

Jurkovec, a 6-foot-5 redshirt junior who transferred from Notre Dame before last season, completed 16 of 24 passes with no interceptions. Last season, he threw for 2,558 yards, the most ever by a BC quarterback in his first 10 games.

“Just the expectations on Phil going in, everybody’s been talking about him now,” BC coach Jeff Hafley said. “Now the pressure’s on him. The way he handled this today says a lot about him.”

He responded with his fifth career 300-yard game.

After a sloppy first quarter, the Eagles took charge by scoring on their final three possessions of the second, taking a 27-0 edge into halftime.

“You could tell we were a little bit shaky early on in the game, we had a couple of drops,” Hafley said. “(Phil) looked comfortable, he looked confident running the ball.”

BC posted its first season-opening shutout since beating Northeastern 54-0 in 2009.

Travis Levy had a 3-yard scoring run, and Jahmin Muse added a 22-yard INT return for a TD.

Colgate QB Grant Breneman was 9 of 16 for just 77 yards and was picked off twice.

“Always good to get the first one under your belt,” Colgate first-year coach Stan Dakosty said. “Good to get the first one in, butterflies and jitters, you want to shake off, but a lot kids played today — a lot of kids got in today. Got some kids banged up so some kids stepped up and played hard.”

Leading 7-0, Jurkovec hit 6-6 tight end Trae Barry, a graduate transfer from Jacksonville State, deep down the left sideline. Barry hurdled over defensive back Keshaun Dancy near the 5-yard line before taking it into the end zone for a 51-yard score.

“I was expecting him to be tackled at the 15,” Jurkovec said, breaking into a wide smile. “To see that hurdle, that was amazing. That shows a little bit of what he can do, his style. He’s very athletic and he’s very long. He can make those types of plays.”

Barry knows he’ll be analyzed at home.

“I must have learned it through my sister,” he said, smiling. “My sister did track all through high school and college. Maybe I picked up some stuff from her. … I’ll get her on the phone and she’ll probably critique it.”

On the next possession, Jurkovec threw a deep pass over the middle to Zay Flowers, who made a leaping grab in the end zone between two defenders for a 39-yard TD.

Jurkovec capped a nine-play, 89-yard march on the final drive of the half by lofting a 10-yard scoring pass to true freshman Jaden Williams.

Jurkovec ran for 43 yards around the left end on his last drive of the day, setting up Pat Garwo’s 2-yard TD run early in the fourth.

It was the first-ever meeting between the schools.

THE TAKEAWAY

Colgate: Despite the large difference in team speed, the Raiders had somewhat of a moral victory when they forced BC to punt on consecutive first-quarter possessions. It should help them when they get into Patriot League play.

Boston College: Offensively, they come as advertised with Jurkovec’s passing and plenty of weapons. Defensively, they had some early breakdowns and missed assignments that’ll need to get cleaned up, especially when they move into ACC play.

“All the receivers we’ve got make it easier on me, because you can’t just play me,” said Flowers, voted on the ACC’s preseason first-team.

UP NEXT

Colgate: Hosts Stony Brook on Saturday.

Boston College: Travels to Massachusetts for an intra-state matchup on Saturday.

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