Game Summary: Boston College 41 Georgia Tech 30

Boston College received the opening kickoff and made a very quick opening drive. After gaining just one first down with a long pass to Jaelen Gill, Jurkovec looked deep downfield again at Zay Flowers for a 48-yard TD catch to bring the Eagles up 7-0 only 2 minutes into the game. Georgia Tech didn’t wait to answer, though, returning the ensuing kickoff for a TD to tie it up at 7-7.

BC couldn’t get anything going to keep the hot start going and had to punt after a stuffed run and a long incompletion. Georgia Tech received the punt and finally got to work on offense, using redshirt freshman QB Jordan Yates instead of their typical QB Jeff Sims. A lot of runs and short passing quickly brought the Yellow Jackets up the field in a way that the Eagles had a hard time countering. Once in the redzone, Yates threw through an incredibly tight window near the pylon for Malachi Carter, who was able to haul it in to put GT up 14-7.

After being put back 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct from their kicker, GT squibbed it to BC. Passes to Luchetti and Jaden Williams, coupled with a couple nice long runs from Garwo, but he fumbled at the GT 15-yard line and gave the ball back to the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech proceeded to march down the field, picking up a few penalties on the way, but overcoming the extra yards anyway with runs, QB scrambles, and short passes all over the field. A long run by Jahmyr Gibbs set-up a quick QB run for TD to put up the Yellow Jackets, 21-7.

An odd kickoff sequence, that included a muffed catch, an offsides, then GT sending out 2 players wearing the same number, ended up giving BC terrific starting field position near midfield. After a couple plays, Jurkovec aired it out to Zay Flowers for another long TD, this time for 39 yards, shortening GT’s lead to 21-14.

Boston College attempted an onside kick on the kickoff, but was unable to recover. Nonetheless, the Boston College defense stepped up for the first time all half and forced a 3-and-out and a punt. Jurkovec quickly found Trae Barry down the sideline on a 38-yard pass, which was followed by a facemask penalty that allowed BC to find itself quickly down the field once again. Jurkovec brought in a TD himself and the Eagles came back to tie it up, 21-21.

Another onside kick from Boston College went unrecovered once again, giving GT excellent field position. They moved it slowly but surely, including on a fake punt on 4th-and-short, but eventually got pushed back to 4th-and-very-long after a sack and big tackle for loss. Inexplicably, the Yellow Jackets elected to throw the ball on 4th down and were incomplete by a mile, turning it over on downs.

After getting the ball back, Jurkovec found Jaden Williams deep downfield (seeing a theme with this offense?) and set the Eagles up nicely in GT territory. Jurkovec ran it for 12 yards into the redzone himself, and then ran it again himself for another 14 yards and a TD. The Eagles finally opened up another lead, 28-21, to enter the second half.

Georgia Tech received the second half kickoff, a short kick again after BC made sure no other returns could score TDs. Jordan Yates showed he’s capable of taking it just as well as Jurkovec, gaining 30 yards and setting up the Yellow Jackets well into BC territory. After a DPI brought Georgia Tech in close, they failed to get any further and were forced to kick, cutting Boston College’s lead to 28-24.

BC got the ball back but wasn’t able to do much as Jurkovec’s running ability was stifled by the defense and the Eagles were forced to punt. Georgia Tech marched down the field on their next drive, aided by a roughing the passer penalty, but were picked off by Jaiden Woodbey at the 3-yard line and couldn’t finish with any points.

Boston College once again began a drive and were able to drive it down the field with the help of Patrick Garwo’s work on the ground and some costly GT penalties. The Eagles couldn’t get anything going once in the redzone, though, and settled for a FG to make their lead 31-24. After another short kickoff, Georgia Tech drove down the field, aided by a late hit of of bounds from BC, and Jahmyr Gobbs found himself in the endzone. A missed PAT for the Yellow Jackets kept them trailing at 31-30, though.

Boston College, nursing a fragile 1-point lead, almost got stuffed right off the bat, but a deep pass to Trae Barry kept their drive alive. Another acrobatic grab by Jaelen Gill and some big Pat Garwo runs helped the Eagles push even further into GT territory on this crucial drive. Phil Jurkovec ended up bursting out for a 31-yard TD run and put BC up 38-30 with 2:48 to go in the game.

Georgia Tech got the ball back on another short kickoff with the goal to bring the game into OT. But they were sacked twice, including once on 4th down, and couldn’t get it done. BC set-up for a quick FG after running out some clock to make it 41-30. And that’s how the score ended, after GT couldn’t score any more with their remaining 21 seconds.