Phil Jurkovec - Week 1 Boston College Player of the Game

Yesterday, Boston College football gave the Colgate Raiders a thrashing by a score of 51-0 on a sunny Chestnut Hill day that saw the return of fans to Alumni Stadium for the first time since 2019. BC did not disappoint, largely due to the play of QB Phil Jurkovec, which is why he is BCI’s Week 1 Player of the Game!

Jurkovec’s stats for Week 1 were as follows:

• 303 yards passing on 16/24 completions (66.7%)
• 12.6 yards per attempt
• 3 passing TDs
• 5 rushes for 61 yards (led the team in rushing)
• 0 INTs, 0 sacks

Very impressive on the stat sheet, especially on the ground. Jurkovec was able to extend plays with his legs in a great way on Saturday, often moving around the pocket and directing receivers with his hands once a play broke down. He did seem to put his body in harm’s way a bit too much for my liking, often opting for contact to get a couple extra yards instead of sliding safely to the ground, but I certainly won’t complain about that kind of tenacity once BC is starting to face the likes of Mizzou, Clemson, and NC State.

Through the air, Jurkovec was able to air it out a ton and hit receivers like Zay Flowers, CJ Lewis, and Trae Barry often at least 10 or 15 yards downfield if not more. His ball placement could be a bit shaky at times on those deep balls (most of them were fine, just not outstanding), but he correctly identified the open receiver every time and timed his passes well. With such great receiving options at his disposal, Jurk doesn’t have to be 100% on the money for every throw in order to have a high-powered offensive day like Saturday’s. He showed off his arm, had fun with it, and displayed all of the promising fundamentals we’ll need from him as the season progresses.