Final Thoughts & Predictions - Boston College @ UConn

On Saturday afternoon, the Boston College Eagles travel down to East Hartford, CT to take on the UConn Huskies in a football game that should at least be interesting.

Boston College is 2-5 entering the contest, their worst start since the 2012 season that ended with a paltry 2-10 record. UConn is fairing a bit better, though against weaker competition. The Huskies are 3-5 entering Saturday and have won 2 of their last 3, but remain winless against Power 5 competition (0-3).

BC opened up as 9-point favorites, but that quickly shrunk down to 7.5 points within a day or two. Much to the chagrin of Eagles fans everywhere, this game is expected to be uncomfortably close.

What to Watch For

• Can the BC offense get going fast? Boston College has had the capability to put up a large number of points this season against weak defense once the passing game gets going, but the opportunities have come scarcely. Notably, they had a big offensive day against Louisville for their only ACC win so far. The key to a win will be to work up that magic once again. UConn’s offense has a lot of injured playmakers and will struggle to put up points, so the Eagles will want to score early and then “park the bus” without letting UConn get back into the game. Against a weak UConn secondary, the electric Zay Flowers certainly may have an opportunity to help them do that.
• Phil Jurkovec and sack/turnover prevention. Boston College’s offensive line continues to be a key weakness for the team, and UConn’s defense prides itself on its front 7 getting to the QB and stuffing the run. Sacks and fumbles are a great way for a weaker team like UConn to shift the game’s outcome and pull off an upset. Phil Jurkovec hasn’t lost a fumble or thrown an INT in his past 2 contests, so he’ll look to continue that streak in order to prevent UConn from getting too many chances. Though he did fumble once against Wake, it was recovered by BC’s OL.

Tailgate Treat of the Week

UConn is an away game, but still very possible to travel to for you BC Football sickos who haven’t stopped watching this team, so I’m going to give you a recommendation down in Connecticut. My choice this week is the Agave Street Tacos from the Agave Grill in Hartford. I was just there on Thursday night when I traveled to see BC hockey lose to UConn, and these tacos were probably my highlight of the weeknight trip. The double blue corn shell, tender BBQ pulled pork, and fresh ingredients are a great way to spend an early lunch or dinner after the game. And it’s just outside East Hartford.

Prediction: Boston College 27 UConn 17

Unfortunately for BC, a 7.5-point spread is pretty fair. I’m still taking the Eagles to cover, but fans won’t be happy by how close this one is. Jim Mora has the Huskies playing much better football than we’ve seen in years past, especially on the defensive side of the ball. I expect Zay and the offense to break out for a few big gains and to score enough to fend them off, but Boston College fans will be a bit uncomfortable for most of the game. Nonetheless, Eags win.