Grading the '21 Eagles: Quarterbacks And Running Backs

A look at Boston College quarterbacks and running backs from the 2021 season, assigning grades and giving analysis on their play

Quarterbacks

AJ: This was a season of unlimited potential, that was torn down because of a fluke injury. Boston College headed into this season with a quarterback primed for a breakout year, and he goes down early with a hand injury that kept him out of a majority of the season. There was expectations that Dennis Grosel would be able to keep the offense going, which he did against UMass/Mizzou and Temple, but OC Frank Cignetti masked a lot of his deficiencies with a reliance on the power running game. Once he ripped the band aid off, and forced Grosel to throw it more, the season turned into a nightmare. Grosel couldn’t hit open receivers, he struggled to move the ball down field, and the offense sputtered because of it. BC tried Emmett Morehead as well, but he looked green and very much the true freshman getting his first NCAA reps against Syracuse, and struggled minus one impressive deep pass to Zay Flowers. Jurkovec made a miraculous return against VT, and did what he needed to win that game, and looked completely out of this world against Georgia Tech. However, his injured hand clearly was not 100% against Florida State and Wake Forest (combined with the flu), and struggled for most of those games. Because the quarterback situation was a major issue for a majority of the season they get a below average score.

Grade: C-

Mitch: When a team’s starting quarterback, and possible future top-100 NFL Draft pick, goes down in the second game of the season, the play at that position suffers. Phil Jurkovec began the season very strong, lighting up the FCS sacrificial lamb in Week 1. But a broken bone in his throwing hand/wrist knocked him out for half the season. BC fans tried to remain optimistic with veteran backup Dennis Grosel under center. While Grosel had his moments (Missouri), his inability to consistently and accurately complete passes down the field handicapped the Eagles’ offense. It even got to the point where Jeff Hafley threw true freshman Emmett Morehead in against Syracuse to try to jumpstart the offense. That ultimately failed as well but luckily, Jurkovec made a shocking return to the lineup next year. He led BC to two consecutive victories against Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech to make BC bowl eligible. However, in BC’s final two games at home, Jurkovec’s hand injury seemed to flare up, limiting his ability to throw the ball well. A major flu outbreak against Wake Forest in the finale also limited the offense, leading to BC finishing with a 6-6 record.

This grade essentially comes out to an average of Jurkovec’s and Grosel’s performances. Even though I think the coaching staff could have made more adjustments to make his life easier, I think Grosel struggled immensely when he was under center. His receivers got open consistently but he simply could not deliver the ball to them accurately. Therefore, I would grade Grosel out at around a D. Regarding Jurkovec, his performances truly ran the entire gamut. Against Colgate and Georgia Tech, he was electric. He was solid against Virginia Tech and in the second half against Florida State but was abysmal in the first half of the latter game and against Wake Forest. As I’ve said before, I think his most recent performances were impacted by the weather and the subsequent aggravation of his hand injury. With all that in mind, I think a fair grade for Jurkovec, given all the circumstances of his season, would be around a B. Therefore, the average of those two would be a C. In general, for most of the season, the offense struggled to consistently move the ball; more often than not, the quarterback was the reason behind those struggles.

Grade: C

Running Backs

AJ: Pat Garwo III was one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 season. While the Eagles struggled to get much going through the air, he was able to make some big runs, on his way to a 1K+ rushing yard season. On top of Garwo, the Eagles were able to get quality runs from Alec Sinkfield, and Travis Levy. For a group that struggled for most of 2020, this group on the ground got it going in ‘21. Levy did a nice job as the third down back, and also finished the season with thirteen catches, while Sinkfield was a good change of pace back whenever Garwo needed a breather or the team wanted to change things up. In pass protection they struggled at times as well, and overall were inconsistent in catching the ball. That being said, a position that many thought would be a major concern, turned into one of the most productive of the season.

Grade B

Mitch: As many BC fans know, the running backs were the driving force of the entire offense for the majority of the 2010s. In Jeff Hafley’s first season on the Heights, the running game took a major step back, both in terms of frequency and productivity. Going into the 2021 season, players and coaches repeatedly spoke about being more balanced on offense. But after Phil Jurkovec’s injury, the offense began to look more like the Adazzio version of years past. With Grosel under center, the Eagles were forced to lean on the running game very heavily. This was relatively surprising, given that BC did not appear to have a bell-cow back after David Bailey transferred to reunite with Adazzio at Colorado State.

With all that being said, I would argue this was BC’s most efficient and diverse rushing attack in many years. The backfield went by committee for the first few weeks but after a breakout performance against Missouri, Pat Garwo III seized the lead role. Garwo brought the physicality of the Adazzio running backs but also added some elusiveness and vision that those backs lacked. Additionally, Garwo’s ascension allowed the other running backs, Travis Levy and Alec Sinkfield, to comfortably slide into complementary roles. Levy served as the de facto third-down back, contributing as a receiver and pass protector, even occasionally as a short-yardage back, utilizing his experience and instincts as the elder statesman in the backfield. Some expected Sinkfield to become the starter and lead back for the Eagles at some point but he excelled as the “lightning” to Garwo’s “thunder”. His speed and vision added another element to the rushing attack, giving the offense an off-speed pitch to Garwo’s runs between the tackles.

While I thought all the running backs played quite well this season, I have a few nits to pick. Their biggest issues came in pass protection. All three of the running backs struggled to maintain consistency in this aspect of the game. They also had issues with knowing who to block and with the actual act of blocking them. These problems led to numerous pressures and sacks of the quarterbacks. Additionally, they were not consistent weapons in the passing game. Levy flashed occasionally but Garwo and Sinkfield had too many drops when coming out of the backfield. Nevertheless, I felt the running backs succeeded for most of the season and were among the best units on the team.

Grade: B+

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