Notre Dame: Beating Boston College Means Stopping Phil Jurkovec
Notre Dame will look to build on its victory over previously No. 1 ranked Clemson by continuing its winning ways, which means quickly re-focusing on Boston College. The Eagles are 5-3 with narrow losses to Clemson (34-28) and North Carolina (26-22).
Boston College can be dangerous, but whether or not the Eagles are capable of upsetting Notre Dame revolves around one player ... quarterback Phil Jurkovec.
For Notre Dame to avoid the upset and continue its winning ways the game plan is simple, sort of. Boston College is going to go as far as Jurkovec can take it. If you stop Jurkovec, or at least slow him down, you beat Boston College ... it really is that simple for the Irish.
It's not that there isn't quality talent on the BC roster, because there is. Jurkovec has quality weapons in the pass game and running back David Bailey is starting to come on. The reality, however, is that BC has built its offense around Jurkovec, and if he isn't on top of his game they are just not very good, but when he's on his game the Eagles can play with anyone in the ACC.
Jurkovec leads the ACC with 2,083 passing yards and he's fourth with 15 passing touchdowns, and he's added three more rushing touchdowns. He also leads the ACC in pass attempts (277) and pass completions (172).
Through eight games, Jurkovec has accounted for 74% of Boston College's total yards, and 72% of its touchdowns. The only Power 5 quarterback to account for more is Florida's Kyle Trask, who is arguably the top contender for the Heisman Trophy at this point in the season.
There is a great deal of pressure on Jurkovec to carry the offense, and it needs him to be on top of his game if this game against Notre Dame is going to be competitive.
For Notre Dame, shutting him down makes this a game that is not only winnable, but it will result in the Irish dominating.
There are three big picture keys to stopping Jurkovec.
1. Control the line of scrimmage - Boston College's line has struggled for much of the season, and its poor play has crushed the run game. Bailey is a quality back, and if he gets going and the Eagles can be balanced, it makes stopping Jurkovec much harder, so shutting down Bailey and the run game is a must.
Controlling the line of scrimmage also means the defense will pressure Jurkovec, who has taken a pounding this season, having been hit or sacked 49 times through eight games according to Pro Football Focus.
Pressuring Jurkovec makes it harder for him to attack down the field, which is a key to stopping this offense (see below). It also keeps him from getting into a rhythm.
2. Keep him in the pocket - Jurkovec can make plays from the pocket, but he's still a young and inexperienced quarterback that is at his best when he can combine pocket plays with moving around and improvising. There might not be a better quarterback than Jurkovec when it comes to making plays outside of the framework of the offense.
If Notre Dame is too aggressive, or if defensive linemen lose their gaps and Jurkovec gets out of the pocket with any consistency the defense could be in trouble. Jurkovec is a playmaker, and his ability to make plays with his legs and arm when things break down is a big part of the BC offense, and the coaches have done a masterful job of incorporating that into what they do.
For Notre Dame, keeping the BC QB in the pocket and forcing him to go through his progressions all game plays right into their hands. He's in his first year in this offense and he didn't have spring ball. It's obvious on film that his timing with his reads and confidence in his reads isn't always there, especially against teams that show more complex looks.
The more Notre Dame keeps Jurkovec in the pocket the more stops it will make, and the greater chance it will have to force him into big mistakes.
3. Limit big plays - The Boston College pass game is built around Jurkovec's ability to beat teams down the field. Jurkovec likes to push the ball downfield, and when he is hitting those throws the offense can be dangerous. Make BC attack short and go on long, sustained drives and it has no chance to beat Notre Dame.
Jurkovec has completed 58 passes that traveled 10 yards or more past the line of scrimmage, compared to just 29 for Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book. This comparison isn't meant to dive into the "Phil vs. Ian" debate, but rather to provide context on just how aggressive BC is with its pass game.
Eleven of Jurkovec's 15 touchdown passes were on throws that traveled at least 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, and while Book has a much better quarterback rating on throws of less than 10 yards (137.76 to 127.14), Jurkovec has the better rating on balls beyond 10 yards (156.02 to 151.81).
The big difference, however, is that Notre Dame has shown it can live and survive without much of a downfield pass attack, but BC cannot. When Jurkovec isn't making plays down the field the Eagle offense often stalls out, and it can be very beatable.
Notre Dame has matchup advantages all over the field, and it should be able to dominate up front and keep the BC offense in check. Discipline will be the key, and if the Irish execute, control the line of scrimmage and limit mistakes this game won't be overly competitive. Don't do that and Jurkovec has the talent to make this a 60-minute game.
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