Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Boston College Eagles: 3 players to watch

The Notre Dame Football will meet the Boston College Eagles on Saturday afternoon in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Boston College does not do anything exceptionally well, but they have a strong belief in their first year head coach Jeff Hafley, and that could be a problem for the Notre Dame Football team on Saturday. The Eagles will likely play one of their best games against the Fighting Irish, and Notre Dame needs to avoid a let down by corralling these three players.

Phil Jurkovec

There are two reasons this game is extremely interesting: 1.) the last time the Irish beat No. 1, they lost in a thriller to Boston College the following week 2.) Phil Jurkovec will become only the 2nd transfer quarterback to start against the Irish. Adding to the intrigue, Jurkovec alluded to the notion that Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly was blocking his waiver for immediate eligibility.

This contention between the two parties adds to the intrigue of Saturday’s matchup.

Jurkovec has played well in his first season as a starter. In eight games as the Eagles quarterback, he has completed 62.1% of his throws for 2,083 yards and 15 touchdowns. For those scoring at home, Ian Book has completed 60.3% for 1,535 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Brian Kelly would like to remind you that Ian Book is a winner. After defeating No. 1 Clemson, he is now 27-3 as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback.

Surprisingly, Jurkovec has only rushed 96 yards on 65 carries this season. Kelly always noted that scrimmages, like the Blue-Gold game, did not showcase his talents as a quarterback. It is shocking to see Jurkovec succeed purely as a passer.

Boston College (including Jurkovec) simply cannot run the football. They rank 111th in the nation; averaging 3.06 yards per carry and 106.63 per contest. Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea is great when facing two-dimensional offenses. He is deadly when facing one-dimensional offense.