BC scores costly win over UMass
Jurkovec leaves with wrist injury
AMHERST — Boston College scored an unconvincing 45-28 victory over UMass on Saturday at McGuirk Stadium and it came with an exorbitant price tag.
BC quarterback Phil Jurkovec exited the game with a right wrist injury at the conclusion of the opening drive and did not return. BC’s injury situation appeared catastrophic when All-ACC first team wide receiver Zay Flowers rolled his left ankle on the second snap of the third quarter and had to be helped off the field. Flowers returned in the fourth quarter.
“All I know is they said it was something with his wrist and his hand,” said BC coach Jeff Hafley about his QB. “They took him for X-rays but I don’t have a clue.”
BC went up 7-0 on its opening drive, a disorganized trip that went 65 yards on 14 plays. Tailback Alec Sinkfield, a graduate transfer from West Virginia, capped the drive with a 6-yard scamp off right tackle. Dennis Grosel replaced Jurkovec on BC’s second drive and made it 14-0 on a 2-yard keeper with 1:26 to play in the first.
UMass cut it to 14-7 on its opening possession of the third quarter with an explosive play. Freshman Brady Olson, who started in place of Tyler Lytle, connected on a 56-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Rico Arnold 1:29 in. BC retaliated with a 75-yard, six play drive, and went up 21-7 on a 20-yard run up the middle by Travis Levy.
BC went up 28-7 at 8:04 of the third when Grosel completed a 44-yard bomb to tight end Trae Barry on a drive that lasted 10 seconds.
UMass got as close as 3828 on a 14-yard pass from Olson to tailback Ellis Merriweather with 9:04 to play but couldn’t complete the comeback.
“We were truthfully disappointed because last week was so clean,” said Hafley. “I felt like we were just giving them yards and first downs and no disrespect to them, they did some really nice things.
“But every drive there were self-inflicted wounds and that clearly starts with me.”
BC improved to 2-0 and will take on the Temple Owls next Saturday in Philadelphia. UMass fell to 0-2 and will host Eastern Michigan.
QB shuffle 1
Lytle, a graduate transfer from Colorado, suffered minor but nagging injuries in the Minutemen’s 51-7 loss at Pittsburgh on Sept. 4. Lytle didn’t practice on Wednesday and Thursday and coach Walt Bell made a game-day decision to keep him on the bench. Lytle was replaced by Olson, a true freshman from Bellingham, and Zamar Wise. Olson took the majority of the snaps and completed 14-of-29 for 214 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.
“I started slow but once I got a few drives under my belt it started to sink in,” said Olson. “I have always known I had ability and I trust the guys around me.”
QB shuffle 2
Jurkovec completed 3-of-4 passes for 22 yards before retreating to the locker room. Grosel is an accomplished dual-threat QB with eight career starts.
He started in place of Jurkovec in the 2020 season finale at Virginia and completed 32-of-46 passes for 520 yards, equaling the single-game yards record set by Doug Flutie against Penn State on Oct. 23, 1982. Grosel managed the game completing 11of-14 for 199 yards and a touchdown.
“When Phil goes down you are not happy about it, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” said Hafley. “But when Dennis walks on the field you don’t blink for the rest of the game and we are really glad to have him.”
Special effects
UMass punter George Georgopoulos launched a punt deep into BC territory that was fumbled by Levy on the one-yard line. UMass scored on a plunge by tailback Kay’Ron Adams to make it 28-14.
BC went up 35-14 when UMass’ return man Eric Collins was stripped on his own 41 by linebacker Vinny DePalma. Safety Jaiden Woodbury, a transfer from Florida State, picked up the loose ball and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. Levy made amends when he returned a UMass kickoff 96 yards for the game’s final score.
“It meant the world and I’m excited,” said Woodbury. “I think the football gods are rewarding us and I think it just goes to show how close a unit we are.
“The ball just happened to get into my hands and I scored. I was just trying to make a play and change the momentum.”
Heroes honored
The Eagles wore their “Red Bandana” road white uniforms as a tribute to former BC lacrosse player Welles Crowther, who lost his life on a rescue mission in the North Tower at the World Trade center on Sept. 11, 2001. The players last names were removed and replaced with FOR WELLES.
Former UMass basketball coaches John Calipari (19881996) and Bruiser Flint (19962001) were at midfield for the coin toss. Calipari, former coach Jack Leaman and players Marcus Camby and Julius Erving had their statues unveiled on Friday afternoon on the outdoor concourse at the Mullins Center.