Bottom falls out on BC
Eagles become the first Power Five team to lose to UConn in six years
UConn 13 BC 3
In an extremely disappointing season, filled with a series of head-scratching setbacks, Boston College football reached a new low Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles, who had never lost to Connecticut (12-0-2 all time), fell, 13-3, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.
BC (2-6) dropped its third straight game and looked more discombobulated than ever, committing five turnovers. Lopsided losses to Clemson and Wake Forest were understandable, but this one was unexpected — even considering the Eagles’ recent woes.
“I think we’ve just got to mentally lock in even more and make the plays,” running back Pat Garwo said. “It’s the same thing every week, but we’ve got to find a way. Things get hard in life.”
UConn (4-5) outgained BC, 136-16, in the first quarter. Zion Turner hit fellow true freshman Justin Joly for a 62-yard strike to put the Huskies ahead, 7-0, a little more than a minute into the game. It was the only touchdown of the day for either side.
BC coach Jeff Hafley said the Eagles came out flat defensively, letting UConn march down the field convincingly.
“I felt like we were sleepwalking on the first drive,” Hafley said. “It didn’t look like who we were normally, and I’m not sure why. Obviously, I need to figure that out.”
After BC failed to convert on fourth and 1, UConn extended its lead to 10-0 on a 31-yard field goal from Noe Ruelas with 8:42 left in the first quarter. The Eagles have now come up empty on every opening drive this season.
BC quarterback Phil Jurkovec (12 for 19, 155 yards, 2 INTs) overthrew Jaelen Gill on the ensuing possession, and the ball ricocheted off Gill’s hands and into Chris Shearin’s. The Huskies missed a 41-yard field goal, but they still led, 10-0, through one.
The Eagles improved in nearly every area in the second quarter, but they only mustered a 19yard field goal from Connor Lytton. Later in the quarter, Jurkovec — who had limited time to operate behind an extremely shorthanded offensive line — threw an interception in the end zone.
“The turnovers in crucial situations obviously were very costly,” Hafley said.
Jurkovec left midway through the third quarter with an apparent right knee injury. Backup Emmett Morehead (7 for 16, 75 yards, INT) entered and BC’s offense remained stuck in neutral. Every third-quarter drive for both teams resulted in a punt, and UConn still led by 7 heading to the fourth.
Garwo said Morehead’s entrance didn’t change the game plan.
“He can do anything in the offense,” Garwo said. “Unfortunately, Phil went down. Prayers to him, but when Emmett goes in, we’re confident in him, too.”
Morehead put a deep ball on the money early in the quarter, but star receiver Zay Flowers couldn’t corral it. Flowers remained crouched on the ground for several seconds, chewing on his gloves in disbelief that he didn’t make the play.
Freshman tight end Jeremiah Franklin fumbled in UConn territory in the fourth quarter, and Ruelas drilled a 43-yarder to extend the lead to 13-3 with 6:26 remaining. Morehead threw an interception moments later, then the typically sure-handed Flowers muffed a punt.
It was that kind of day for the Eagles — one positive play followed by two or three costly ones. The BC defense was sharp after the first drive, but the offense couldn’t gain any sort of momentum.
BC finished with more yards (286 to 281), first downs (15 to 13), and far fewer penalties (two to 10), yet it didn’t end up mattering. The Eagles were inefficient and out of sorts in the game’s crucial moments, and the Huskies did enough to preserve their lead.
The win was UConn’s first over a Power Five opponent since 2016. The Huskies allowed 48 points to Syracuse, 59 to Michigan, and 41 to N.C. State this season, but BC never found the end zone.
The Eagles are 2-8 in their last 10 games, 4-12 in their last 16, and 14-17 under Hafley.
BC’s remaining opponents — Duke, N.C. State, Notre Dame, and Syracuse — have winning records, starting with the 5-3 Blue Devils on Friday at 7 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.
Barring a surprising twist, the Eagles are looking at their first season with nine or more losses since 2015.
“It’s been a tough season, as you can see,” linebacker Kam Arnold said. “At the end of the day, we just have to all stay together and continue to keep pushing. It’s on to the next game now.”