Boston College Shuts Out Colgate 51-0 to Open 2021 Season

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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College shut out Colgate 51-0 in the 2021 season opener on Saturday afternoon in the Eagles’ first home game in 665 days with fans at a sun-drenched Alumni Stadium.

Quarterback Phil Jurkovec finished the opener 16-for-24 through the air for 303 yards and three touchdowns. The redshirt junior registered his fifth career 300-yard game to move into fifth place in Boston College career history. Jurkovec added 61 yards on the ground, including a 41-yard carry in the third quarter.

Jurkovec completed passes to seven different receivers with junior Zay Flowers leading the way, pulling in a game-high seven receptions for 135 yards and a score. Graduate transfer tight end Trae Barry and rookie Jaden Williams also collected their first TD receptions in a BC jersey.

Travis Levy began the scoring on BC’s opening possession, capping off a methodical 75-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown scamper.

The Eagles extended their lead four minutes into the second quarter when Jurkovec hit Barry for a 51-yard catch and run along the left sideline. Barry leaped over a defender near the five-yard line and stayed on his feet into the endzone.

The following drive, Jurkovec connected with Flowers on a 39-yard strike off play action down the middle of the field for a three-score cushion. Flowers is now tied for eighth in BC history with four career 100-yard receiving games. Jurkovec closed the first half by finding Williams for his first career TD on a fade from 10 yards out to give BC a 27-0 lead.

Pat Garwo III and Peter Stehr each tacked on a two-yard rushing touchdown in the second half. Garwo’s score was followed immediately by a 22-yard interception returned for a TD from Jahmin Muse.

Graduate student Mike Palmer also hauled in a third-quarter interception for the defense, which held Colgate to just 3.5 yards per play in the shutout. It was Boston College’s first shutout in a season opener since a 54-0 blanking of Northeastern on Sept. 5, 2009.

Rookie Xavier Coleman, redshirt freshman Jacob Kraft, and redshirt juniors Joey Luchetti and Brendan Smith all registered their first career receptions in the victory. Grad student Dennis Grosel saw action at quarterback in the fourth quarter, completing 5-for-6 passes for 44 yards.

The Eagles (1-0) travel to Amherst next Saturday (Sept. 11) for a road matchup with UMass. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at McGuirk Stadium.

BC is 2-0 in season openers under head coach Jeff Hafley. The Eagles are 73-48-2 all-time in season openers overall, including 15 wins in the last 18 openers.
Trae Barry’s first career touchdown at Boston College was a memorable one. He scored on a 51-yard touchdown reception from Phil Jurkovec, hurdling a defender at the 10-yard line.
Jurkovec finished with his fifth career 300-yard game to move into fifth place in Boston College career history in just his 11th career game as an Eagle. It marked the second straight season opener Jurkovec went over the 300-yard mark in a game.

Boston College Career 300-Yard Passing Games

Matt Ryan, Doug Flutie (12)

Glenn Foley, Shawn Halloran (10)

Phil Jurkovec (5)

Chase Rettig (4)

Matt Hasselbeck, Mark Hartsell (3)

Jurkovec finished the afternoon going 16-for-24 for 303 yards, with three touchdown passes. He also rushed for 61 yards on five carries (12.2 yards per carry).
Zay Flowers finished with his fourth career 100-yard receiving game with seven receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown. He is now tied for eighth in BC history with four career 100-yard receiving games.
Sophomores Izaiah Henderson and Cam Horsley made their first career starts at defensive tackle for the Eagles. Junior Jason Maitre, who made 12 previous career starts at cornerback, started at free safety for the first time in his career.
Joey Luchetti and Trae Barry both made their first career start at Boston College at tight end. Luchetti previously started at defensive end for the Eagles in 2019 while Barry was a four-year starter at Jacksonville State prior to arriving at BC.
Jaiden Woodbey started for the first time in his BC career at strong safety. He previously started at Florida State before transferring to BC in the off-season. He made two tackles. Linebacker Isaiah Graham-Mobley started at middle linebacker in his BC debut after joining the team mid-year from Temple. He finished with 10 tackles.
Travis Levy scored BC’s first touchdown of 2021 with a three-yard TD run. It capped off a seven-play, 75-yard drive for the Eagles.
Grant Carlson tied a career-long with a 65-yard punt in the first quarter.
Kobay White returned to the field after missing the 2020 campaign due to injury. White hauled in one pass for 25 yards.
Peter Stehr tallied his first career touchdown – a two-yard plunge into the end zone – with 5:58 to go in the contest. He was one of three Eagles to rush for a touchdown and one of six BC players to find the end zone on the day.
Jacob Kraft recorded his first reception of his Boston College career. The redshirt freshman wideout made one catch for seven yards.
Defensive end Shitta Sillah registered a career-high in tackles, with 14 (seven solo). His previous high was four, set on Oct. 19, 2019 against N.C. State
Boston College finished the day with 523 total yards – the 36th time since 1996 that BC gained 500+ yards from scrimmage. BC is 29-7 in those games.