Say Flowers catches one of his three touchdown receptions against Pitt. BC photo

In previous games this season, the Eagles had been resolute, coming back from deficits or holding their lead to win. Yesterday, when Pitt failed on a point-after attempt to tie the game in overtime, they were lucky. Final score BC 31, Pitt 30.

Also unlike previous games, the Eagles were stronger in the first half than the second. While Pitt had held opponents to 232.2 yards and 15.0 points per game, BC leapt out to 229 yards and 17 points in the first half. Following a Jurkovec-Flowers 77-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the second half to take a 24-14 lead, however, the Eagles took their foot off the pedal. BC’s subsequent seven drives in the second half ended with five punts, a fumble, and a missed field goal attempt.

An eight-play, 81-yard drive late in the third quarter brought the Panthers to within three of the Eagles, 24-21. Then a more than improbable 58-yard field goal attempt by Pitt kicker Alex Kessman with 40 seconds remaining in regulation was successful and tied the game 24-24. The Eagles were then able to move the ball from their 25 to Pitt’s 35, but a field goal attempt to win the game was left of the posts.

(FYI, Pitt’s kick wasn’t even close to the collegiate record. Abilene Christian University’s Ove Johansson kicked a 69-yard field goal in 1976 against East Texas State. More about it, including a video, here.)

BC had the ball first in overtime and started off with two incomplete passes. Then the pairing that was the feature of the game for the Eagles happened again. QB Phil Jurkovec hit WR Zay Flowers in stride in the end zone. Flowers had six receptions in the game for 162 yards, three receptions for touchdowns.

Pitt’s turn with the ball in overtime was a 10-play excruciating experience for BC fans. Twice on fourth downs, Panther QB Kenny Pickett ran successfully to keep the Panthers alive, the second time bringing Pitt to the three-yard line. He then threw a three-yard touchdown pass to bring the Panthers to within one.

As Pitt was lining up for the point-after attempt, I started to text some classmates: “And now the tired BC defense has to come right back onto the field.” I never completed the text, as I glanced up and with a start saw what appeared to be the kick attempt go to the right of the goal post. Even more startled, I heard the announcer yell, “He missed!”

The Eagles finished with 388 yards total offense, all but 30 of them through the air. Jurkovec was 19 of 35, with no interceptions. BC actually ran more often than passed, with 41 rushing attempts, but netted only 30 yards, averaging 0.7 yards per attempt.

Here are highlights.

After three games at home, BC (3-1) travels next week to Blacksburg, Va., to meet Virginia Tech. Game time is 5 pm PT.

The Eagles (2-1) are to play Pitt (3-1) in football Saturday, October 10, at 1 pm PT. The game at Alumni Stadium is to be televised on the ACC Network.

Heights photo

In other BC sports news, the next five games scheduled for the field hockey team have been postponed. Dates to be announced. One member of the team tested positive for COVID-19 and, after contact tracing, nine other players joined the player testing positive in quarantine.

The Eagles had only six remaining games on their schedule this season, so it is unclear whether there will be future games this year. The only remaining game on the previously announced schedule is Wake Forest on November 1.

Quarterback Phil Jurkovec passes against North Carolina. He did that _a lot_.

Attempting another comeback in the fourth quarter, the Eagles fell just short to #12 North Carolina, 26-22, yesterday in Alumni Stadium. After scoring a touchdown to pull within two, 24-22, with 45 seconds remaining, quarterback Phil Jurkovec’s pass attempt for a two-point conversion and tie was intercepted and returned for two points. 

In its previous game against Texas State, BC had come from behind to tie the Bobcats and then win the game on a field goal.

North Carolina, playing only its second game of the season, started off fast, with QB Sam Howell throwing for 153 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. The Tar Heels took a 21-16 lead at halftime. 

Ahead 24-16 in the fourth quarter, North Carolina looked to make it a two-score game with 5:46 left, but missed a field goa attemptl and BC took over at its own 31-yard line. Over the next 5:01, BC passed its way down the field as Jurkovec completed 8 of 11 attempts. For a time, it looked like the Eagles were moving back and forth rather than forward. Pass interference penalties on both teams moved the lines of scrimmage around and negated both a North Carolina interception and a BC touchdown pass.

Finally, on the penultimate play of the drive, Jurkovec threw a six-yard TD pass to C.J. Lewis to make the score 24-22. Then came the ill-fated conversion attempt.

Jurkovec made 56 passing attempts, the most by a BC quarterback at home since 1996 and tied for fourth in BC history. His 37 completions tied the Alumni Stadium record set by Matt Ryan in 2007. The total also tied for second in BC single-game history, tying Frank Harris in 1968 and short of Matt Ryan’s 40 completions against Wake Forest in 2008.

Overall, the Eagles had 353 yards in offense, gaining 313 through the air and 40 on the ground. Junior tight end Hunter Long tied his personal record with nine receptions, for 96 yards. Long leads the nation among tight ends for receptions. David Bailey led BC rushers with 28 yards on seven carries.

North Carolina ended the game with 401 yards total offense. 

Here are highlights.

The Eagles stay home next week, hosting 3-1 Pittsburgh. The Panthers were stunned 30-29 yesterday with a late score by North Carolina State. Game time is 1 pm PT.