FSU football: 3 major keys to defeating Boston College and prediction

Stop Phil Jurkovec to Zay Flowers

As I wrote Thursday, Boston College’s leading rusher averages 2.88 yards per rush. QB Phil Jurkovec can run it and is hard to bring down, but he’s not close to having the mobile ability of the quarterbacks FSU faced in the last two weeks.

Their main weapon is wide receiver Zay Flowers. They will look to stretch the field, use him in the running game, and will try to get the ball to him in every way possible.

Flowers leads the team with 22 receptions for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Almost half of his production came in the season-opening loss against Rutgers.

Flowers has three receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown against former FSU defensive back Jarvis Brownlee last year. Boston College averages 35 pass attempts per game, with Jurkovec completing 59 percent of his passes.

The best way to nullify this option is by having the FSU defensive line whip the Boston College offensive line and not giving Jurkovec time to get rid of the ball.

Boston College has allowed 12 sacks in three games and the FSU defensive line should eat Saturday night.

Prediction: If Jordan Travis  plays, I suspect FSU will cover the spread in this game. If he doens’t, I still think FSU wins, but it’ll likely be a little more of a conservative approach. FSU’s defense should give the offense solid field position throughout the game, leading to a 41-17 win(if Travis plays). If Rodemaker starts, I’m going with FSU 30-13(more running the ball and eating up the clock).