Boston College caps long, unusual journey with impressive road win over Duke – The Boston Globe

Hafley figured the last thing his team needed was more to think about.

Truthfully, I didnt have many expectations other than playing hard, playing for each other, and enjoying the moment today, Hafley said. Thats all I talked about. I didnt talk about Duke much all week. I didnt talk about playing a great game. I truthfully told the team today, You cant fail. Everything youve just been through, go play. Theres no failing today. Just have fun and go let it rip.

Still, there was no way around the oddity of it all. The sounds and scents that define a college game day were missing. There were empty parking lots where tailgates would normally be.

The seats at Wallace Wade Stadium that would have normally been filled with Duke fans were empty, save for cardboard cutouts in the first few rows. Even the sidelines felt sparse, with Boston College carrying fewer players in its traveling party and more space between them for social distancing.

This was college football in a COVID-19 world, but it was college football nonetheless.

Its different, said tight end Hunter Long. "Its all new to us. Its new to everybody, but at the end of the day were just playing football. Its what we do all the time.

"Its been such a long road for us as a team, but credit to all the guys on the team. We held in there, stuck together, and to be able to play today was awesome.

Once the initial awkwardness set in, BC took its first steps into a surreal college football landscape with their win over the Blue Devils.

Hafley couldnt yet process the significance of earning his first win as a head coach. The Eagles piled up 440 yards of total offense, effective on the ground (140 yards) and through the air (300). Transfer quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who waited patiently through a frustrating process to have his eligibility approved by the NCAA, shined in his first game under center, completing 17 of 23 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Zay Flowers caught five passes for 162 yards and a score. Long caught seven more for 93 yards and a TD.

The highlights matter, but not more than the big picture.

Weve been through so much together, Long said. Weve only been together for nine months, but in those nine months, weve been through stuff that no teams ever had to deal with before.

Across the ACC, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech had games postponed for COVID-related reasons. The fact that BC was able to follow protocols, return just one positive test since June, and make its game happen underscored the effort it took just to take the field.

You keep it about the team and you keep it about each other, Hafley said. "The same way weve had 2,500 tests and we havent had a positive, you look out for one another and you take care of each other and you bring juice with each other. This games about anybody else. Its really not, its not even about me. Its about the team.

It was about them and they went out and played. I dont think our guys noticed [the atmosphere]. I think they had a blast on the sideline, they had a ton of energy, they never ever looked down. Its who this team is. Were going to have our ups and downs but it wont matter as long as the process is right and we stick together and we do things the right way.

The Eagles opened up in familiar fashion, chewing up yards on the ground with a 10-play, 81-yard opening drive fueled by five carries by David Bailey for 21 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown that put BC up 7-0 early.

But after going into the half up 7-6, they dialed it up in the second half. Jurkovec threw two touchdowns in the third quarter a 61-yard bomb to Flowers and a 9-yard score to Long that showed the offenses potential firepower.

But Hafley just wanted his team to stay in the moment. He didnt give much thought to what the past six months have meant.

Maybe tonight on the plane or when I get home, he said.

But he did catch himself getting emotional after the game. He said he wanted to give each player a game ball.

When they look back on that date, theyre going to remember one of the hardest points of their lives that they had to battle through and sacrifice, Hafley said. And no one will ever take this day away from them. No one will ever take away how hard they worked to get to this point. And its so much bigger than coming here and beating Duke. This day will forever be about this team and what they did to get to this point.

Julian Benbow can be reached at julian.benbow@globe.com.

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Boston College caps long, unusual journey with impressive road win over Duke - The Boston Globe