Making it official

Boston College coach Steve Addazio made official Friday what has been obvious since the spring football game.

Florida graduate-transfer Tyler Murphy will be the Eagles' starting quarterback when BC engages UMass in the season opener next Saturday at Gillette Stadium.

"He is doing really well," Addazio said. "He is really being a leader, he's really commanding the offense and we are really pleased at the way he is approaching his work."

Murphy, at 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds, was the last player to exit the practice field following the Eagles' crossover workout at Shea Field. BC held its final scrimmage on Wednesday and began game planning yesterday for the Minutemen.

Murphy has held the keys to the BC offense since the start of training camp and now he's anxious to take it for a drive. He inherits an offense in transition with new, untested components at the skill positions.

BC lost one of the nation's top tailback, Andre Williams, and the school's all-time leading receiver, Alex Amidon, to graduation. Murphy replaces Chase Rettig, who started 46 games and departed for the Green Bay Packers as the Eagles' fourth all-time leading passer.

"It feels good to be the guy but it comes with a lot of responsibility," Murphy said. "You have to make sure you are ready individually and you have to make sure everybody else on the offense is ready.

"That's part of the challenge. You can't just focus on your job. You have to make sure everybody else is doing their job and pushing guys and getting the most from each rep."

Murphy is the only quarterback in the stable with extensive collegiate experience. Murphy played in 12 games with six starts for the Gators last season and completed 112 passes for 1,216 yards and six touchdowns.

His decision to leave Gainesville, Fla., and pursue a master's degree at BC gives Addazio time to develop his dynamic true freshmen quarterbacks: Darius Wade of Delaware and Troy Flutie of Natick.

"If he weren't here we would be starting a true freshman," Addazio said. "This gives us the opportunity to start the season with a guy that has actually started some college games.

"He, Darius and Troy are all dual-threat quarterbacks but it was the experience and knowing how to be a leader" that separted Murphy from the others.

Graduate QB Tyler Murphy sat down with @Jen_Royle to talk about the upcoming season: https://t.co/UVQ15J2UE9

— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) August 21, 2014

Wade and Flutie possess the pass and run qualities that have become requisites for a quarterback in the ACC. Wade got a leg up by enrolling in January and participating in spring workouts. Flutie caught up when Wade developed hamstring issues in training camp and missed the first two scrimmages.

"The younger guys are sometimes really more self-absorbed trying to get their job done," Addazio said. "They can't handle the additional task of helping the receivers get lined up. Tyler has all that going and that's where the experience comes in."

Addazio has the option to redshirt either freshman if Murphy can avoid injury. Josh Bordner, Rettig's back-up the past three seasons, has been switched to tight end and H-back. But Addazio plans to use Bordner as the Eagles' emergency QB.

"Nothing is set in stone right now and all things are on the table," Addazio said.

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