Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec will miss Friday night’s game against Duke (7 ET, ESPN2) because of a knee injury, sources told ESPN. Jurkovec suffered the injury in last week’s loss to UConn and will be out for an undetermined period of time.
Jurkovec will be replaced by redshirt freshman Emmett Morehead, according to ESPN sources. It will mark the first career start for the redshirt freshman, who hails from Woodside, California. Morehead threw for a career-high 104 yards in relief of Jurkovec against UConn. For the season, he has one touchdown pass and has completed 21 of 39 attempts for 225 yards.
Boston College (2-6) has lost three consecutive games, including a 13-3 loss to the Huskies that Jurkovec left because of an injury. Jurkovec appeared to injure a knee on the third drive of the third quarter after a 5-yard run. He did not return and showed up on the sideline with a brace on the knee.
BC will face a Duke team that first-year coach Mike Elko has turned into one of the surprises of this college football season. The Blue Devils are 5-3 and can clinch a bowl bid with a victory. Duke is 2-2 in the ACC with wins over Virginia and Miami one year after losing all eight of its ACC games by an average of 31.7 points. Duke’s two ACC losses this year are each by three points, one coming in overtime.
The loss of Jurkovec is a significant one for Boston College, as he’s a three-year starter who has accounted for 35 touchdown passes and nine rushing TDs over those three seasons. With the Eagles’ offensive line decimated by injuries, he’s been under duress all season.
Jurkovec has been sacked 25 times through eight games, which is the most of any of his three years at BC. In six games last season, which got derailed by a thumb injury, he was sacked just six times. Last season, Jurkovec averaged 6.4 yards per carry. This year, he’s averaging less than a yard per carry, largely because of the struggles of the line.
As a team, Boston College is last in the country in rushing offense and No. 122 of 131 teams in sacks allowed.
