After a promising first season, Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec’s 2021 run might be over after just a game and a drive. Jurkovec exited BC’s game against UMass Amherst on Saturday with medical personnel after falling on his right wrist. Though BC head coach Jeff Hafley expressed his optimism about Jurkovec’s condition following the game, the quarterback met with doctors for x-rays and scans soon after.
BC Athletics announced on Monday afternoon that Jurkovec could potentially miss the remainder of the season with a hand injury. Jurkovec underwent surgery at Newton-Wellesley Hospital on Monday and posted a picture of his injured hand in a wrap on his Instagram story that afternoon. The official announcement came just a few hours later.
Dennis Grosel will take the reins as starter in Jurkovec’s absence.
BC also announced Monday that BC kicker Aaron Boumerhi will miss the season after injuring his hip during the preseason and missing the first two games of the season. Boumerhi was BC’s starting place kicker in 2019 and 2020 and did not miss an extra point during either season.
In 2020, Boumerhi appeared in 10 games, making 16 of 20 field goal attempts with a long of 41 yards.
Danny Longman will take over in Boumerhi’s place.
Last year, Jurkovec completed 205 passes for 2,558 yards and 17 touchdowns while only throwing five interceptions. He did not start every game for BC, as he was sidelined at the end of the season with a separated shoulder.
In BC’s 2021 season opener against Colgate, Jurkovec completed 16 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns. He only completed three passes against UMass before leaving the game.
Grosel’s takeover as starter is not an entirely unfamiliar story. When Jurkovec was injured last season, Grosel jumped into the starting spot in his place. Grosel—a redshirt junior from Willoughby, Ohio—has appeared in 17 games for the Eagles. He entered Saturday’s game against UMass in the first quarter and threw for 199 yards and a touchdown.
Last season, Grosel threw for 568 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions in three games. In the single game he started against Virginia, Grosel tied the single-game passing-yard record previously set at 520 by Doug Flutie.
Hafley will appear with Grosel and others to provide the press with more information on Tuesday morning.
Featured Image by Michael Dwyer / AP Photo
