Phil Jurkovec Has A Golden Opportunity for Redemption
PITTSBURGH -- Week 2 was ugly for the Pitt Panthers' starting quarterback, Phil Jurkovec. In a loss to Cincinnati, he completed just 31% of his passes for 179 yards (and three touchdowns, to be fair) while enduring boos from home fans. He then proceeded to call those fans "pathetic" following the game.
He committed unforced errors on the field and in his postgame press conference, setting up a week of anxious anticipation for the Backyard Brawl and for good reason. Optimism is in short supply for this Pitt team right now but this matchup is so favorable and so meaningful that Jurkovec has a fantastic chance to give this season a hard reset.
From a pure football perspective, he will have every opportunity to take advantage of a West Virginia secondary that has not played particularly well through the first two weeks of the season.
The Mountaineers rank 119th nationally in passing yards allowed, 117th in completion percentage allowed, 124th in first downs allowed via the pass, 129th in average opponent passer rating and is tied for 133rd in passing touchdowns allowed per game. Even as they hung around in a more-competitive-than-expected game against Penn State, the play of the Mountaineers' secondary represented a glaring hole.
There is an emotional perspective on this game as well. Had Kedon Slovis not beaten West Virginia, his tenure at Pitt would be looked back on with more outright hatred than slightly annoyed apathy. This rivalry has the power to shape legacies for it's participants and a win could help him complete the 180-degree turn from antagonizing home fans to becoming one of their biggest heroes.
Jurkovec is from Western Pennsylvania and grew up around this rivalry and now has a chance to put his stamp on it. Victory would be euphoric and build momentum heading into ACC play, while defeat would spell certain disaster.
He does not have to be a world-beater, but Jurkovec does have to be a factor in a victory. There is a scenario where the Panthers win this game largely without Jurkovec's help, leaning on the resurgent running game and a front seven, but that won't be enough to inspire confidence that he is the right man for the job.
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