Jurkovec notches first start, win in a Pitt uniform

Phil Jurkovec trotted out on the field of Acrisure Stadium on Saturday for the first time ever as Pitt's starting quarterback. The last time Jurkovec started a game at the Panthers’ home stadium was back in 2017 when it was still called Heinz Field and he was playing for Pine-Richland High School.

It took a lengthy road to get to this point, but Jurkovec finally donned the Pitt script on his helmet and delivered a comfortable 45-7 win over Wofford in the 2023 season opener.

“It felt great to be on that field playing with the guys,” Jurkovec told reporters after his first game in a Pitt uniform. “We put in a lot of work and it felt good to get the first one.”

The Pitt starting quarterback finished with a solid state line, going 17-of-23 for 214 yards and touchdown. Jurkovec, always known for his running ability, flashed his mobility with a 23-yard touchdown run in the second quarter as well.

“Did you see how calm he is in the pocket,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi noted of his quarterback. "He just sits back there. Stuff is flying by him and stuff. I would be a little skittish back there, but he is just so smooth in the pocket. It's like he doesn't care. That's what you like is just the moxie he has.”

Jurkovec led Pitt on six straight scoring drives at one point on Saturday, though it did not start out so pretty. Pitt’s first drive resulted in a punt, a possession in which Jurkovec took a 12-yard sack.

“The first drive, I told him that one doesn't count,” Narduzzi said of the slow start. “We just came out and whatever, but that happens sometimes.”

Jurkovec attributed some of that slow start to some rust he had to shake off after not playing in a live game since last October.

“It was a little sloppy,” the Pitt quarterback admitted. “I missed some throws. I’d like to have throws back and I think I could have had better footwork on certain plays, but that’s just going to come with it. It’s been a little bit of time since being on the field.”

The one area where Jurkovec particularly excelled on Saturday was getting everyone involved. His first eight completions went to eight different receivers and overall he connected with nine different Panthers.

“I don’t think a lot of it was we’re going to try to get this guy the ball on this play,” Jurkovec explained. "It’s just reading out the plays and we’ve got a lot of weapons so we were rotating guys in and you could see a lot of guys could play out there.”

The tight end production for the Pitt program has certainly been spotty through the years, but there was talk throughout training camp that four guys could see the field. All four caught a pass from Pitt’s starting quarterback on Saturday.

"They can all play,” Jurkovec said of his tight end room. “They can play inside attached to the line and I think they all can play split out, so they’re a really good group and I think they’re going to be dangerous for defenses knowing that you’ve got to defend the middle of the field with the tight ends.”

Pitt junior tight end Gavin Bartholomew made a major impact in 2021, but saw his production dip last season. He totaled two receptions for 38 yards on Saturday, including a nice 28-yard grab across the middle of the field, which happened to be Jurkovec’s favorite throw of the afternoon.

“I think I gave him a good ball, like a back shoulder, and he went up and got it,” he said of that explosive play.

The receivers on the field took note of trying to get everyone involved on Saturday also.

“It was definitely fun and you could definitely tell we’re trying to spread the ball around,” said Pitt junior wide receiver Konata Mumpfield. “A lot more opportunities down the field, so it was definitely fun and we’re going to go back and get in a rhythm and keep working.”

It was not a complete performance by Jurkovec and the offense as a whole, and everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt given the game was against an outmatched FCS opponent, but the group flashed potential and should give a good starting point heading into next week and beyond.

“When we watch the tape, we're going to nitpick, and we'll get better from game one to game two, I guarantee you that,” Narduzzi said. “There’s a lot of things we can clean up, for sure.”