WVU DB Beanie Bishop Blasts Pitt QB Phil Jurkovec, Calls Him Bad at His Job

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — When asked what the WVU secondary saw in their big night against Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec, Beanie Bishop didn’t hold back.

“We knew he wasn’t too good at his job,” said Bishop after the game. And while it’s jarring to hear a player be so honest about an opponent’s poor performance, the facts back Bishop up right now. In fact, his statements are now something Pitt fans are using to express their angst over Jurkovec.

Pitt’s redshirt senior quarterback completed just eight of his 20 throws, only had 81 yards and threw three interceptions with zero touchdowns in the 17-6 loss to the Mountaineers.

His three interceptions are the most in a Backyard Brawl since Rod Rutherford threw three picks in 2003, although Rutherford also threw for four touchdowns in the 52-31 loss. His 84 passing yards are also the least in a Backyard Brawl since Pat Bostick threw for 67 yards in the infamous 2007 game.

The West Virginia defense will take pride in the three interceptions they forced from Jurkovec. Those three interceptions are the most in Jurkovec’s career, although he has thrown two interceptions in a game five times previously in his six year college career.

WVU redshirt senior Beanie Bishop Jr., who caught his second interception, didn’t think the Pitt signal caller was all that good to begin with and wasn’t afraid to say that to the media, knowing his words would get out.

Jurkovec has played poorly in these past two games. He completed just 10 of his 32 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns, with many of his throws inaccurate, overthrown, underthrown or poorly placed, in the 27-21 loss to Cincinnati in the River City Rivalry last weekend. 

Following the loss to the Mountaineers, Jurkovec did not speak to the media. His comments after the defeat to the Bearcats focused on not being happy with the fans for booing him throughout the game.

He is also the first Pitt quarterback to throw three interceptions or more in a game since Kenny Pickett did so against Clemson on the road in 2020. Pickett also completed two touchdowns in that game and played against one of the best teams in the country, as Clemson would go on to make the College Football Playoff.