Pitt standout left tackle Matt Goncalves underwent surgery Monday for a lower-body injury and will miss the rest of the season.
Goncalves, an NFL prospect, was injured during the fourth quarter of a game against West Virginia on Sept. 16.
“I’m sad for him,” Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi said Monday during a press conference. “I’m sad for his family that will be at every game anyway, because they’re so blue and gold. It’s nothing you expect. He’s in such good shape, he’s a tough dude. It’s a hit to our offense.”
Goncalves was a preseason first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. He was a third-team All-ACC choice after the 2022 season and is a team captain.
“The amount of love and care I have for the University of Pittsburgh cannot be measured,” Goncalves said on social media. “I’ll be there for my teammates and help the team whatever way I can throughout this recovery process. Thank you to my coaches, my teammates, and my family for helping me get past this.”
Narduzzi said Goncalves will reveal the injury details at a later date.
Also, Panthers quarterback Phil Jurkovec is in jeopardy of missing Saturday’s game at Virginia Tech. He sustained an undisclosed injury while taking a hard hit during the second quarter of last Saturday’s 41-24 home loss to North Carolina.
Jurkovec has passed for 583 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. He is in his first season at Pitt after playing two seasons at Notre Dame (2018-19) and three at Boston College (2020-22).
Christian Veilleux is being prepared to start in case Jurkovec isn’t available. He was 7-of-18 for 85 yards and two interceptions against North Carolina.
Veilleux spent two seasons at Penn State before transferring to Pitt prior to this season.
The Panthers (1-3, 0-1 ACC) have lost three straight games.
–Field Level Media
