Starting QB Jeske to miss first few games with injury

There’s good news and bad news for the Dayton Flyers football program.

On the bright side, twoyear starting quarterback Alex Jeske is back for one more season, but now it appears the redshirt senior will miss a few games after breaking a bone in his foot.

Coach Rick Chamberlin said Jeske was injured during a workout last Tuesday at home in suburban Chicago.

“He had his surgery (Tuesday), and everything went fine,” Chamberlin said. “All indications are it’s going to be a five-to-six-week period of him not being able to play.”

The injury, known as a Jones fracture, was to a bone in Jeske’s left little toe. He will be in a cast two weeks and a boot for two more weeks.

That means juniors Will Bobek and Kyle Kaparos will compete at quarterback when camp starts next week.

“They know our offense and the way we do things,” Chamberlin said. “So it’s going to be a battle.”

Bobek and Kaparos both redshirted two years ago. Bobek appeared in seven games last season, while Kaparos was on the field for two games.

“Sure, you’re going to make a couple of adjustments,” Chamberlin said, “but for the most part we’re going to keep our offense the same.”

Jeske threw for 1,937 yards and 15 touchdowns last sea- son. He also ran for 829 yards and 14 scores. He was the Flyers MVP on a team that finished 9-2 and brings a seven-game winning streak into the 2017 season.

Dayton was picked to finish second in a vote of Pioneer Football League coaches.

“I feel like on offense were are very talented at our skill positions and we need some people to step up on the offensive line,” Chamberlin said. “Defensively we need to find some people, but in our program the thing is, we don’t rebuild, we replace.”

The Flyers open the season at Robert Morris on Sept. 2. The home opener is the following Saturday against first-time opponent Southeast Missouri State.