Boston College defensive tackle Mehdi Abdesmad will miss the rest of the season with a torn left patellar tendon, coach Steve Addazio said Wednesday.
Abdesmad, third on the team with 2.0 sacks in four games this season, suffered the injury in the third quarter of Saturday's 48-34 loss to No. 8 Florida State.
A 6-foot-7, 278-pound junior, Abdesmad started the first four games of the season for the Eagles (2-2, 1-1 ACC). He finishes the season with 17 tackles (3.5 for a loss) and two sacks.
BC co-captain Kasim Edebali, a fifth-year senior defensive lineman, said it's always tough to see a teammate injured. But it was especially difficult for Edebali to see Abdesmad hurt.
"Mehdi's one of my closest friends on the team," Edebali said by phone Wednesday. "The hardest part is how much work you put in preparing yourself for a good season. ... And whenever someone gets hurt, it hurts. It hurt me to see him on the field. I got a little emotional, because that's my brother getting hurt out there."
But Edebali said the Eagles can't let the setback affect them for long. The team is preparing for a game against Army (2-3) on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, ESPN3), despite the possibility that it could be canceled due to the government shutdown caused by a budget impasse in Congress.
"Whether he's gonna play this season or this week or not," Edebali said, "the bottom line is someone has to step up. I told the younger guys, 'It's football, someone's gonna get hurt and when that happens someone has to step up and it's their time to shine.' "
With Abdesmad out, senior Jaryd Rudolph is listed at the top of the depth chart for Saturday's matchup with the Black Knights. True freshman Truman Gutapfel is listed as the backup.
Edebali said he's confident that the players BC has at the defensive tackle position will step up and fill the void.
"We've got a lot of good guys who've been getting better all season," Edebali said. "Rudolph -- he's a veteran, he's played in big games. He's a guy we all look at who can make plays and produce at the position. [Gutapfel is] getting really good and I can see how he would get some playing time. Anyone at the defensive tackle position is ready to step up and maximize the opportunity."