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 Wednesday, September 29
Texas Tech star out for season
 
Associated Press

 LUBBOCK, Texas -- Ricky Williams, the key to the Texas Tech offense, aggravated a knee sprain during practice and is out for the rest of the season.

Ricky Williams
Williams rushed for 1,582 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

Tech doctors said Wednesday that surgery would be scheduled later this week. Team personnel wouldn't say whether the sprain of his left knee will end his college career.

"It's gut wrenching, no doubt," coach Spike Dykes said. "The worst thing about athletics is injuries, because these kids put their whole life into it, and it can be taken away in an instant. It breaks my heart to see something like that happen to good people."

Tech officials said Williams will meet with the media at 2:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss the injury.

Williams' absence leaves the Red Raiders, already floundering after last weekend's 21-14 loss to North Texas, in disarray. It also dims Williams' chances of breaking the NCAA Division I-A rushing record set by Texas' Ricky Williams last year.

Williams had played every game at Tech (1-2) the past two seasons, rushing for 1,582 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. The school had set up a website to chart his progress this season called "Heisman Chase."

"We couldn't have more hope or optimism about a player and his potential," Dykes said.

Williams had missed the team's last two games after injuring the knee in the opener against Arizona State, and Dykes had listed the running back as a "maybe" for Saturday's game against Texas A&M (No. 6 ESPN/USA Today; No. 5 AP). During practice Tuesday, Williams aggravated the injury while running in a no-contact exercise.

"He just faltered and went down," said tight end Kyle Allamon, who saw a tape of the practice. "There wasn't any hit or contact. ... He just put too much pressure on the knee."

"We are just going to have play harder," offensive lineman Curtis Lowery said. "We can't get too upset about losing one person. He isn't the whole team, he's just a good part of it. If we just go out there and give up, then we might as well not go out there at all."

The decision to put Williams back on the field seems to have been prompted by Williams' own competitive spirit.

James Easterling, one of Williams' backups, said Williams was itching to get on the field for the last several days.

"Ricky Williams is not a quitter," Easterling said. "He wanted to get back out there as soon as possible and the coaches liked that. But sometimes you just have to sit out until you're completely 100 percent well. With a knee injury, you can't try to come back too soon."

Players didn't want to criticize coaches or players for putting the running back on the field during practice.

"Ricky knows Ricky," Allamon said. "He knows his limits and knows what he can do. It was mainly his decision, and you can't really second guess yourself."

Now Tech will have to replace a crucial part of its offense, which was built almost entirely around Williams.

"It's probably going to be like we've done it in the past," running back coach Jack Tayrien said. "We'll play it by committee and go with the hot hand."

The committee will consist of Shaud Williams, a freshman who has posted 210 yards since Williams' injury, and Easterling, who has 198 yards rushing. Also helping will be Ricky Hunter, who has 71 yards rushing this season.

Tech's prospects for this weekend don't look good.

Texas A&M has the nation's top-ranked defense and has allowed just 68 yards and one touchdown against Louisiana Tech, Tulsa and Southern Mississippi. Tech must also contend with Texas and Oklahoma this season.