AZTEC NOTEBOOK / SCOTT MILLER : Injuries Continue to Take Toll on Morrison

Tyrone Morrison’s hard-luck San Diego State football career will take another turn for the worse this afternoon when he undergoes reconstructive surgery on his left knee to repair the anterior cruciate ligament.

Aztec trainer Brian Barry said that he expects Morrison, a junior defensive lineman, to play next season. However, Morrison will miss spring drills while undergoing an extensive six- to nine-month rehabilitation program.

Morrison, a 1989 Morse High graduate, injured the knee during a practice Sept. 29, when defensive lineman La’Roi Glover rolled into him. Morrison was put on a rehabilitation program in hopes that he could return this season and bypass surgery. But after three weeks, it became apparent that the knee was not progressing.

“From the very start it was an iffy situation at best,” Coach Al Luginbill said. “It just didn’t go our way.

“It was a freak injury, no question about it. In this sport, you get them to the fray, to the game, and then see what happens. This was just a freak thing.”

Morrison, who transferred to SDSU from Ohio State in 1990, has become all too familiar with the Aztec training room. He suffered an arch strain in his left foot shortly after transferring to SDSU on Sept. 4, 1990, and missed several practices during his redshirt season.

Then, he suffered a strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee during spring drills in 1991 and missed a good portion of the spring.

Last season, after Morrison became eligible to play at SDSU, he suffered a groin strain Aug. 23 that bothered him throughout the early part of the season.

He was finally healthy at the start of this season and played well in SDSU’s 31-31 tie with USC. He started at defensive end and had one sack and five tackles, giving the SDSU coaching staff hopes that Morrison would become a dominant player.

But he suffered a groin strain, missed SDSU’s game at Brigham Young, and then came back to play a below-average game during the Aztecs’ 35-7 loss at UCLA.

“He wanted the opportunity to come back and play (well),” Luginbill said. “Then this injury came.”

The surgery will be performed by SDSU team Dr. Robert Straumfjord and, according to Barry, is expected to last about an hour.

No current Aztecs have undergone reconstructive knee surgery, but Barry did say that former SDSU offensive lineman Mike Ariey (1983-1986) had similar surgery and came back to play well.

Turaj Smith, who has been out with a sprained ankle, is expected to return Saturday against Air Force and take Morrison’s place in the defensive line rotation.

The Aztecs did receive a dose of good news when center Mike Alexander (sprained foot) made it through another practice and was declared fit to start Saturday.

Alexander was injured in the first series against UCLA and missed the rest of that game as well as SDSU games against New Mexico and Texas El Paso.

“That certainly is going to help us,” said Bret Ingalls, SDSU offensive coordinator. “We’re a lot better football team with Mike at center. Mark Koenig played well for us at weak guard, but we’re better with Mike at center and Joe (Heinz, who stepped in at center) able to play the position he is used to (guard).”

Said Alexander: “I’m very happy. I’m anxious to get back to playing the game.”

Fred Miller, SDSU athletic director, is still attempting to move next year’s UCLA game to early September to produce another Holiday Kickoff Classic, like this year’s USC game, but the chances are slim Miller can get it done.

“It takes two or three other schools to make it work,” Miller said. “I’ve got maybe one final whisper before they close the coffin door on the idea.”

The game, the last under the SDSU-UCLA contract, is scheduled for Oct. 2.

Prime Timers: The Aztecs will appear on ESPN Saturday against Air Force and Miller said that there is still a chance that either ESPN or ABC will pick up their games with both Wyoming and Hawaii. And, ESPN will probably televise the SDSU-Miami game on Nov. 28. If the Wyoming and Hawaii games are televised, that would give SDSU seven appearances on either ESPN or ABC this season.