Tear in Rotator Cuff Sidelines O’Laughlin : College football: Northridge quarterback will miss final game against Southern Utah.

J.J. O’Laughlin, the quarterback who provided instant offense for the Cal State Northridge football team, will miss the Matadors’ final game, Coach Bob Burt said Wednesday.

A magnetic resonance imaging test administered Tuesday night revealed a small tear in the rotator cuff of O’Laughlin’s right shoulder.

“He’s history,” Burt said after watching the 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior throw a few passes at a late afternoon practice. “He can start getting better for next year.”

Doctors advised O’Laughlin that throwing would not cause further injury, but that he risked additional damage were he hit on the shoulder.

“It’s pretty weak,” O’Laughlin said of his throwing arm. “I don’t have near the velocity I had.”

O’Laughlin might suit up for Northridge’s game on Saturday night against Southern Utah, but Burt said he will not play.

“The idea is to wait and see if it gets better,” O’Laughlin said. “I’ve gotten a lot of strength back in the last week.”

O’Laughlin was injured Oct. 30 against Chico State when he was hit after throwing a pass.

The previous week, during Northridge’s 48-38 loss against UC Davis, O’Laughlin passed for a career-high 337 yards and tied a school record by throwing five touchdown passes.

In seven games, O’Laughlin completed 99 of 214 passes for 1,181 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions.

O’Laughlin said he will be examined again early next week and perhaps undergo exploratory surgery at that time.

O’Laughlin was held out of Northridge’s game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo last Saturday. Clayton Millis, a sophomore transfer from Oregon, led the Matadors to a 22-14 victory.

Matador Notes

Defensive tackle Victor Myles missed practice Wednesday to be with Sylverina Robinson, the woman who raised him. Robinson has been in Centinela Hospital Medical Center since Sunday when she suffered a stroke. Burt said a decision on whether Myles will play Saturday will be made after practices today and Friday. The 6-4, 240-pound senior still is hobbled by ankle injuries he sustained during an Oct. 23 game against UC Davis.

Tailback Robert Trice was selected American West Conference offensive player of the week after rushing for 187 yards and a touchdown in 33 carries against San Luis Obispo. It was the third time in nine games that Trice, a senior from Rocky Point, N.C., has won the award. Trice has run for 1,210 yards this season, the third-best rushing performance in school history.