COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT / UCLA : Defensive End Lost for Season

The Bruin defense lost one key player for the season and welcomed another back Monday as the entire unit tries to build off the encouraging showing against Boise State.

News that defensive end Travor Turner suffered a torn ligament in his right knee in Saturday night’s season opener came as a blow that went beyond his second-string standing, so significant were his contributions as an inspirational leader on the line. The timing didn’t help either--Turner was in the third quarter of the first game after a training camp that earned great praise, particularly for the improvements from 1998.

“Really disappointing,” Coach Bob Toledo said. “I feel so bad for that young man. He had worked so hard.

“He was a spiritual leader for us. It was one of the reasons I picked him as a captain [for the Boise State game]. The guys like him. He worked so hard, practiced so hard. We’re going to miss him. I wouldn’t have said the same thing two years ago, but as a senior he brought a lot to the table.”

Turner, who has already used his redshirt season, was in the opening lineup three times as a junior and was No. 2 behind Rusty Williams in ’99. His departure means Pete Holland, the starter at tackle, will also likely play some end, that Santi Hall will get more time on the line instead of linebacker as he had hoped, and that linebacker Ali Abdul Azziz could get time at end when he returns next week from a two-game suspension.

Another suspension, meanwhile, ended Monday. The return of Audie Attar, disciplined by Toledo for fighting with another student during the off-season, is a needed boost for the thin secondary.

He will immediately challenge Jason Stephens for No. 1 at strong safety, an battle that comes partly because coaches were disappointed with Stephens’ performance against Boise State. They weren’t feeling much better about the showing of Jason Bell, the starter at right cornerback.