Staley’s Surgery Is Set

Brigham Young running back Luke Staley will undergo ankle surgery Tuesday that will force him to miss the Liberty Bowl, school officials said.

Staley won the Doak Walker Award as college football’s top running back this season. The junior led the nation with 28 touchdowns and ran for a school-record 1,582 yards.

Staley broke his left leg in the final minutes of BYU’s 41-38 victory at Mississippi State on Dec. 1.

X-rays taken today showed that although Staley’s broken fibula was healing well, the ligament damage in his ankle would have to be repaired to stabilize the joint, officials said in a statement.

The Cougars (12-1) play Louisville in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 31.

Staley was injured when a Mississippi State defender fell on his leg at the end of a running play on BYU’s game-winning drive. He then sat out the 72-45 loss at Hawaii last weekend which ended the Cougars’ undefeated season.

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Florida State running back Eric Shelton will transfer after the Gator Bowl because of a lack of playing time, Coach Bobby Bowden said Friday.

Bowden said that because of the decision Shelton will not play when the 24th-ranked Seminoles meet No. 15 Virginia Tech on Jan. 1.

Shelton, a highly recruited tailback from Lexington, Ky., is the Seminoles’ fourth-leading rusher with 130 yards in 29 carries. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound freshman played sparingly in all 11 games, including a career-high 95-yard performance during a 43-7 victory over Virginia on Oct. 20.