With Hickman Out, Line Ranks Are Thin

UCLA will be without starting defensive end Justin Hickman for Saturday’s game at California because of a knee injury that will require arthroscopic surgery today.

Coach Karl Dorrell said Hickman, who suffered the injury against Arizona last week, would be sidelined for at least two weeks.

Hickman will be replaced in the lineup by freshman Brigham Harwell, who will make his first career start. He will be backed up by freshman Bruce Davis.

“He was playing the most consistent [among the defensive linemen],” Dorrell said about Hickman, who has 13 tackles, including a half sack. “We’re going to miss that consistency.

“But I’m excited about Brigham Harwell and Bruce Davis, two young players who are going to play hard and give it everything they have. I feel good about our defense.”

Dorrell said that Hickman could return for the Stanford game on Oct. 30.

For freshman defensive tackle Kenneth Lombard, the news is not as good. After starting two of the first three games, Lombard suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter against Washington on Sept. 18.

Initially, Lombard’s injury was not considered serious, but Dorrell said that the first-year player may not play again this season and could receive a medical hardship.

“He has a shoulder injury that is significant enough that he’ll be out for a few more weeks,” Dorrell said. “There’s a strong chance that he won’t play the rest of the season.... He played two games and a quarter, so we’ll petition [to the Pacific 10 Conference] so he can get the year back.”

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Defensive line coach Don Johnson on end Kyle Morgan, a junior college transfer from San Francisco returning home for this weekend’s game: “He’s done a pretty good job of maintaining his gap control and being physical with the tight end. Kyle is really coming along.”