Cianne
09-20-2005, 07:09 PM
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050920/SPORTS030103/509200327/1025
Spurlock, Willis hope to play despite injuries
# Rebels' QB, linebacker suffered broken fingers in loss to Vanderbilt
By Michael Wallace
mwallace@clarionledger.com
Walking wounded
Injured
Player — Pos. — Yr. — Starts
Micheal Spurlock — QB — Sr. — 4
Patrick Willis — LB — Jr. — 2
The replacements
Player — Pos. — Yr. — Starts
Robert Lane — QB — So. — 0
Robert Russell — LB — Fr. — 0
OXFORD — If Ole Miss is to rebound from last week's demoralizing loss at Vanderbilt and get its season back on track, it will have to do so without the services of two of the team's top players.
Then again, maybe not.
Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron announced Monday that both starting quarterback Micheal Spurlock and linebacker Patrick Willis will miss Saturday's home opener against Wyoming after both had surgery Sunday to repair broken fingers.
Both Spurlock and Willis broke bones in their middle fingers during Saturday's 31-23 loss at Vanderbilt.
But after having surgery in Jackson on Sunday, both players showed up at Monday's game week press conference and said they plan to be back on the practice field by the end of the week and available for Saturday's game.
"I may have to tape my middle fingers together and see how it goes," said Spurlock, who suffered the injury to his left (non-throwing hand). "We'll see. I'm not just going to count myself out. Maybe that's what everybody else is doing. But I'll wait to see how the (rehabilitation process) goes. I'm going to try my darnedest to get back out there and be back at it."
Spurlock, a senior who has started both games this season, did not practice with the team Monday. But, with his left arm in a sling, he attempted several passes on the sideline to keep his right arm loose.
Willis, who also sprained his left knee in addition to breaking the bone on his right hand last Saturday, also sat out of Monday's practice. The junior middle linebacker said he just needed a couple of days to rest his body and would then test his knee and hand at practice later this week.
"You always want to play ... man, I don't even want to miss a practice but they're making me right now," said Willis, named the SEC's defensive player of the week after making 15 tackles two weeks ago against Memphis. "It's not about me trying to come back for me. It's about doing all I can to help my teammates. I don't think either me or Mike want to rush anything and jeopardize our season. But we don't want to just sit back either."
Ole Miss could also be without a third starter for Saturday's game.
Strong safety Jamarca Sanford also injured his knee late in the Vanderbilt game and did not practice Monday. Sanford was scheduled to undergo an MRI Monday and Orgeron said after practice that he is awaiting results.
Meanwhile, the three players who could replace Spurlock, Willis and Sanford worked with the first team in anticipation of making their first starts.
Orgeron said he will approach the week as if sophomore quarterback Robert Lane, freshman linebacker Robert Russell and junior safety Bryan Brown will fill in for Ole Miss (1-1) against Wyoming (2-1).
Lane, Russell and Brown won't lack for experience if they are pressed into starting roles. Lane pushed Spurlock for the starting job all off-season and played in six games last season. Russell led Ole Miss with 10 tackles last week after Willis left late in the first half.
Brown has played in both games this season and has five tackles.
"We're not going to have them this week and we don't know when we'll have them," Orgeron said about Spurlock and Willis. "I won't let this affect us. We're moving on. There may be a couple of things we can or can't do, but overall, we'll run the same offense and defense."
Spurlock, Willis hope to play despite injuries
# Rebels' QB, linebacker suffered broken fingers in loss to Vanderbilt
By Michael Wallace
mwallace@clarionledger.com
Walking wounded
Injured
Player — Pos. — Yr. — Starts
Micheal Spurlock — QB — Sr. — 4
Patrick Willis — LB — Jr. — 2
The replacements
Player — Pos. — Yr. — Starts
Robert Lane — QB — So. — 0
Robert Russell — LB — Fr. — 0
OXFORD — If Ole Miss is to rebound from last week's demoralizing loss at Vanderbilt and get its season back on track, it will have to do so without the services of two of the team's top players.
Then again, maybe not.
Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron announced Monday that both starting quarterback Micheal Spurlock and linebacker Patrick Willis will miss Saturday's home opener against Wyoming after both had surgery Sunday to repair broken fingers.
Both Spurlock and Willis broke bones in their middle fingers during Saturday's 31-23 loss at Vanderbilt.
But after having surgery in Jackson on Sunday, both players showed up at Monday's game week press conference and said they plan to be back on the practice field by the end of the week and available for Saturday's game.
"I may have to tape my middle fingers together and see how it goes," said Spurlock, who suffered the injury to his left (non-throwing hand). "We'll see. I'm not just going to count myself out. Maybe that's what everybody else is doing. But I'll wait to see how the (rehabilitation process) goes. I'm going to try my darnedest to get back out there and be back at it."
Spurlock, a senior who has started both games this season, did not practice with the team Monday. But, with his left arm in a sling, he attempted several passes on the sideline to keep his right arm loose.
Willis, who also sprained his left knee in addition to breaking the bone on his right hand last Saturday, also sat out of Monday's practice. The junior middle linebacker said he just needed a couple of days to rest his body and would then test his knee and hand at practice later this week.
"You always want to play ... man, I don't even want to miss a practice but they're making me right now," said Willis, named the SEC's defensive player of the week after making 15 tackles two weeks ago against Memphis. "It's not about me trying to come back for me. It's about doing all I can to help my teammates. I don't think either me or Mike want to rush anything and jeopardize our season. But we don't want to just sit back either."
Ole Miss could also be without a third starter for Saturday's game.
Strong safety Jamarca Sanford also injured his knee late in the Vanderbilt game and did not practice Monday. Sanford was scheduled to undergo an MRI Monday and Orgeron said after practice that he is awaiting results.
Meanwhile, the three players who could replace Spurlock, Willis and Sanford worked with the first team in anticipation of making their first starts.
Orgeron said he will approach the week as if sophomore quarterback Robert Lane, freshman linebacker Robert Russell and junior safety Bryan Brown will fill in for Ole Miss (1-1) against Wyoming (2-1).
Lane, Russell and Brown won't lack for experience if they are pressed into starting roles. Lane pushed Spurlock for the starting job all off-season and played in six games last season. Russell led Ole Miss with 10 tackles last week after Willis left late in the first half.
Brown has played in both games this season and has five tackles.
"We're not going to have them this week and we don't know when we'll have them," Orgeron said about Spurlock and Willis. "I won't let this affect us. We're moving on. There may be a couple of things we can or can't do, but overall, we'll run the same offense and defense."