Senior offensive lineman Micah Kia’s football season is over before it even began.
Kia will undergo surgery to repair a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which he suffered during Wednesday afternoon’s practice. The expected recovery time is six to eight months.
“Very unfortunate,” coach Rick Neuheisel said. “You’d hate for a senior to miss out.”
Kia, who registered 15 starts over the last two seasons combined, was competing with freshman Stanley Hasiak for the starting left guard position. He was on crutches on Thursday and will undergo surgery after the swelling in his knee subsides.
“The good news for Micah is that he does have a redshirt year,” Neuheisel said. “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”
UP-AND-DOWN OFFENSE: The UCLA offense was shaky during an officiated scrimmage on Thursday.
The quarterback play was inconsistent, the most obvious case coming when redshirt freshman starter Kevin Prince was intercepted by sophomore safety Rahim Moore.
Yet once the drills shifted to the red zone, the offense seemed to come alive. The offense scored on five straight plays, the final one coming on redshirt senior Kevin Craft’s fade pass to freshman wide receiver Morrell Presley in the corner of the end zone.
The offensive sideline erupted after the first three scores, rushing the field to congratulate their mates. Though Neuheisel intervened and told them to stop, he seemed pleased by the team’s effort late in practice.
“You really can make great improvement when you’re tired and still concentrate,” Neuheisel said. “It’s easier when everybody is fresh.”