Knee Injury Sidelines McDonald-Ashford for the Season

PROVO -- Senior running back Brian McDonald-Ashford suffered a torn ACL on Friday (vs. Utah State) and will miss the remainder of the 2001 season.

An MRI on Saturday morning revealed the season-ending injury to the right knee. According to team trainer George Curtis, McDonald-Ashford will undergo surgery in two weeks to repair the torn ligament.

"It has been shown that if we can wait to do the surgery until after the inflamation and bleeding subside, players generally have a faster recovery," Curtis said. "However, it is unlikely Brian will be able to return for the remainder of the season."

McDonald-Ashford ranked second on the BYU depth chart with 251 yards on 47 carries. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound back had produced five touchdowns on the season and averaged 50.2 yards per game.

"We are going to miss Brian," BYU head coach Gary Crowton said. "He is a great team leader and has been a very valuable contributor to our success this season. Brian is a strong person and has faced adversity before. I have every bit of confidence in him that he will be able overcome this injury."