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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTESunday, December 2, 10:52 PM*BYU RB Staley out 3-6 weeks with broken left fibula* ----------------------------------------------------- PROVO, Utah (Ticker) -- Unbeaten Brigham Young will be without star running back Luke Staley for its regular-season finale after the Doak Walker Award finalist broke his left leg late in Saturday's 41-38 come-from-behind victory at Mississippi State. Staley rushed for 149 yards on 28 carries but went down on the Cougars' final drive and had to be helped off the field. Team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kirt Kimball confirmed Staley suffered a fractured left fibula. Head trainer George Curtis called it as a "ragged-edge fracture," which he described as the best scenario for a full recovery. It it too early to tell, however, if Staley will be ready for the Liberty Bowl against Louisville on New Year's Eve. The 6-1, 218-pound junior will be in a walking cast for about a week before undergoing treatment. "This type of fracture, depending on the way he responds to treatment, will keep him out between three and six weeks," Curtis said. "It is too early to tell if he will be ready to play in a bowl game. We'll know more in a couple of weeks." Staley already has rushed for a school-record 1,582 yards, averaging 8.1 per carry. He will miss Saturday night's season finale at Hawaii as the Cougars (12-0) try to remain one of only two unbeaten teams in Division I-A. Top-ranked Miami is the other. Because of a weak schedule, BYU is just 12th in the BCS standings. "I don't think there's any question that we will miss having Luke on Saturday," BYU coach Gary Crowton said. "He is a vital part of this team. However, we have players on this team who can and will step up. We'll make some adjustments and then go from there." st 12-02-01 22:40 et |