CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Coach June Jones is disappointed Hawaii's Jason Ferguson, right, is likely gone for the season with a knee injury.

Warriors’ Peters may
not need surgery

Jason Ferguson, however,
is likely out for the season

As of yesterday, no surgery was scheduled for Leonard Peters, and the Hawaii starting senior free safety is week-to-week because of knee ligament damage suffered in Saturday's 63-17 loss to USC.

Sophomore starting slotback Jason Ferguson, however, is likely out for the season, also with a knee ligament injury in the same game.

"It's very difficult to accept. Whenever you schedule this kind of opponent early in the year, you usually lose some guys," UH coach June Jones said. "Those two kids probably worked harder than anyone we have all summer. They are leaders by example."

Ferguson has a torn ACL and Peters a torn MCL. The diagnoses were made after MRI exams yesterday.

"No surgery is scheduled for Leonard," UH spokeswoman Lois Manin said, after talking with UH medical personnel. "He is probably out for this week's game (at Michigan State)."

Ferguson planned to go to Los Angeles to have the doctor who treated a previous injury to the same knee examine this injury, which happened on the game's opening kickoff.

Ferguson, a 2003 graduate of Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, entered UH in the spring of 2004. He played last year as a true freshman, so he is eligible for a medical redshirt.

Jones said freshmen Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullen will likely start at slot against Michigan State. Senior Nate Ilaoa is also a possibility. Ilaoa played only briefly against USC.

"I thought Ryan Grice-Mullen did a good job," Jones said. "Nate could've played. But Ryan was doing a good job and I wanted to get him some more experience."

Ferguson earned a starting slotback position this year after backing up second-team All-American Chad Owens last fall.

Jones said seniors Lamar Broadway and Landon Kafentzis, sophomore Anapuni Coleman and true freshman Kirk Alexander are among the players who will try to replace Peters.

"They'll all get a chance," Jones said.

Players can sometimes come back from MCL injuries without surgery. If Peters does require surgery, the normal rehabilitation period would be from 12 to 18 weeks, costing him the rest of the season -- and his career, barring the NCAA granting of a sixth year of eligibility. Peters already used his redshirt year on a medical hardship waiver, in 2001.

Peters led UH with 120 tackles last season, despite playing with a damaged shoulder. He was in on five tackles Saturday before getting hurt in a fourth-quarter pileup.

Neither Ferguson nor Peters was available for comment yesterday.

"It is a huge blow," sophomore quarterback Colt Brennan said. "Those are two great guys on the team. An unbelievable leader in Leonard, and Jason, a 5-foot-5 Warrior out there who walks and talks like he's 6-8. Those two guys meant a lot to the team. But it's going to really inspire us to work and have a spot for them on a good team when they can come back."

UH senior linebacker Tanuvasa Moe said the injuries and lopsided loss can be rallying points for the Warriors.

"I think this lights a fire under us and makes us want to work harder and be ready twice as much for the next game," Moe said. "We have to do everything we can to make sure this doesn't happen to us again, especially coming from a defensive standpoint. It's frustrating to let any team do this to us. We prepared better than this."