USC’s Gibson to Have Surgery on Knee Today

Don Gibson, starting nose guard for USC, suffered damage to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during practice Friday and will undergo arthroscopic surgery this morning.

“He just twisted it,” Coach Larry Smith said. “Nobody hit him. He was just coming out of a pile and his cleats caught.”

Gibson, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior, will be out for at least six weeks.

“This is a key blow,” Smith said. “Here’s a guy who started 24 straight games for us. He could have been first team on the all-conference team. It’s a real blow.”

Especially since the Trojans, with an inexperienced starting quarterback, have been hoping their defense will carry them through at least the early part of the season.

Gene Fruge, a junior, will move up to Gibson’s spot.

Also lost to the Trojans is reserve safety Curtis Hein, declared medically unfit because of a chronic elbow problem.

It was not all bad news, however. Reserve safety Lamont Hollinquest, academically ineligible in the spring, has regained his academic standing and is back on the roster.