UCLA OL Goines, WRs Mazzone, Andrews Need Surgery
LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA left tackle Simon Goines had surgery Sunday on a broken bone in his right leg, sidelining another key player for the No. 22 Bruins' regular-season finale against Southern California.
Receivers Gray Mazzone and Darren Andrews also are out for the season after they were injured in the Bruins' 38-33 loss to Arizona State on Saturday, ending their chances of winning the Pac-12 South and dropping UCLA eight spots in the Top 25.
Goines is the latest major injury loss for the Bruins (8-3, 5-3 Pac-12), who likely will face their crosstown rivals at the Coliseum with three freshman starters on their offensive line.
Goines started five of the Bruins' first six games at left tackle and another at right tackle, but he missed UCLA's next four games with a right knee injury.
The sophomore returned to the starting lineup against the Sun Devils, but had to be helped off the field in the second quarter with what turned out to be a broken fibula.
Goines tweeted a photo of his own bandaged leg from his hospital bed Sunday with the caption: "Just a minor setback for a major comeback."
UCLA coach Jim Mora said Goines' injury is similar to the one that ended the regular season for Torian White, the Bruins' other starting tackle to open the season, in early October.
The injuries likely mean freshmen Alex Redmond, Caleb Benenoch and Scott Quessenberry will start against USC alongside sophomore center Jake Brendel and junior Xavier Su'a-Filo, who moved from left guard to left tackle while Goines was sidelined earlier this season.
UCLA's young offensive line looked painfully overmatched at times against Arizona State's Will Sutton and his veteran teammates. Quarterback Brett Hundley was sacked nine times. USC's defensive front is similarly tough, with Leonard Williams and George Uko leading a unit that has grown increasingly dominant in recent weeks.
"The positive is they're getting great experience that's going to help us down the road tremendously," Mora said of his young linemen.
Mazzone, a senior transfer from East Carolina and the son of offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, apparently was injured on the final drive of the Bruins' loss to Arizona State. He has 12 catches for 173 yards this season.
Andrews has a lateral meniscus tear, Mora said. The speedy freshman made four receptions and returned two punts for UCLA this season.
Mora got a bit of good news in another dour injury report when he learned receiver Devin Fuller is likely to play against the Trojans. Fuller was the Bruins' leading receiver with 40 catches for 453 yards before sitting out with a strained hamstring against Arizona State.
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