Tago Smith waited for four years to start at quarterback for Navy. His first season on the job lasted less than two quarters.
Navy confirmed Monday that Smith suffered a torn ACL in the second quarter of the Midshipmen’s 52-16 season-opening win over Fordham on Saturday. He will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery this week.
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“This is a tough day for Tago, his family and the Navy Brotherhood,” coach Ken Niumatalolo said in a statement per the Capital Gazette. “Tago represents who we are: Humble, hard-working and tough. We are all praying for his wellbeing.”
Smith, a senior, was the No. 2 quarterback behind star Keenan Reynolds for the past three seasons. His first game as the full-time start got off to a great start. He had 75 yards rushing and two scores before he went down without contact during the second quarter.
Per the Gazette, Navy will turn to senior Will Worth as the team’s starting quarterback with sophomore Zach Abey and freshman Malcolm Perry serving as the No. 2 and No. 3 QBs, respectively.
The Midshipmen return to the field on Saturday at home vs. UConn.
Other injury news:
- Wisconsin sophomore linebacker Chris Orr will miss the rest of the season because of a torn ACL. Orr started in the middle for UW’s upset win over LSU at Lambeau Field on Saturday.
- West Virginia offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste also suffered a torn ACL in WVU’s win over Missouri. The redshirt sophomore, the Mountaineers’ starting left tackle, will miss the rest of the season.
- Ohio State defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle suffered a season-ending leg injury in the Buckeyes’ blowout win over Toledo. Sprinkle, a redshirt junior, was entering his first season as a starter for OSU.
- Florida coach Jim McElwain confirmed Sunday that the Gators lost wideout Dre Massey to a season-ending knee injury. Massey, the team’s starting slot receiver and top kick returner, was injured on the opening kickoff of UF’s win over UMass.
- Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said Monday that defensive back Kevin Richardson tore a pectoral muscle in the Razorbacks win over Louisiana Tech. He’s out for the season.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
