Hawaii QB Alexander to miss rest of season

Oct 3, 2009 - 2:22 AM By JAYMES SONG AP Sports Writer

HONOLULU(AP) -- Hawaii quarterback Greg Alexander will miss the rest of the season after injuring his left knee Wednesday night in a loss at Louisiana Tech, school officials said Friday.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior will have surgery Saturday to repair "major ligament damage," leaving the pass-heavy Warriors with virtually no game experience at the quarterback position.

"This is a huge loss for our football program and I'm just heartbroken," Warriors coach Greg McMackin said. "Greg put in a great amount of hard work over the offseason and fall camp and improved his skills enough to be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. He's a great competitor and we'll miss him immensely."

Alexander, who succeeded record-breaking quarterback Colt Brennan at Hawaii last year, had gotten off to a fast start this season, throwing for 1,433 yards, nine touchdowns with four interceptions.

Entering the Louisiana Tech game, Alexander led the nation in total offense (446 yards), ranked second in passing (411.3 yards) and fifth in passing efficiency (178.8).

Alexander threw for 199 yards and two interceptions before being knocked out of the game late in the third quarter. After scrambling out of the pocket, Alexander took a jarring hit from linebacker Adrien Cole near the sideline. Louisiana Tech defeated Hawaii 27-6.

Junior college transfer Bryant Moniz or sophomore Shane Austin will become the starter.

"I'm deeply disappointed with these results but its part of the game and I wish the team the best throughout the rest of the season," Alexander said. "I'll be supporting my teammates from the sidelines and helping out Mo (Moniz), Brent (Rausch), and Shane as best I can."

Alexander said after the surgery, he plans to focus on academics to stay on pace to graduate next year.

Alexander transferred to Hawaii from Santa Rosa (Calif.) College, where he set a national junior college record with 71 career touchdown passes. Last season, Alexander started the season opener at Florida but struggled. He was benched and later regained the starting role midway through the year and led the team to the Hawaii Bowl.

Hawaii (2-2) hosts Fresno State on Oct. 10.