Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham said during his weekly press conference Monday that starting linebacker Kavika Luafatasaga, who sustained a leg injury in against North Dakota, did not suffer a season-ending injury.
Whittingham did not elaborate on the nature of the injury or a time table for a return, but left open the possibility Luafatasaga could available to play against rival BYU on Saturday night in Provo.
Luafatasaga, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior, started Thursday’s season-opening win over North Dakota. However, he came out of the game due to injury and finished the contest with his foot in a protective boot. He made three tackles in the win before leaving the game.
If Luafatasaga is not available on Saturday, that will leave the Utes with three linebackers with significant game experience in junior Cody Barton, senior Sunia Tauteoli and sophomore Donovan Thompson. All three played against North Dakota, and Tauteoli registered a team-high 10 tackles.
Last season as a junior college transfer from Arizona Western, Luafatasaga played in all 13 games and started eight. He recorded 52 tackles (five tackles for loss) for the season, and he played his best late in the season. He made 10 tackles in the final regular-season game against Colorado as well as a season-high 12 tackles and one pass breakup against Indiana in the Foster Farms Bowl.
This story will be updated.