More pain: WR Johnson injures knee

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2004 | 10:08 a.m.

UNLV's injury problems continued to mount in Sunday night's 42-17 loss to 14th-ranked Tennessee.

Already playing without four starters -- tight end Greg Estandia (knee), all-MWC punt returner Tremayne Kirkland (shoulder), tackle Tyler Crandal (back surgery) and defensive end Pete Dunbar (knee) -- the Rebels lost a couple of key backups in redshirt freshman linebacker Ryan Welter (torn ACL) and offensive guard Brandon Gray (knee sprain) in the Tennessee game.

But another potentially devastating injury popped up when the team reported for a short practice Monday night at Rebel Park.

All-MWC wide receiver Earvin Johnson, who caught a team-high eight passes for 87 yards against the Vols, didn't practice because of a sore left knee.

Johnson, who caught three passes on the Rebels' first offensive series alone, said he hurt the knee in the first quarter after colliding with a teammate while attempting to catch a pass.

"The big question mark is Earvin Johnson," UNLV coach John Robinson said Monday night. "He hurt his knee. We'll just have to wait and see how it comes out."

Johnson isn't expected to practice until Thursday at the earliest.

The Rebels leave Friday morning for Madison, Wis., to play a Badgers team against which Johnson had one of his finest games a year ago. He caught five passes for 41 yards including a pair of acrobatic touchdown grabs.

"I bumped into my own guy and I got my knee kind of twisted," said Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior from Los Angeles. "I think I might have sprained it a little bit. I can't really put any pressure on it."

Johnson said he still plans on playing Saturday.

"I should be OK," he said. "It's just a little sore and stiff right now. I'll just get some treatment and see if I can go (in practice) on Thursday."

If not, the Rebels could be without another key offensive option against the Badgers.

Robinson said that Estandia, who suffered a partially torn MCL in practice two weeks ago, won't play against the Badgers.

"No, we're shooting for Air Force (on Sept. 18)," Robinson said of Estandia's expected return to the lineup.