Pitoitua suffers broken leg

PULLMAN – Washington State University defensive tackle Ropati Pitoitua sustained a fractured fibula in practice Thursday night and will miss 6-8 weeks, according to WSU head trainer Bill Drake.

Pitoitua, a sophomore, was a starter last season and was to team with fellow sophomore Aaron Johnson to form an imposing defensive tackle combo.

In 2004, Pitoitua played in eight games, missing three to a high ankle sprain, and recorded 24 tackles and five sacks.

The 6-foot-8, 300-pounder spent about two hours in surgery Friday morning in Pullman to repair the right leg.

Now, it appears the soonest Pitoitua could be on the field is mid-October.

“We’ll support him all we can,” head coach Bill Doba said. “The glass is either half-empty or half-full. And it’s half-full. Someone else just has to step up. Injuries are a part of it. It wasn’t a cheap shot or anything. A lineman just tripped up, fell, and fell into the side of him.

“He’s got half a chance for UCLA.”

In Pitoitua’s absence, Doba said either fifth-year senior Bryan Olson or true freshman Fevaea’i Ahmu will get the start. Olson has played in three games in his career – one last season – and has yet to record a tackle. Ahmu has impressed in camp thus far, coming straight from high school near San Diego.

In fact, Doba said the freshman might have an edge so far. The two shared snaps with the first defense in a Martin Stadium scrimmage Friday night.

Should Pitoitua’s injury not heal quickly, Doba said he had no intention of redshirting him. The head coach even went so far as to suggest that he’d play Pitoitua in just the Apple Cup if that were the first game he’d be able to play.

“We still have high hopes for him. Our job now is to make sure he gets his class work done and maintains his eligibility,” Doba said. “It’s just that bone. … They’ll X-ray it every two weeks.”