University of Hawai'i defensive end Melila Purcell III might miss an extended period after suffering a possible torn ligament in his left knee during Saturday's 46-14 road football loss to Louisiana Tech.

"It's sore," said Purcell, who was on crutches yesterday. "I can't even stretch it out."

Purcell today will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging, a procedure in which magnetic fields are used to create a picture of the body's interior. Purcell said he was told he suffered a tear to either his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or medial collateral ligament (MCL).

"Hopefully, it's not my ACL," Purcell said. "Hopefully, it's my MCL. Then I won't need surgery."

Although an MCL injury does not always require surgery, the recovery period is up to 12 weeks. Free safety Leonard Peters suffered a torn MCL in the season opener. Peters is not expected to play the rest of this season, and likely will apply for a medical hardship that will allow him to return as a sixth-year senior.

The post-surgery recovery period for an ACL injury is several months.

"It's a tough situation," UH coach June Jones said. "I have no idea (of the severity) until they do an MRI. But I know it's not good. It's a big loss. He's one of our best players."

Purcell said he suffered the injury during Louisiana Tech running back Mark Dillard's 59-yard scoring run in the first quarter.

"One of the (Tech) linemen cut me," Purcell said. "They were doing it the whole game. It was nothing new."

Purcell started every game this season at left end. In defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville's 3-4 scheme, the left end is a hybrid position aligned across from the offensive tackle or guard.

"The guy has to be versatile, and Mel was doing a fantastic job," Glanville said. "Only the good guys get hurt. You lose Peters and then you lose Mel. It's unbelievable."

Karl Noa and Jake Ingram played left end in place of Purcell. Glanville said nose tackles Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan and Renolds Fruean will move to left end this week. Fruean has missed the past three games after suffering a severely sprained right ankle. "We'll find somebody," Glanville said.

Purcell, a senior from American Samoa, said he has not played his last game.

He first enrolled at UH in August 2001 as a partial qualifier — he could attend classes but not play football as a freshman — after the NCAA ruled that one of his high school English classes did not qualify as a core requirement.

According to NCAA rules, Purcell will be awarded a fourth season if he earns a bachelor's degree within four years. Purcell said he will meet that deadline by graduating next summer.

"I'll be back," he said.

So, too, will his brother, Amani, who was granted a release from his Penn State football scholarship this past summer. Amani Purcell is attending classes at UH this semester, and will be eligible to play for the Warriors in 2006.

WOUNDED WARRIORS

Starting right tackle Dane Uperesa's left elbow was in a sling during the Warriors' eight-hour flight from Houston yesterday.

"I tweaked it, but I can't remember which play it happened," he said. "I'll be fine. I'll try to rest it as much as possible."

Strong safety Lono Manners is struggling to play with several dislocated fingers. "He couldn't tackle," Glanville said. "His fingers are all so beat up. He couldn't tackle because he couldn't close his hands. We've got to do something with his hands."

Manners said: "I couldn't grab on to jerseys. I had to throw my body around to make tackles."

He said he will take painkillers to prepare for Saturday's game against New Mexico State.

POSITIVELY NOTHING

Asked if there were any "positive" aspects to Saturday's loss, Jones said, "Not really. I'm disappointed. There's something about being on the road. When we get behind, guys have to grow up and keep playing."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.