Forced to leave his team's frustrating loss to Ohio State on Saturday, Michigan State Spartans starting center Travis Jackson is now expected to miss the remainder of the 2012 season with a broken leg, according to Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press.
A third-year sophomore, Jackson was carted off the field in the second quarter of Saturday's one-point loss, and reportedly suffered both a knee injury and a broken leg on the same play. The 6'3, 280-pound lineman started 10 games for head coach Mark Dantonio last season and was one of the biggest keys to tailback LeVeon Bell's success on the ground so far in 2012. As expected, Jackson's teammates were disappointed to hear the frustrating news.
"It's sad," Spartans offensive tackle Skyler Burkland said. "He's one of our leaders on the offensive line, and he's one of my best friends. It hurts."
Senior Ethan Ruhland, who filled in for Jackson on Saturday, will likely see an expanded role going forward, but it's unclear how Dantonio will configure his offensive line heading into the team's Oct. 6 game at Indiana. Though Ruhland is a three-year letterwinner with plenty of big-game experience, there's no question that the loss of Jackson is a serious blow to Michigan State's offense.