Oct. 5, 2004
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University of Iowa senior running back Jermelle Lewis has been lost for the season with an ACL injury. The announcement came today from Head Coach Kirk Ferentz.
Lewis, a 5-11, 215-pounder from Bloomfield, CT., will undergo surgery to repair the damage. He is Iowa’s leading rusher with 200 yards and a touchdown this year and has 1,150 career rushing yards.
“Losing Jermelle is extremely disappointing for all us,” said Ferentz. “He hasn’t had a lot of good luck during his college career and our first and foremost thoughts are concerning his welfare. He’s worked awfully hard to get back from previous injuries and it’s hard to see him suffer this setback.”
The loss of Lewis means the Hawkeyes have lost what were their top three running backs, according to pre-season depth charts. Marcus Schnoor and Albert Young both went down with season-ending knee injuries earlier in the season.
Marques Simmons, the No. 4 back on Iowa’s roster entering the year, is now the Hawkeye starter. A junior from nearby Davenport, Simmons gained 47 yards on 13 carries in last Saturday’s 38-17 Homecoming victory over Michigan State, the 15th in a row inside historic Kinnick Stadium for the Hawekyes.
Iowa entertains Ohio State Oct. 16 at Kinnick. That game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. and will be televised live to a regional audience by ABC-TV.