As the Mustang football team gears up for their first showdownof the season, three familiar names will be absent from the lineuptomorrow night against Texas Tech and most likely for the rest ofthe season.

Fans will not see sophomore linebacker Reggie Carrington,sophomore defensive end Cole Horton or senior offensive linemanEric Neal in action. Each member of the trio has suffered an injurythat will force them onto the sidelines for the foreseeablefuture.

Carrington (torn pectoral and shoulder), Horton (heartcondition) and Neal (Jones fracture of fifth metatarsal in foot)were all key defensive contributors last season, teaming up for atotal of 35 tackles and 771 pounds of Pony power.

Neal is not too worried, as the chronological timing of theinjuries left ample time for the team to recover.

“All of the injuries happened early,” he said,”so we got a chance to go through [training] camp with somenew people.”

Those stepping up for the wounded trio, as Neal explained, haveincluded freshmen Wilton McCray and Ben Poynter, sophomores DarrinJohnson and Dustin Morton, and senior D.D. Lee.

Lee tied D.D. Johnson for the team lead in tackles last seasonwith 100 stops.

Even with these daunting statistics on the table, however, HeadCoach Phil Bennett knows that any injury, no matter the severity,leaves a dent in the Mustang roster.

“It affects you,” he said. “These kids workhard.”

Bennett, entering his third season at the helm for the footballprogram, made sure to focus on the positive aspects of thesituation.

“The players are bonding, and [these injuries] give othersa chance to step up,” he said.

As for the three ailing Ponies, their time off the field willcertainly not be wasted.

“Reggie, Cole and I are still going to practices and doingour rehab work,” said Neal.

In addition, the injuries will allow Horton and Neal to trytheir hand at the coaching aspect of the game, while assistingup-and-coming Mustangs in the process.

“Cole is helping out defensively,” Neal said,”teaching the younger players different alignments andtechniques.

“And I am teaching the young offensive line some tricks ofthe trade.”

Though he would prefer to spend game days on the field asopposed to the sideline, Neal is not complaining about his newrole.

“I’m willing to do whatever I can to help us get toa conference championship or bowl game,” he said.

For the time being, however, Carrington, Horton and Neal willwait patiently to once again don the red and blue in support of ateam that Neal described as, “more of a family now thanwe’ve ever been.”