Fullback Adam Senk tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at practice Wednesday, meaning he could miss the 2005 football season. Senk, a fifth-year senior from Cortland, Ohio, will have surgery on the knee once the swelling subsides, most likely in early May.

Penn State sports information director Jeff Nelson said yesterday that the recovery period will most likely be six to eight months long, which means there is a possibility that Senk could play late in the season.

Senk, who had been running at second-team fullback behind BranDon Snow, has one career carry for 4 yards, which came in a 49-0 win against Northwestern during the 2002 season. He did not play in 2003, and did not have a reception or carry in 2004.

According to Snow, redshirt freshmen Dan Lawlor, Jed Hill and Ryan Harford have also been seeing repetitions at fullback.