Oregon State senior backup quarterback Lyle Moevao is out for the rest of the season due to an ankle injury suffered in practice, coach Mike Riley said Wednesday afternoon.

Moevao was running the two-minute drill Tuesday, stepped up in the pocked and defensive end Matt LaGrone fell on the back of his right foot.

He tried to walk it off, but the pain was too great and he had no strength in the foot. MRI results weren’t back, yet, but the initial diagnosis was ligament damage. UPDATE: The results came back Wednesday night, and Moevao will have surgery Friday and will not return.

Moevao’s foot was in a protective boot, and he got around on crutches.

“It is really, really hard,” Riley said. “It’s almost hard to believe. When it rains it pours. I don’t know what to say about it. He has worked so hard to get almost ready to go. I don’t think he’ll be ready to play again this year.”

Moevao has been the backup the last four weeks after recovering from offseason throwing shoulder surgery. He was the starter last season, but was hurt the first week of November 2008.

He missed two games due to the injury, but finished the season. Moevao tired to rehab the shoulder but his progress was slow, so surgery was needed to reconstruct his rotator cuff.

“It has been unbelievable what went on, and how it unfolded,” Moevao said. “That’s the worst thing to happen, to go out like this. I don’t think any player wants to come back from offseason surgery, as a senior, and get hit with another injury and that’s it. This is not the right way to go out.”

Riley said he’ll look into getting Moevao a sixth year of eligibility so he can come back next season, but admitted that it’s a long shot. Moevao would be open the opportunity.

Players need to miss two seasons of the possible five to gain a sixth year. Moevao played or had the opportunity to play the previous four seasons. That’s all that’s guaranteed athletes.

Representatives of the  Pacific-10 Conference meet in March to vote on the medical hardship cases.

“We will take it to the end,” Riley said. “We’ll explore every possibility. What I’ve been told in the past, we won’t get it. But this one deserves some consideration.”

Redshirt freshman Ryan Katz moves into the backup quarterback role for the rest of the season.

Quick hits
LB David Pa’aluhi (sick) missed practice. … There about 5,000 tickets left for Saturday’s homecoming game with UCLA. … Former WR Sammie Stroughter will be  at the game to present the game ball.

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