Warriors’ Sampson expected to miss season with injury

Allen Sampson, Hawaii’s starting left wideout, has an ACL injury to his right knee and is likely to miss the rest of the football season.

Sampson suffered the injury in the first half of the Warriors’ 45-34 victory over New Mexico State Saturday.

"The way he went down, it was a semi-freak thing," receivers coach Mouse Davis said, referring to Sampson landing awkwardly after being tackled on an end-around run. "But that’s how you get (injuries) sometimes."

Sampson, a sophomore from Tampa, Fla., started four of seven games this season, including the past three.

Against the Aggies, he made a juggling scoring catch off a deflected pass. He also had two kickoff returns.

"I really hate to lose him," Davis said. "He’s really been producing for us. He makes some big plays, and he works as hard as he can work."

This season, Sampson has 18 receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns.

UH head coach Greg McMackin indicated that freshman Trevor Davis, who was activated for the New Mexico State game, is the leading candidate to start at left wideout in Saturday’s road game against Idaho.

"He’s the next guy up," McMackin said of Davis.

Darius Bright, a junior, started three games this season. McMackin said Bright is suffering from a turf toe injury on his right foot, a sprained left wrist and bruised ribs. Bright, who transferred from City College of San Francisco in 2010, has 16 catches for 166 yards.

McMackin indicated that Justin Clapp could move from slotback to wideout if needed.