Lewis-Moore out for season

Defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore will miss the remainder of the season with a severe knee injury, according to Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly.Lewis-Moore was first believed to have an ankle injury but it was later learned that he had detached his medial collateral ligament. The recovery is expected to take between four and six months.“Our doctors couldn’t get a good feel after the game for what it was,” Kelly said. “He had stability in his knee. He actually detached the medial collateral ligament. It’s like an ACL repair. We’re still talking four to six months. But one that I haven’t seen in 21 years and our doctors have seen very rarely, so it was hard to get a good assessment on him until the MRI yesterday.”The injury comes at an inopportune time for Notre Dame because Lewis-Moore was one of Notre Dame’s most experienced and effective players against the option and Navy and it’s third-ranked rushing attack visits Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday. Freshman Stephon Tuitt is listed as the starter at one defensive end position and Ethan Johnson at the other although Johnson has not played since suffering a high-ankle sprain against Purdue on Oct. 1. Kelly said Johnson is expected to practice in some capacity this week and should play against the Midshipmen, although perhaps not as many snaps as typical.Freshman Aaron Lynch will play an expanded role if Johnson’s absence, which means two freshman will see significant playing time against an option attack that last season gained 367 rushing yards against Notre Dame.“We have some coaching to do,” Kelly said. “No question.”Kelly said the injury to quarterback Tommy Rees’ knee is not considered serious.“Tommy is fine,” Kelly said. “That’s a chronic subluxation of his patella, which he did in the Miami game. If you remember, we braced him and brought him back in in the third quarter.So this is something that he’s worked through even in high school.”