CANYONS' DEFENSE WILL BE TESTED.

Byline: Scott Magoloff Staff Writer

College of the Canyons football coach Chuck Lyon has probably not had to rely on his defense more than he will today, when his Cougars take a morning trip to face Santa Barbara at 1 p.m.

The Vaqueros (3-4, 2-2) have scored 82 points in their last two victories. Canyons (5-2, 2-2) is just as hot, winning its last three games and racking up 1,441 yards along the way.

But the Cougars have problems. Leading rusher Steve Smith (75 rushes for 477 yards) is out with a knee injury Lyon fears could be season-ending. Smith is thought to have hurt it in the third quarter of last week's 37-29 win against Moorpark.

``It may be an (anterior cruciate ligament tear), but there's some hope because he's not having the kind of pain that goes with that,'' Lyon said. ``Obviously, this could be devastating for him.''

Lyon said Smith was to see a doctor Friday.

As debilitating as the potential loss of Smith would be for the offense, which has become increasingly more run-oriented, there is more bad news for Canyons.

Linebacker Geoffrey Wright, known mostly for his 98-yard interception return for a touchdown in COC's 59-20 win against Pierce, was injured in a car accident at about 11 p.m. Wednesday night. He was the passenger in his girlfriend's car, which veered onto a curb along Wiley Canyon Road and slammed into a tree.

Wright remained hospitalized Friday with a ruptured spleen and chest injuries.

Further hampering the Cougars will be the absence of linebacker John Harrison, who is out with an ankle injury. Offensive lineman Danny Sutton will also be out with an ankle injury.

The injuries will force less-established players into action, with the Cougars in the thick of their stretch run toward a potential bowl-game invitation. Luc Burke will start at left guard for Sutton and Shaun Kelso will see increased playing time at running back.

It is also a luxury for the Cougars to have sophomore George Garcia in the backfield. As Smith and second-leading rusher Major Caldwell (424 yards on 68 carries) have dominated the running game this year, Garcia has seen his carries limited to 38.

Still, Garcia has rushed for 126 yards and performed well last week, when he ran seven times for 37 yards and a touchdown.

``They seem to respond well to adversity,'' Lyon said of his players. ``I don't expect anything different this week.''

Lyon also hopes his defense will continue with the same type of effort it has shown in the three-game win streak. COC has the third-best run defense in the Western State Conference, allowing 736 yards this season. It will try to stop Santa Barbara's Brett Van Pelt, who is 11th in the state with an average of 117 yards per game (588 yards on 99 carries).

The Vaqueros also feature a wide-open pass attack, which often finds quarterback Russell McCarthey 1,098 yards passing) out of the pocket.

CANYONS at SANTA BARBARA

Kickoff: 1 p.m., at La Playa Stadium.

Records: Canyons (5-2, 2-2 Western State Conference); Santa Barbara (3-4, 2-2).

Outlook: An injury-depleted College of the Canyons team will rely on quarterback Chris Kobe (82 of 134 passes, 1,033 yards, 11 TDs), running back Major Caldwell (68 carries, 424 yards) and receiver Mark Hamilton (36 catches, 555 yards) to maintain offensive continuity.

Team-leading rusher Steve Smith (477 yards) is out with a knee injury and may be lost for the season. Offensive lineman Danny Sutton (ankle) is also out among offensive players. Linebacker John Harrison (ankle) and Geoff Wright (auto accident) will miss the game on defense.

The injuries couldn't have come at a worse time, as COC believes it must win the last three games of its season for an invitation to a bowl game.

Santa Barbara is on a roll, winning its last two games. Quarterback Russell McCarthy (90 of 156 passes, 1,098 yards, 8 TDs) has been finding receiver Jason Stone (40 catches, 612 yards) open on a regular basis. Running back Brett Van Pelt has gained 588 yards on 99 carries with 7 TDs this season.

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