The injury shuffle continues at North Dakota State. All-American defensive end Leif Murphy is out.
True freshman Derek Arndt is in.
Murphy suffered a broken thumb in practice Wednesday and will be sidelined three to four weeks. It happened during a practice drill.
"On a move you use 1,000 times," head coach Bob Babich said.
Sophomore Isaac Snell will start in Murphy's place Saturday at the University of South Dakota. Arndt, from LaMoure, N.D., had his redshirt pulled on Thursday.
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Bison trainer Scott Woken said Murphy will undergo surgery today. Once he returns, he'll play with a padded cast.
Woken said Murphy's return could fluctuate depending on how fast it heals.
"It could be sooner but you don't plan for sooner," Woken said.
It's the second injury to hinder Murphy. He suffered slight knee damage in a summer lake accident that sidelined him for most of fall practice.
Snell has been a regular backup the first three games to both Murphy and defensive tackle Jamel Thomas. He has five tackles.
Arndt is the ninth player this year to play as a true freshman.
"I said on Monday that wasn't going to happen unless something happened," Babich said.
Readers can reach Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546 or jkolpack@forumcomm.com
