University of North Carolina senior tailback Ryan Houston fractured his scapula (shoulder blade) during the Tar Heels’ football scrimmage on Saturday, April 9. He will undergo surgery Thursday afternoon at UNC Hospitals. Houston’s status will be updated at that time.

Houston, a fifth-year senior, has been expected to be a vital cog in the Heels’ running game. A large and bruising runner, he ran for a career-best 713 yards and nine touchdowns on 191 carries in 2009 and sat out 2010 amid the controversy surrounding the football program.