The Indiana Hoosiers are going to be without the team's top returning receiver for the rest of the season. Nick Westbrook, who was literally injured during his first play in this new season, has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the year.

IU head coach Tom Allen, speaking at his weekly press conference Monday, said Westbrook had an MRI on Saturday, and the results revealed a season-ending injury.

“As we’ve shared with our team, sometimes life’s not fair,” Allen said, as transcribed by IDS. “Things happen, it’s tough. He’s got a good attitude about it. He knows that it’s a challenge he has to overcome.”

Westbrook led Indiana in catches a year ago, scooping up 54 grabs for 995 yards and six touchdowns.

The somewhat silver lining in this otherwise gloomy cloud is that Nick Westbrook wasn't expected to be IU's top receiver this season. Donovan Hale had jumped Westbrook on the depth chart. Still, the Hoosiers planned to utilize Westbrook plenty this fall.

For what it is worth, Hoosiers gunslinger Richard Lagow had no issues finding receivers not named Westbrook after the veteran wide out went down on the first play against the Buckeyes. By the time it was all said and done, Lago hit 10 different IU players with the pigksin for completions.

It is expected that junior wideout Simmie Cobbs Jr. will lead the receiving corps moving forward. Both Hale and junior slot receiver Luke Timian are also projected to be important players.

Cobbs had a career-high 11 catches in Indiana's season-opener, while Timian added 10 catches of his own.