Hours after suffering a compund fracture of his left leg and having surgery to insert a metal rod and screws, University of Rhode Island running back Joe Casey was lying in his bed at South County Hospital and laughing with his coach.

"You're stuck with me for another year," Darren Rizzi told his All-America ball carrier Saturday night, getting a laugh.

Casey was injured in the first quarter of URI's season opener when a Monmouth University defensive back went low to make a tackle at the Monmouth 13 yard-line and his helmet hit Casey's leg. Casey was taken from the field and transported to the hopsital, where Dr. Joseph Fitzgerald, the team's orthopedist, operated. The break was clean, there was no ligament damage, he should make a full recovery, and he should be able to play again next season, Fitzgeraqld told Rizzi.

That's Casey's intention.

"He said, 'Coach, I'm coming back. I love this program,' " Rizzi said today.

A senior, Casey will obtain a medical waiver enabling him to come back in 2009. The three-time first-team all-conference back needs 475 yards to break Pat Abbruzzi's career record of 3,389 set from 1951 to 1954.

"He wants to leave his mark on this program," Rizzi said.

URI defeated Monmouth, 27-24, and will visit Fordham Saturday night for Fordham's season opener.