Colorado tailback Brian Lockridge will miss the spring game and undergo surgery next week for a hernia he has had since late last season, he said.

Lockridge said he has been playing with a nagging pain in his abdomen just above his belt line this spring. The pain became so severe last Saturday following the team's second major scrimmage that he finally reported it to the athletic training staff and coaches.

Lockridge said he first began to feel pain in the area back in November and it continued throughout offseason conditioning. It was particularly acute when he sneezed, coughed or laughed.

"I just thought coming out in pads, you were going to be sore," he said. "That's part of the game. You're going to be sore. I never thought it would be that serious until Saturday last week."

Lockridge said he had been regressing as a player while trying to play through the pain and running backs coach Darian Hagan frequently asked him what was wrong, but he believed he needed to demonstrate toughness. So he kept the pain in his midsection to himself.

Lockridge, who also failed to report a concussion late last season, said he has learned that he needs to report injuries no matter how insignificant as soon as they happen.

Coming around

Defensive end Drew Hudgins hasn't been able to participate in contact drills this spring as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles' tendon suffered last summer.

Hudgins said he is on track to be fully healed and ready for training camp in August. The spring hasn't been a total waste for him. He said he has learned a lot from individual drills with defensive line coach Romeo Bandison and he understands the defense and what his assignments will be. But there is no substitute for being on the field carrying them out.

Hudgins has been able to maintain his weight at 235 pounds through the spring and hopes to put on 20 pounds by the time training camp arrives.

Notable

The spring game Saturday will be broadcast live on KOA radio (850 AM). Fans can also watch the spring game on CUBuffs.com. ... Former CU linebacker Jordon Dizon will be featured on Spotlight on Fox Sports Net on Thursday at 11:30 p.m. Dizon will talk about his preparation for the NFL draft this month. ... Dizon is also featured in ESPN the Magazine this month as one of a handful of "midround gems" the magazine brought to New York City in late March for photos and a day in the city.