SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis will wait to decide whether to have surgery after tearing ligaments in his knee when a player crashed into him on the sideline during the game against Michigan.

“I don’t see me having surgery in the foreseeable future,” he said Sunday.

Weis said surgery is not needed on his torn medial collateral ligament, saying it has to “tighten up” on its own. He said he could need surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament, but he would wait at least until Notre Dame’s off week in mid-October or until after the season if he has surgery at all.

He was injured with about 3:30 left in the second quarter and the Irish leading 28-17. Weis was standing at the 50 looking to his right on a punt when Notre Dame defensive end John Ryan, who is 6-5, 264 pounds, was knocked out of bounds by a Michigan blocker and crashed into Weis. Weis collapsed and his left knee bent awkwardly.

Weis stayed on the ground briefly before being helped up, but used crutches with his leg in a wrap so he could stay on the sideline.

“I didn’t want to be a distraction or be part of any momentum change to the negative side,” Weis said.

Ryan apologized to Weis repeatedly. Weis told him not to worry. But some former Irish players have been texting Ryan poking fun at him.