Cal Football: Justin Wilcox Declines to Name a Starting Quarterback for Saturday's Game
Cal coach Justin Wilcox declined on Monday to name a starting quarterback for Saturday’s home game against Washington State.
“We will announce that later in the week,” Wilcox said Monday night. “We have a plan in place; we’re just not going to announce it now.”
Wilcox did not specify the day that announcement will be made.
Apparently either freshman Spencer Brash, who was the starter in the 35-0 loss to Utah, or junior Devon Modster, the starter in the losses to Oregon and Oregon State, will get the nod some time before Saturday’s 4 p.m. kickoff. Modster, who missed the Utah game with an unspecified injury, is back at practice, which is significant.
Cal fans might like the Bears’ quarterback to be Chase Garbers, but that won’t be the case.
Garbers has been sidelined since suffering a right shoulder injury in the second quarter of the Sept. 27 loss to Arizona State, and though Cal said he was likely to return some time this season, it sounds as though it won’t be against Washington State (4-4, 1-4).
“I don’t anticipate that happening,” Wilcox said.
Garbers has received clearance to do some football drills, though.
“He can do some things, not everything,” Wilcox said. “He’s throwing the ball around.”
So, on Saturday, it will be either Brasch or Modster.
The Bears (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12) lost all three games those two have started and have lost four in a row overall.
Modster has played in five games and has completed 46.05 percent of his passes with two touchdown throws and three interceptions. Brasch has participated in two games, including the one start, and has completed 36 percent of his throws with no touchdowns and one pick.
Modster was not on Cal’s injury list Monday, and Wilcox suggested he would probably be ready to play Saturday.
“He was able to practice today,” Wilcox said. “Still some evaluation to be done by the medical staff, but should be ready to go.”
If we were reading between the lines, we might conclude that Cal is simply waiting for the medical staff to give Modster final clearance before Wilcox names him the starter Saturday’s game.
Another concern is the health of Cal’s receiving corps. Nikko Remigio (who is the team’s leading receiver), Kekoa Crawford (who is Cal’s third-leading receiver despite missing four games), Jeremiah Hawkins and Ricky Walker III are all listed as “week-to-week.” That means that they are all questionable.
Center Mike Saffell is also listed as week-to-week, although there is optimism that he will play Saturday after missing the past two games. His presence would give the battered offensive line a boost.
