headtopics
Cal's updated injury report released on Friday night delivered a mix of developments: encouragement for the wide receiver group, a setback for the running backs, and lingering questions surrounding quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and safety Kingston Lopa.
Wide receiver Chase Hendricks, who tops the team with 32 receptions, has seen his status improve from questionable to probable, signaling he is likely to suit up for Saturday afternoon's home matchup against Virginia Tech.
Conversely, running back Adam Mohammed, Cal's leading rusher with 336 yards, has been downgraded from questionable to doubtful, making it probable that he will sit out a second consecutive game. With Carter Vargas already ruled out, Ashten Emory is expected to shoulder the primary rushing duties after gaining 48 yards last week versus UNLV.
The most pressing uncertainty revolves around Sagapolutele, who exited last Saturday's game late in the first half with a concussion and has been listed as questionable throughout the week. His questionable designation on Friday night suggests a roughly 50-50 chance of playing, and he has presumably been navigating the concussion protocol.
Should Sagapolutele be unavailable, Jackson Brousseau would step in as the starting quarterback. Brousseau played the entire second half against UNLV, throwing for 200 yards and guiding the Bears to 24 points after halftime.
Lopa, who leads the nation with five interceptions and paces Cal in tackles, also sustained a concussion last week and remains questionable. Starting inside linebacker Kamar Mothudi is likewise still listed as questionable. The final availability of Sagapolutele, Lopa, and Mothudi will likely be determined shortly before Saturday's kickoff.
On a brighter note, safety Aiden Manutai's status has been elevated from questionable on Thursday to probable on Friday night.
Virginia Tech, meanwhile, has a lengthy list of players declared out for Saturday's game, a significant increase from the three listed as out on Thursday. Among the most notable Hokies sidelined are linebacker George Balance and offensive linemen Justin Terry and Brody Meadows.
Jake Curtis spent 27 years in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department, covering a wide array of events including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches, and a World Cup. He served as a Cal beat writer for many of those years and earned awards for his feature stories.
Originally reported by headtopics.