Monday Practice Report: Modster's Status for Saturday a Mystery
Quarterback Devon Modster, who was physically unable to finish Saturday’s game against Oregon State, is listed on the Bears’ practice report as “Week to Week”.
And that is as far as Cal will go in disclosing his availability for this Saturday’s game at Utah.
Head coach Justin Wilcox was asked if he could add anything to the sparse information available on the list, “Not right now, we’ll know more day to day. It’s up to the doctors and trainers,” he said. Don’t look for anything definitive until game time. No point in giving Utah any knowledge that might be of help.
Of course, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is showing that two can play at that game. His quarterback Tyler Huntley twice left the Utes’ win over Arizona State, the second time for good in the fourth quarter. At his press conference on Monday Whittingham said only that none of the injuries sustained against the Sun Devils was season-ending. He said he would have nothing more to say on the subject. Speculation based on what Huntley said after the game, the chances of his playing are a lot better than Modster’s.
Wilcox did confirm that freshman Spencer Brasch (above), who played the last two series on Saturday after Modster went out, would start if Modster could not go. His game-time experience consists of the nine snaps he took Saturday.
“We’ve seen (Brasch) a lot in pratice,” Wilcox said. “Just a handful of snaps in the game. The first throw he made (a terrific completion)...Spencer can throw the ball. He’s got some skills and if he needs to be ready to go we’ll make sure he’s ready and performs at his best.”
Nikko Remigio, who caught that first pass Brasch threw, said the Bears have confidence in the youngster from Arizona. “He can sling it,” Remigio said.
The other players on the “Week to Week” portion of the injury report are defensive back Traveon Beck, wide receiver Kokoa Crawford, wide receiver Jeremiah Hawkins, center Micheal Saffell and wide receiver Ricky Walker III.
In other personnel developments, Wilcox said that outside linebacker Joseph Ogunbanjo is not with the team right now. “Indefinite suspension,” was all the coach offered. Also, offensive lineman Jasper Friis has apparently entered the transfer portal. He is no longer listed on the roster.
Head Coach Justin Wilcox:
The Bears allowed a season-high nine sacks against the Beavers and Wilcox was asked if there was one particular area of weakness. “Give up nine sacks there are severe issues of protection,” he said. “Some of those were O-line, the protections calls, some were on the quarterback and some on the running backs…..there was not one person, everybody involved in protection. But nine sacks, for us to come back from that is extremely difficult.”
The defense had seemed to take control of the game in the second half, keeping Oregon State off the scoreboard until Cal took the lead. Then OSU drove 80 yards for the winning score. Because the defensive front seven played virtually every defensive snap, Wilcox was asked if fatigue might have been a factor. The coach didn’t think so.
“We had a lot of issues on that drive….We didn’t play as well,” he said. “There were different issues. We had two missed tackles at critical moments. We had more than that. We had an issue on a run fit. We had a coverage, not necessarily busted but we didn’t play it well. It was a number of things, it wasn’t that we got tired and then they moved the ball.”
OLB Cameron Goode
Outside linebacker Cameron Goode said the defense was as surprised as anybody about the unit’s sudden collapse.
“We were feeling good, we were confident that we could hopefully pull it out for the team,” he said. “There were mental errors is what it came down to. It wasn’t anything physical. We just realized we have to fix those mental errors….Get it cleaned up for this week.
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