Cal’s Thursday night injury update brought a setback for the Bears ahead of Saturday afternoon’s matchup with Virginia Tech in Berkeley: No. 2 running back Carter Vargas and defensive lineman Nate Burrell are both out.
The bigger uncertainty sits with four starters who remain questionable after also carrying that designation in Wednesday’s initial report: quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, running back Adam Mohammed, wide receiver Chase Hendricks and safety Kingston Lopa.
Vargas had not played since his opener injury, but his absence from Wednesday’s first report had suggested a possible return this week. That now appears unlikely, and it remains unclear whether he will play again this season.
If Mohammed also can’t go, Cal’s backfield picture changes quickly. Ashten Emory would likely step in as the Bears’ top option at running back.
Emory ran for 48 yards in last week’s 39-31 loss to UNLV and was especially effective after halftime. Freshman Tyree Sams, walk-on Carson Perry-Smith and Anthony League are also in line for carries.
Mohammed’s availability matters even more because he leads the team with 336 rushing yards, despite missing last week’s game and much of the Clemson game before that.
Burrell, a starter, has already missed the last two games with an injury. His removal from the initial injury report had hinted at a return, but Thursday’s update shut that down.
Sagapolutele is working through concussion protocol after leaving late in the first half against UNLV. If he is unavailable, Jackson Brousseau would handle quarterback duties again after helping Cal put up 24 second-half points and throwing for 200 yards against UNLV with Pat McCann calling plays.
Hendricks remains Cal’s leading receiver with 32 catches. Lopa, meanwhile, has been Cal’s best player this season.
He leads the nation in receptions, and Pro Football Focus rates him as the top pass-coverage defensive back in the country. Lopa suffered a concussion on his first defensive snap Saturday and also had to go through concussion protocol this week.
Two more defensive starters, inside linebacker Kamar Mothudi and safety Aiden Manutai, are listed as questionable as well.
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