Bears lose versatile Watson for season
Tre Watson, Cal’s most versatile offensive player, will miss the rest of the season with an unspecified lowerbody injury, head coach Justin Wilcox said Monday.
The senior tailback was initially injured on a screen pass that went for a 1-yard loss in the first quarter of Saturday’s 33-20 victory over Weber State. He returned in the second quarter, but after his next run was left writhing in pain on the turf.
Visibly upset while being examined on the athletic trainer’s table, the 5-foot-11, 205-pounder eventually got up and smacked a nearby wall in disgust. He covered his head with a towel and motioned for family members to meet him in the locker room as he limped off the sideline for further medical evaluation.
“It’s never easy,” Wilcox said. “You feel for a guy like that, who has put so much time and effort into the program. We’ll have his back, and now it’s going to be the next man up at that position.”
Wilcox wouldn’t get into the specifics of the injury or confirm whether surgery would be needed.
Watson, who watched Monday’s practice while leaning on crutches and with a brace on his right knee, was a candidate for both the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s best running back, and the Paul Hornung Award, given to the nation’s most versatile player.
He entered the season as the Bears’ active leader in career total yards (2,400), rushing yards (1,359) and kick-return yards (657). He is tied with running back Vic Enwere for the lead in touchdowns (13).
Last season, Watson ran for 709 yards and four touchdowns and caught 21 passes for 241 yards and four scores. He had 83 yards on 4.9 yards per carry and five catches for 31 yards during Cal’s 2-0 start this season.
He was highly recruited out of Centennial High in Corona (Riverside County), where he led the state in rushing and was second in the nation during his senior season. During his prep career, Watson rushed for 5,244 yards and 72 touchdowns, having posted 23 100-yard games, nine 200-yard games and six games with at least 300 yards.
“It’s an unfortunate reality of playing this sport, but he’s a guy who will come back from it,” Wilcox said. “He’s just got that about him. He’ll be moving forward as soon as they start the process, and we’ll be there for him.”
Junior Patrick Laird is expected to get the majority of the snaps in place of Watson. Enwere and redshirt freshmen Derrick Clark and Zion Echols also will help carry the load.
Laird, a walk-on who was granted a scholarship days before the start of this season, ran 12 times for 191 yards (15.9 yards per carry) and three touchdowns against Weber State. He had runs of 51 and 73 yards against the Wildcats. He caught a 54-yard touchdown pass in the Bears’ 35-30 at North Carolina on Sept. 2.
“We’re not surprised — at all,” senior inside linebacker Raymond Davison III said of Laird’s emergence. “He’s a hard worker. He likes to read books, and he’s one of those guys who’s not going to make mistakes.
“He’s a phenomenal athlete, too. He’s a deceptive athlete. You better be on your game when you’re playing against Patrick Laird.”