Stanford is getting healthy to face UCLA
The postponement of the Big Game because of the smoke from the devastating Camp Fire in Butte County led to a relatively trivial break for the Stanford football team: a much needed late-season bye week.
“A couple of guys were semiquestionable for that game. We’re likely to get them back for this week” against UCLA, quarterback K.J. Costello said Tuesday. “So I think it played into our favor.”
Wide receiver JJ ArcegaWhiteside, who’s tied for fifth in the nation in touchdown catches with 11, missed the Oregon State game with an ankle injury. He said Tuesday night that he would have played against Cal on Saturday, but said the time off allowed him to recover from other unspecified minor injuries.
Kicker Jet Toner also should be able to play against the Bruins on Saturday in the Rose Bowl. He would have been iffy last weekend, head coach David Shaw said. “These extra few days have helped him quite a
bit.”
Tight end Kaden Smith, an All-America candidate, is still questionable with a foot injury from the Oregon State game. “He’s still day-to-day,” Shaw said. “Hopefully, he makes a turn later this week.”
Smith is one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end. The others are Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson and Missouri’s Albert Okwuegunam. Although Stanford has produced numerous NFL tight ends, no Cardinal has won the award in its 18 years of existence.
“Down in the red zone there aren’t a lot of people that can effectively guard him — without holding him,” Costello said.
Outside linebacker Joey Alfieri is back to practice after missing three games, so he very well might be back Saturday, too. The other normal starting outside linebacker, Casey Toohill, will remain out, as will right guard Nate Herbig and backup Drew Dalman.
The postponement might have helped guard Devery Hamilton return to action. “We’ll see by the end of the week if he’s available to play a little or a lot,” Shaw said. Another guard, Foster Sarell, who has missed the past eight games with a leg injury, is practicing again and might play Saturday.
“I definitely think it’s a blessing in disguise,” safety Frank Buncom said of the postponement. “When you get to this point in the season in this sport that we play, a lot of guys are going to be banged up. So this extra week ... definitely allows us to get some guys back healthy.”
When the postponement was announced Friday, the players were given the second half of Friday and all of Saturday off. Sunday was for weightlifting, and practice resumed Monday night.
On Friday, classes were canceled. Shaw said a lot of his players “went back to the dorms and went to sleep. Some were getting over midterms from the week before.” On Thursday, the smoke had been so bad on campus that the team went indoors for a walk-through.
All in all, Shaw said, “I think it was a great 48 hours or so to take a deep breath and get some rest and get charged up for this week.”
The coaches spent Friday night and Saturday with their families. They didn’t take the opportunity to go recruiting, Shaw said.
For the second year of the early signing date — Dec. 19 this year — Stanford expects to sign about 18 players. When the early signing date was instituted, it was expected to hamper Stanford more than other schools because of its extended application process.
Though conceding it has been a drawback, Shaw said, “It hasn’t been as drastic as it could have been the last two years.” He added, “Most guys that really want to be here don’t mind holding off other schools and other offers until the second signing date (Feb. 6) if necessary.”