Cal Football: QB Chase Garbers Will Start Big Game Against Stanford

Garbers cleared in time to start against Stanford

Despite not being cleared until late in the week, Chase Garbers will be Cal's starting quarterback in today's Big Game against Stanford. Cal made the announcement Saturday morning that Garbers would be the starter for the 1 p.m. game.

Stanford was favored by 2 1/2 points as of Friday, but the spread has been reduced to 2 points since the announcement that Garbers will start. Some oddsmakers have decreased the spread further to 1 1/2 points. This is according to Vegas Insider.

As of Wednesday Garbers still had not been cleared to play in a game, and Cal officials opted not to divulge on Friday whether he had been cleared. The thinking as of Friday was that Devon Modster would probably start, but that is not the case.

Modster did most of the preparation work in this week’s practices.

Stanford announced early in the week that K.J. Costello was out this week and that Davis Mills would be the Cardinal's starting quarterback against Cal.

Running back Christopher Brown Jr., safety Ashtyn Davis and wide receiver Kekoa Crawford are questionable for Cal, but the quarterback spot is the most critical.

The Bears are 4-0 when Garbers plays more than one half of a game this season, and they are 1-5 when he doesn’t play at least one half.

He injured his right shoulder in the second quarter of the Sept. 27 loss to Arizona State and did not play again until last Saturday’s game against USC. He left that USC contest in the second quarter with unspecified injury that was unrelated to his previous injury. Cal lost to the Trojans 41-17.

Modster is 1-4 in games in which he played more than one half, although he played his best game in his most recent start, which came in the 33-20 victory over Washington State on Nov. 9. Modster was 16-for-24 with three touchdown passes and no interceptions in that contest. He also ran for 43 yards and had a 13-yard touchdown run.