Cal Football: Injury Update -- Chase Garbers Still Not Cleared to Practice

QB Devon Modster questionable as Bears have a bye this week before facing Washington State

The notion that Chase Garbers might return for Cal’s next game on Nov. 9 against Washington State took a hit when coach Justin Wilcox said Wednesday that Garbers has not been medically cleared to practice.

Wilcox said Garbers has been doing a lot of rehabilitation work, but if he is not able to practice yet, the odds of him playing against the Cougars are not good. He has been out since suffering a shoulder injury in the Sept. 27 loss to Arizona State.

The chances of Devon Modster returning to action after missing the Utah game with an unspecified injury are significantly better. He is still listed as “week-to-week,” which means he is questionable for the Washington State game.

Presumably Modster would start against Washington State if he is healthy enough to play, although Wilcox did not announce a starter for that game. Freshman Spencer Brasch was the Bears’ starting quarterback in the 35-0 loss to Utah, and it is possible Brasch may be the starter again against Washington State.

There are several other players who are listed as week-to-week, or questionable, including receivers Kekoa Crawford, Jeremiah Hawkins and Ricky Walker III and center Michael Saffell.

Player availability will be a major factor in whether the Bears (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12) can compete with Washington State (4-4, 1-4).

Cal has played well against the Cougars since Wilcox has been the Bears head coach.

The Bears stunned unbeaten, eighth-ranked Washington State 37-3 in 2017, and they barely lost to 10th-ranked Washington State in Pullman, Wash., 19-13 last year when the Cougars scored the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute.

Here is Wednesday’s list of Cal’s injuries: