Stanford Football Injury Updates Against SMU

The halfway point of the season has come and gone and with a number of football games having already been played, injuries have started to mount. But if the Cardinal are able to get back some key stars, they may be able to get a huge boost on Saturday.

Aug 30, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Jack Bech (18) catches a pass against Stanford Cardinal safety Jay Green (5) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

A third straight loss has the Stanford Cardinal (2-4, 1-2 ACC) eager for another win as they return home to face SMU this week, a team that is red-hot, having won three straight games to get to 5-1, while currently being ranked No. 21 heading into the game. With the Cardinal wanting to ensure that the best team possible is available, they'll hope that they are able to get back some of their fallen players.

Head coach Troy Taylor recently provided some injury updates on some of the guys who have been dealing with ailments, such as quarterback Elijah Brown, running back Micah Ford and defensive back Jay Green. Brown, who was injured in his college debut against Cal Poly, was originally expected to be sidelined indefinitely, with the chance of him redshirting the rest of the year being a serious possibility. However, it appears that Brown is ahead of schedule on his recovery, with his return potentially coming sooner rather than later.

“He has progressed much more rapidly than I initially was told or thought,” Taylor said. “And so really it’s just a matter of when he feels comfortable and ready to roll. So I would say it’s way ahead of schedule. Now, will that be this week? I don’t know if that’s possible, I guess it’s possible, I don’t know if that will happen but he’s definitely getting [back] a lot quicker than we thought he would be ready.”

While his specific return is still TBD, Taylor’s update is encouraging and with the chance that he is able to return this year still being on the table, the thought of him getting some more meaningful snaps as a true freshman is still realistic.

As for Green, the injury he sustained against Clemson will force him to remain out and he will be unavailable to play against SMU. Also out is defensive back Omari Porter. Defensive backs Aaron Morris and Zahran Manley are questionable to play this week.

Running back Sedrick Irvin, who did not travel with the team when they played Notre Dame, remains out this week as well but his injury is not expected to be a long-term issue with Taylor expressing hope that he will return soon. Freshman running back Micah Ford, who suffered a lower body injury in the last quarter of the Virginia Tech game and did not play against Notre Dame, is still considered day-to-day.

“We haven’t practiced yet this week, so we’ll see how he does,” Taylor said on Tuesday. “I’m hopeful but we’ll probably know that later in the week.”

No official updates were provided on the status of center Levi Rogers, who exited the game against Virginia Tech and also did not travel with the team.