Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
Star running back Bryce Love won’t play the No. 9 Stanford Cardinal’s home game against UC Davis on Saturday because of an undisclosed injury.
Head coach David Shaw made the announcement Tuesday, per ESPN.com’s Kyle Bonagura.
Love suffered the injury at some point during last Saturday’s 17-3 victory over USC at Stanford Stadium. He had 136 rushing yards and one touchdown on 22 carries before leaving the game in the fourth quarter.
This isn’t the first time the 5’10”, 196-pound running back has been hit by the injury bug. He missed a game in 2017 because of an ankle injury, but he was able to return the next week and play in the final six contests.
Love proved last year that he is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the nation. He had a breakout season as a junior, piling up 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. Even having missed a game, Love finished second in the 2017 Heisman Trophy voting.
There’s no question that Stanford isn’t the same team without Love. He ran for 162.9 yards per game last season and averaged 8.1 yards per carry. When he was sidelined, the Cardinal ran for 81 yards on 27 carries (3.0 yards per carry) and had to rally for a 15-14 victory—against a 1-6 Oregon State squad.
Cameron Scarlett turned into the feature back against the Beavers, and Bonagura noted the senior will likely be the first in line to receive the bulk of the carries with Love out of action.
