As if Jeff Tedford‘s seat isn’t hot enough, the head coach may be forced to go into Cal’s next game -- if not longer -- without one of the top wide receivers in the country.
And could find that seat even hotter given the decision that led to the reported injury.
Rivals.com Cal writer Ryan Gorcey tweeted Wednesday afternoon that Keenan Allen was not seen at practice earlier in the day. More ominously, Gorcey wrote that a "[s]ource says he was hurt badly” in last weekend’s loss to Utah.
The exact nature of the injury was not detailed, and Cal has yet to address any type of injury situation that may or may not involve the wide receiver.
The injury reportedly occurred when Cal decided to attempt an onside kick with 1:18 left in a game in which they were trailing by 22 points. Why Tedford would decide to utilize such a kick with just over a minute left and down three scores, much less include far and away the Bears’ best offensive player, is unknown.
Also unknown, per reports, is Allen’s availability for Friday’s game against Washington.
Allen is far and away Cal’s leading receiver, more than doubling up the team’s No. 2 in receptions (61-29) and nearly doubling the next closest in receiving yards (737-380). He also has half of the Bears’ 12 receiving touchdowns. Last season as a sophomore, Allen caught 98 passes for 1,343 yards.
He broke the school’s record for career receptions in the game against the Utes.
Cal official Kyle McRae told CFT in a voicemail that the school had no comment on the situation.