Cal’s stunning upset in Week 7 came with a very steep price tag on the defensive side of the ball.
In the second half of Cal’s upending of then-No. 8 Washington State Friday night, Devante Downs went down with an unspecified injury. Three days later, the football program confirmed that the inside linebacker would miss the remainder of the 2017 season because of it.“I really feel for Devante. The guys has been a warrior and worked extremely hard. He’ll bounce back, but it’s tough right now.” - Wilcox pic.twitter.com/8J8F0SP3WJ
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) October 17, 2017
Other than lower body, the specific nature of the injury wasn’t detailed.
Regardless of what exactly is sidelining Downs, it’s a very significant blow to a Golden Bears defense that’s currently tied for 67th in scoring after finishing the past four seasons 125th, 123rd, 108th and 125th in the same category.
Through seven games, Downs is far and away Cal’s leading tackler with 65. Next closest? Ra Davison‘s 43. He also leads the team in sacks (three), quarterback hits (four) and forced fumbles (two), while he’s tied for the lead in interceptions (two) and fumble recoveries (two). The 5.5 tackles for loss for which he’s been credited are tied for second.