Cal freshman tailback Jahvid Best is expected to miss the remainder of the season, coach Jeff Tedford announced Monday.
Best left the Nov. 10 game against USC with a hip injury early in the third quarter and missed the loss to Washington on Nov. 17. Tedford said hip specialists have offered contrasting opinions on both diagnoses and treatment plans. "We want everyone's opinion, and we're taking our time to make sure we're right about it," Tedford said. "It's something we're going to be very careful with." It's unclear whether Best will require surgery, but Cal's medical staff is keeping him on crutches at least until a final decision is made. Best, a graduate of Salesian High-Richmond, has 221 rushing yards and two touchdowns with a 7.2-yards-a-carry average. He also has 13 catches for 74 yards and a score, averages 27 yards on kick returns and leads the team with 12 special-teams tackles.
Kicking it: Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, coaching in his first Big Game, said that kicker Derek Belch's struggles might for the Cardinal to abandon "conventional football" principles against the Bears. Belch, a fifth-year senior, has missed eight of his last 10 attempts, including all four against Notre Dame on Saturday. Harbaugh explained Monday why, after Belch missed two 48-yard attempts in the first half, he gave his kicker two more chances, including an attempt on 4th-and-2 from the Notre Dame 8 with the game tied 14-14 early in the fourth quarter. Stanford took a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty to improve the angle, Harbaugh said. Belch missed the attempt wide right. "I thought it was a chip shot and he'd be able to put that one through," Harbaugh said. Belch also missed from 49 yards in the fourth quarter when Stanford faced 4th-and-20 on the Notre Dame 32 with 8:01 to go. "The game was tied and he was struggling, but it was a go-ahead field goal at that point," Harbaugh said. "The percentages were a lot better (to make the kick). Picking up a 4th-and-20 is like 5 percent. We thought it was the prudent thing to do." Harbaugh said Belch will be his kicker against Cal. Backup Aaron Zagory is out with an ankle injury, so punter Jay Ottovegio will be Belch's backup.
Stanford injury update: Sixth-year senior center Tim Mattran is "questionable" for Saturday's game with a high ankle sprain on his left ankle, according to Harbaugh. Mattran had a right ankle injury, which required surgery, that cost him all of the 2006 season. Mattran has started all 11 of Stanford's games this season. Also questionable is right guard Alex Fletcher (knee), who left and returned to Saturday's game. Tailback Anthony Kimble aggravated his right shoulder injury late in the game against Notre Dame and sat out the final two series. Harbaugh said Kimble also is considered questionable, but Kimble said Monday that he expects to play. Kimble played for the first time in five games against Notre Dame and finished with 80 rushing yards. "I don't know how much I'll be able to go, but I just want to go out and hopefully lay it on the line for (the seniors)," Kimble said.
Golden ticket: Approximately 750 tickets have been made available for Saturday's Big Game, according to the Stanford athletic department. Cal (6-5, 3-5 Pac-10) and Stanford (3-8, 2-6) play at 4 p.m. at Stanford Stadium in a game that could decide whether the Bears earn a bowl berth. Tickets ($65) may be purchased at gostanford.com, (800) 782-6367 or the ticket office, which is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and located near Gate 2 of Stanford Stadium. If tickets remain Saturday, the office will open at 9 a.m.
Briefly: Cal tailback Justin Forsett and free safety Thomas DeCoud have been invited to both the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game. Receiver Lavelle Hawkins has been invited to the Senior Bowl, and left tackle Mike Gibson got a Shrine invite.
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