Photo: Rick Scuteri, Associated Press
Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright III will be out for an extended period because of a foot injury.
Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright III will be out for an extended period because of a foot injury.
Photo: Rick Scuteri, Associated PressStanford football prepares for injury-riddled Arizona
After Friday nights win at Oregon State, Stanford looked like the walking wounded. Now, its the Cardinals next opponent, Arizona, that deserves that label.
The Wildcats will be without All-America middle linebacker Scooby Wright III when they face the No. 18 Cardinal (3-1, 2-0 Pac-12) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Stanford Stadium.
The Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa alum will miss several weeks after spraining his foot in the Wildcats 56-30 loss to UCLA on Saturday, Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez said. Wright had 163 tackles (29 for losses), 14 sacks and six forced fumbles last year.
Hes been the best defensive player in our conference for over a year, Stanford head coach David Shaw said.
Additionally, Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon is day-to-day after getting a concussion in Saturday nights game, Rodriguez said. Solomon is fourth best in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency just a tick behind Stanfords Kevin Hogan after throwing 11 touchdown passes without an interception.
Hogan will start again, although he probably wont practice until late in the week to give his sore left ankle a rest, Shaw said.
Meanwhile, the Cardinal are expected to have defensive linemen Brennan Scarlett and Aziz Shittu and offensive tackle Kyle Murphy available. However, outside linebacker Kevin Anderson will miss his second straight game.
Both Scarlett and Shittu were hurt in the first half at Corvallis; thin at that position, Stanford couldnt afford to lose either for any extended period. Shaw said Tuesday that X-rays showed no bone fractures or torn ligaments. Were expecting them both to play, he said.
The same goes for Murphy, who was replaced by David Bright for most of the game. As is Stanfords custom, the nature of the injuries were not disclosed.
Shaw hopes to have Anderson back for the UCLA game Thursday, Oct. 15. After the Arizona game, Stanford has a bye, which would give him a third week to recuperate.
Redshirt freshman Joey Alfieri, who again will start at outside linebacker in place of Anderson, had five tackles and a fumble recovery in his return to his home state. At Jesuit-Portland which also produced former Stanford fullback/linebacker Owen Marecic he was a prolific running back as well as a linebacker.
He rushed for 1,712 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior, but Shaw said, We think hes got a very, very bright future as an outside linebacker.
With Wright and backup Haden Gregory (knee) out for the Wildcats (3-1, 0-1), walk-on Tre Tyler is expected to start at linebacker against the Cardinal.
If Solomon cant play, either Jerrard Randall or redshirt freshman Brandon Dawkins would start at quarterback.
No matter who the quarterback is, Shaw said, the Cardinal will have to tackle him better than they did Oregon State freshman Seth Collins.
Briefly: During the Fox Sports 1 telecast of the Stanford-Oregon State game, analyst Joel Klatt, a former Colorado QB, said if Christian McCaffrey keeps up his superb play, he should be in the Heisman conversation. McCaffrey is first in the Pac-12 in all-purpose yardage (222.2 per game), fifth in rushing (111.2) and fifth in kickoff returns (21.7). In all-purpose yardage, he trails only San Jose States Tyler Ervin and Temples Jahad Thomas nationally. Shaw said hes not a big fan of vaulting a tackler, as McCaffrey did Friday for the fourth time in his still-young college career. Its hard to train instincts, he said.
Tom FitzGerald is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: tfitzgerald@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @tomgfitzgerald
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/Stanford-football-prepares-for-injury-riddled-6538699.php
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