Injuries to Watch – Week 15

Published on Friday, 12/6/13, at 2:05 p.m. Eastern.

By Brian Edwards

Missouri starting strong safety Duron Singleton is ‘questionable’ for Saturday’s SEC Championship Game against Auburn. Singleton missed last Saturday’s win over Texas A&M with a hip injury.

UL-Lafayette will most likely be without its outstanding quarterback Saturday at South Alabama. Junior Terrance Broadway is ‘doubtful’ against the Jaguars due to a wrist injury. Broadway has a 19/10 touchdown-to-interception ratio, in addition to eight rushing TDs. Redshirt freshman Brooks Haack will most likely get his first career start under center for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He had only appeared at garbage time until playing in the second half of last week’s 31-28 home loss to ULM. Haack has completed 16-of-21 throws for 175 yards and one TD without an interception. Also, UL-Lafayette starting safety Darius Barksdale is ‘questionable’ with a hand injury.

SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert (21/7 TD-INT) has been downgraded to ‘doubtful’ for Saturday’s game vs. UCF due to a sore knee. Without Gilbert last week, the Mustangs lost 34-0 at Houston. It was the first time a team coached by June Jones had EVER taken a bagel. On Wednesday, Gilbert told the Dallas Morning News, “I’m doing everything I can to play Saturday.” By Friday, however, Gibert’s condition was downgraded. SMU owns a 9-4 spread record in 13 games as a home underdog during Jones’s tenure. UCF is favored by 11.5 at most books.

Arizona St. RB Marion Grice is ‘out’ vs. Stanford in Saturday’s Pac-12 title game in Tempe. Grice has rushed for 996 yards and scored 20 TDs (14 rushing, six receiving) this year, but the offense was fine without him in last week’s 58-21 clubbing of Arizona. Back-up RB D.J. Foster produced 124 rushing yards and two TDs on 23 carries.

Texas starting MLB Steve Edmond is ‘out’ for the rest of the season, including the bowl game, with a lacerated liver. Edmond leads the Longhorns in tackles with 73 and he also has a pair of interceptions, including the game-sealer in overtime at West Va. Another starting LB Kendall Thompson is ‘questionable.’ On the bright side for Texas, which is 6-2 ATS as a road underdog since 2004, RB Daje Johnson is back from a suspension.

Fresno St. WR Josh Harper has only practiced on a limited basis this week, according to the Fresno Bee. He remains a question mark and will likely be a game-time decision after leaving last week’s loss at San Jose St. with a strained groin. Harper has 79 receptions for 1,011 yards and 13 TDs this year.

Oklahoma QB Blake Bell won’t start at Oklahoma St., but he has been cleared and will be available for the Sooners.

Rice will be missing some depth in the backfield for the C-USA Championship Game and its bowl appearance. Turner Petersen is out for the rest of the season. Petersen had rushed for 262 yards and also had 26 catches for 348 yards and four TDs.

Marshall RB Kevin Grooms has been suspended and won’t play at Rice. Grooms is the Thundering Herd’s third-leading rusher with 503 yards and six TDs.

LSU senior QB Zach Mettenberger has taken his last collegiate snap. Mettenberger was injured in the fourth quarter of a win over Arkansas in the regular-season finale. The knee injury – believed to be a torn ACL — will keep him out of the bowl game, so Les Miles will turn to true freshman Anthony Jennings, who had a 49-yard TD pass with 1:15 remaining to lift his team to a 31-27 win over the Razorbacks.

San Jose St. star WR Noel Grigsby might be able to play in the Spartans’ bowl game. Grigsby tore his meniscus way back in Week 2. In 2012, Grigsby had 82 catches for 1,307 yards and nine TDs.

Click here for my five plays for tomorrow’s games.

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