Duke missing running back, linebacker for game at California
Duke will be without running back Peyton Jones for its game at California this weekend.
Jones has not previously been listed on an availability report for the Blue Devils. He played in the first four games of the season but did not play in last weekend’s game at Syracuse.
The junior running back has been Duke’s primary kick returner this season. He scored a touchdown in the season-opening win against Elon but saw his offensive touches diminish with the emergence of Nate Sheppard and Anderson Castle in the Blue Devils’ backfield.
Tight end Landen King is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game. He was a late addition to last week’s availability report and did not play at Syracuse. He’s the only Blue Devil listed as questionable; another tight end, Tony Boggs, is Duke’s only player with a probable designation.
Linebacker Kendall Johnson will miss the second straight game. Duke’s starters at linebacker will be Tre Freeman and Luke Mergott again, and their primary backups will be freshmen Bradley Gompers and Elliott Schaper. Both freshmen earned positive reviews from coach Manny Diaz for their performance last weekend at Syracuse.
On the Cal side of things
Cal has 14 players listed on its availability report and all but one has been ruled out for this game. Defensive lineman Tyson Ford carries a probable tag for this game.
It was announced earlier this week that safety Isaiah Crosby and linebacker Ryan McCulloch would miss the rest of the season. Each of them started Cal’s first three games but missed last weekend’s win at Boston College.
Here is the complete list for both teams:
