The Washington Huskies are dealing with key injuries ahead of Saturday's season opener against Eastern Washington. Running back Chris Polk wore a no-contact jersey and back-up Johri Fogerson took some snaps, according to Ryan Divish. Senior cornerback Quinton Richardson also seemed to struggle and may not be ready for Saturday's game.
Polk had a great season in 2010 and was an integral part of the Huskies' offense. He started all 13 games and racked up an impressive 1,415 rushing yards, the second-highest output by any running back in UW history. Polk has been struggling to recover from a knee surgery about two weeks ago. His no-contact jersey today casts doubt on his chances to play in Saturday's game.
His likely replacement Fogerson is dealing with an injury of his own as he deals with the aggravation of his hip pointer. The injury derailed Fogerson's 2010 season and threatens the early part of his 2011 campaign. Both running backs, Polk and Fogerson, could be held out of Saturday's game, but no decision has been made yet.
Meanwhile, Richardson experienced a high ankle sprain on Aug. 13th that has limited him ever since. He practiced for the first time this past Monday and has been on the field the past few days, but the chances of him playing Saturday don't look too good in light of Divish's report.
The Huskies are in a tough situation just days before the beginning of the season. The team will wait and see how Polk, Fogerson and Richardson fare over the next few days before making any final decisions. If they do not play, though, younger Huskies will have a chance to step in and get some playing time early.