Stanford RB Bryce Love out against Utah with ankle injury

STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford star running back Bryce Love won't play Saturday night against Utah because of a left ankle injury, coach David Shaw announced.

Love, who also missed a Week 3 game against UC Davis with an unspecified ailment, injured the ankle in the fourth quarter of a Sept. 29 loss at Notre Dame.

It's the same ankle that hampered Love during the second half of the 2017 season, forcing him to miss a game against Oregon State. He still rushed for 2,118 yards and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting.

Shaw said after the Notre Dame game that Love was day to day and that the injury wasn't as severe as the one last season.

Shaw said he found out Saturday morning that Love wouldn't play against Utah. Love felt good about his chances to play but experienced soreness after several workouts that "were not intensive," Shaw said.

"In an emergency situation, yeah, he could have gone out there, but he might have set himself back," Shaw said. "This is not a long-term thing for Bryce. He should be raring to go against Arizona State and hopefully the rest of the year."

Love has 327 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 76 carries, averaging just 4.3 yards per carry, down from 8.1 yards per carry in 2017.