Its Official: Starks is out for 2009
The first indication that he was hurt came last week when Starks sat our the Saturday scrimmage, at the time there was no indication that the injury was anything out of the ordinary, in fact Gill seemed optimistic that Starks would be ready to play:
"He doesn't need to prove anything to me," said Gill of the Doak Walker candidate. "He'll be ready to roll against UTEP." -- Buffalo News
When the team practiced Monday morning Starks was out again and Brandon Thermilus was set as the starter. It was at this point Turner Gill seemed to open the door on Starks not playing against UTEP but by no means did he step through it.
"I still got time, so I'm taking advantage of our time right here to see what we're going to do, We just got to get him in shape. End of this week, for sure next week, he's going to have to be getting some reps."
"End of the week we need to get something going, Say 10 days before the game we need to have our guys out there and getting in tune. Once Monday hits it's here so to speak." -- Turner Gill
Things really got kicked off when the bleacher report said that Starks may be out for the season:
According to a source close to the team, UB Bulls tailback, James Starks, will miss the opening of the 2009-10 season due to an undisclosed shoulder injury.Every doom and gloom bit of news that bubbles its way to the top should be taken with a massive grain of salt, especially this time of year. The only thing said about Starks, out side of those reported by unnamed sources, is that he is a little banged up from practice. The article from bleacher report titled "James Starks, UB Bulls RB Injured; May Miss Season" actually says nothing of the sort, see above. The blip that lets them get away with this title is:
If surgery is needed, he may need to sit out his entire senior seasonWell of course if his undisclosed injury requires surgery he may miss the season. Hell if the Easter bunny kicks me in my shins tomorrow I may miss work. Then again If I am not kicked by the Easter Bunny I wont miss work, or I might just be 15 minutes late if I stub my toe on the Easter Bunny's egg cart.
So if you're a UB fan what does this mean to you? I would trust the Buffalo News Articles and Campus Watch over the bleacher report. They are on the ground and been a very reliable source of information so far this off season. When they start saying surgery is a real possibility that would be the time to start getting worried.
If Starks is going to miss the first game that would be a big loss but not a very consequential one so long as he is ready by the time we start conference at Temple. If the Easter bunny really did take him out for the year Thermilus and Henry are very capable running backs and, perhaps, we get another year out of starks.