Battered ballers: Trio of stars sit out Week 7 with injuries

Week 7 came and went without any noise from three NCAA stars who once figured to be mainstays in the Heisman conversation throughout the season.

Here are the big names who were held out of games, why they were forced to sit out, and how their replacements fared:

Josh Rosen - QB, UCLA

Rosen was dressed, but didn't play a down in UCLA's loss to Washington State, the third such outcome for the Bruins in their last four games. Rosen left the previous week's affair against Arizona State with injuries to his leg and upper body, and it's the latter that supposedly cost him a chance to take the field against the Cougars. His replacement, Mike Fafaul threw for 258 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in his first career start.

Leonard Fournette - RB, LSU

Fournette missed his second consecutive contest thanks to the same wonky ankle that forced him to sit out one more earlier in the season. The Tigers won anyway, toppling Southern Miss, and are now 3-0 this season without their star tailback. There's no word on when Fournette could return to the lineup, but LSU is likely to be extra cautious with him to protect his NFL draft stock, especially with the Tigers out of playoff contention. Derrius Guice carried the load in his absence, rushing for 162 yards and two scores.

Christian McCaffrey - RB, Stanford

McCaffrey didn't play against Notre Dame, marking the first game he's missed this season. The versatile Stanford running back was "banged up" against Washington State a week earlier, and the Cardinal sat him for most of the second half in that one after the Cougars built up a commanding lead. McCaffrey's injury hasn't been disclosed, nor has the timeline on when he can be expected to return. Bryce Love racked up 129 yards as the lead back versus the Irish, helping Stanford pick up its fourth victory of the season.