Cal loses Devante Downs to season-ending injury

Cal pulled off one of the upsets of the season Friday with a 37-3 beatdown of Washington State, but the victory cost them leading tackler Devante Downs.

Head coach Justin Wilcox confirmed late Monday that Downs is out for the season with an unspecified lower-body injury.

It's a massive loss for the Golden Bears as Downs has been the most dominant player on the Cal defense this season. He leads the team with 65 tackles, while also ranking first in sacks, quarterback hits, and forced fumbles. The next closest player in tackles is Raymond Davison with 43.

The loss comes at a costly time for Cal, as Arizona is next on the schedule this weekend. Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate is coming off with two straight 200-plus yard rushing games and will be a handful for the Golden Bears defense to stop.