STANFORD, Calif. (AP) -Stanford quarterback T.C. Ostrander will miss this week’s game against No. 2 Southern California after having a seizure at a restaurant over the weekend.
Ostrander was watching former teammate Trent Edwards play on television for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday when he had the seizure. Ostrander was hospitalized for about seven hours after the seizure but was released after all tests were normal.
“It’s tough to get my head around but we have the situation under control,” he said after watching the team practice Tuesday. “Apparently the pain medication I take after the game makes a greater disposition toward having a seizure.”
Teammate Evan Moore was at the restaurant when he heard Ostrander’s father yell out his son’s name. Moore turned and saw Ostrander fall to the ground and slam his head on a pole.
He saw his friend bleeding from the mouth and said the scene was difficult to watch. Moore said he felt much better after seeing Ostrander later that day.
“You’re watching it thinking `Is he even going to make it through this?”’ Moore said. “It’s a scary looking thing. To see him come home and hear him converse normally was obviously very relieving to say the least.”
Ostrander was back at classes this week and will travel to the game on Saturday in Los Angeles. He won’t play as a precaution but could be back for the game Oct. 13 against TCU.
“I was looking forward to this game for a while,” Ostrander said. “It’s not often you get to play the best team in the nation. It’s a fun atmosphere down there. I feel like I’m letting the team down, in a sense. It’s tough being at practice and not being able to play.”
Sophomore Tavita Pritchard will make his first career start Saturday for the Cardinal (1-3, 0-3 Pac-10). Pritchard is the nephew of former NFL quarterback Jack Thompson, better known by his nickname, “The Throwin’ Samoan.”
Thompson, who starred in college at Washington State, was picked third overall by Cincinnati in 1979. He played six years in the NFL for the Bengals and Tampa Bay.
Pritchard has thrown only three passes in his career, completing one for 10 yards. He now must face Southern Cal (4-0, 2-0), which has the top-ranked defense in the Pac-10, allowing 277.5 yards per game.
“You hate to have an opportunity come like this,” Pritchard said. “T.C. is a good friend of mine. Having him go down like he did is nothing you want to see. But I’ve been preparing my whole life for this, to be able to start at the Division I level in the Pac-10.”
Ostrander has completed 90 of 166 passes for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns through four games. He began his senior year as the starter after backing up Edwards the previous three seasons.
The loss of Ostrander is just the latest to hit the Cardinal this season.
Linebacker Fred Campbell suffered a career-ending neck injury against San Jose State, offensive lineman Allen Smith could be out for the year with a knee injury, running back Toby Gerhart will miss his fourth game this week because of a knee injury, and defensive lineman Ekom Udofia is expected to miss his second straight game with a sprained ankle. In training camp, fullback Emeka Nnoli went down for the season with a hip injury.
The injuries have had a big impact on Stanford’s depth and are a reason for the team’s struggles in conference play. The Cardinal have been outscored 141-51 in the three Pac-10 losses.
“We put so much into this season, preparing for it, getting ready for it,” Moore said. “We cannot let one, two or three or four injuries completely make us throw in the towel. As important as some of these players are, we still have our team, we still have our season left.”
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