SANTA CLARA — When Isaac Guerendo trots onto the field with the first team Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, he will equal the same number of starts he had in five years of college football.
Hard to believe, but Guerendo started exactly one time, and it came in his final college game at Louisville. Against USC in the Holiday Bowl, Guerendo carried 23 times for 161 yards and three touchdowns and added five receptions in a 42-28 loss.
In 40 other games at Wisconsin and Louisville, Guerendo played in a shared backfield –something he’s done with the 49ers this season behind Jordan Mason and Christian McCaffrey. With McCaffrey on injured reserve with a PCL strain and Mason to follow soon with a high ankle sprain, Guerendo should get his biggest workload since his last college game.
“I’m excited, but really it’s whatever it takes to win,” Guerendo said Wednesday as the 49ers (5-7) began preparations to host the Bears (4-8). “Whatever the plan looks like is what we’ll bring.”
Guerendo will be backed up by Patrick Taylor Jr., who was on the roster earlier this season when McCaffrey was dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinitis, then re-signed to the practice squad. Taylor was promoted Tuesday, and the 49ers also made a waiver claim on former Jets running back Israel Abanikanda.
“I think he’s ready to go,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He had some ups and downs but got better through everything. I think he’s ready for this.”
Guerendo, 6-foot and 219 pounds, has 42 carries for 246 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a gaudy 5.9 yards per carry. His 15-yard run in the third quarter was the 49ers’ lone touchdown in a 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The 49ers traded up to get Guerendo in the fourth round, only to see him sidelined with a hamstring strain in his first training camp practice.
A speedy wide receiver at Avon High School in Indiana who also ran track and played basketball, Guerendo carried 10 times for 99 yards with a long run of 76 against Seattle and 14 times for 85 yards against Dallas.
At Wisconsin, Guerendo played behind Jonathan Taylor, now a star running back for the Indianapolis Colts. He split time as a graduate student at Louisville with Jawhar Jordan, who rushed for 1,128 yards while Guerendo had 810 yards on 132 carries and a 6.1-yard average.
The good news is Guerendo’s body hasn’t taken on the normal amount of abuse for a running back. And Guerendo feels he’s up to the challenge after playing 12 games with old-school running backs coach Bobby Turner.
“I always give credit to Coach T for preparing everybody like they’re going to be the starter, so that when moments do come, you’re ready for it,” Guerendo said.
McCaffrey appeared to have finally gotten untracked against the Bills, gaining 53 yards on seven carries before getting tripped up on a 19-yard burst in the second quarter. But the tackle injured his knee, Mason injured his ankle, and Guerendo became the lead runner for a team that is sixth in the NFL in rushing.
Over time, Guerendo has become accustomed to the speed of the NFL game.
“I think it takes guys some time,” Shanahan said. “You start to get a feel for it, if you’ve got the right stuff, you get more reps and the more you adjust to it. How hard you’ve got to hit stuff, how quick those holes close, how you have to hit it full speed and can’t hesitate. We’ve seen that stuff get better in practice and we’ve seen it carry over into games.”
McCaffrey, meanwhile, took to social media in the form of a lengthy Instagram post to explain how he was feeling after his latest injury. He wrote of his love for football, how humbling it is and his desire to return.
“This wasn’t my year, and sometimes when it rains, it pours,” McCaffrey wrote. “You can feel sorry for yourself and listen to the birds, or you can hold the line. I’m grateful for the support of everyone in my corner and promise I’ll work smarter and harder to come back better from this.”
For those who dream big, Shanahan said with a six-week time frame, McCaffrey could conceivably return if the 49ers reach the postseason.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga (left) is back at practice after recovering from wrist surgery. Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group
THE INJURY LIST
Those who didn’t practice Wednesday included edge rusher Nick Bosa (hips, obliques), left tackle Trent Williams (ankle), left guard Aaron Banks (concussion), Mason (ankle) and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (ankle). Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (knee), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) and safety Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) were limited.
Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott has cleared concussion protocol after missing the Buffalo game.
Hufanga joined Greenlaw as practicing during a 21-day window. Shanahan said it’s more likely Greenlaw would be activated before a Thursday night game against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 12 than against Chicago.
HUFANGA AND THE CLUB
After recovering from an ACL tear last season, Hufanga has played in just two games this season. First, he was felled by an ankle injury, and then a wrist injury that needed surgery. When activated, he’ll play with a protective club on his right hand.
“I was still dealing with the ankle. I was about to get it re-wrapped and for some reason my hand wouldn’t open,” Hufanga said.
Hufanga said he’ll try to use the protective device as a benefit rather than a detriment.
“I had a good friend back in the day who played with a club who had three picks in one game, so you never know,” Hufanga said.
MOORE FARES WELL
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Left tackle Jaylon Moore acquitted himself well for the second straight game in starting in place of Williams.
“It was OK, but you can always get better and that’s what I’m focusing on — the things I can get better at,” Moore said.
Tight end George Kittle noted last week that Moore was at left tackle all through training camp during Williams’ holdout, so it’s not like he hasn’t been with the first team.
“It definitely did help, especially being comfortable with the group,” Moore said. “The quarterback’s cadence, the guy you’re next to, all the small stuff comes into play.”
