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I think it is safe to say that we would all be bummed out if Vernon Davis does not get to play on Sunday due to his hamstring injury. He has established himself as a go-to target for Colin Kaepernick, alongside Anquan Boldin, of course. The offense works better when Davis is on the field.
But, another guy might be a bit bummed too: his brother. For the first time Vernon Davis will play against his brother, CB Vontae Davis. The fact that Vontae is a defensive player just makes the match up even better. While Vernon is not typically lined up against a CB, the possibility is still tantalizing. And with the current state of our WR corps, I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen with greater frequency. Let's just say, that if one or the other makes a great catch in a jump ball situation, it might result in bragging rights forever.
But, there is another family reunion in this game - well, not a literal family reunion. The Davis connection is the only blood connection. But, this game is full of ex-Stanford players.
Obviously the big headline grabber has been the Andrew Luck-Jim Harbaugh connection. And for good reason: before Kaepernick come along, Luck was probably the closest thing to a protégée that Harbaugh ever had. And Harbaugh, of course, turned Luck into a wildly successful player.
But, for Luck, Harbaugh won't be the only coach on either sideline that had a hand in his success. Who is the Colt's new offensive coordinator? Well, none other than the ex-Stanford coach, Pep Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton worked with Harbaugh and Luck at Stanford. Of course, his post on the 49ers is held by Greg Roman, another Stanford coach. Vig Fangio was also a Stanford coach.
Besides Luck, though, there may be a few Stanford alumni on the field. With the signing of Owen Marecic, the 49ers have added Cardinal to the team. The Colts, however, have three Stanford players. Both WR Griff Whalen and S Delano Howell are backups for the Colts, but TE Coby Fleener is seeing more and more play time with the Colts.
It is also worth noting that there will be an ex-49ers reunion with Ricky Jean Francois and Cam Johnson now with the Colts.