Mike Stoops' hot seat rose a few degrees Monday when his star tight end, Rob Gronkowski, was diagnosed with step throat and deemed out of Saturday's season opener against Idaho.

"He's definitely ruled out for this game and we'll address it week to week," said Stoops Tuesday.

If Gronkowski has mononucleosis, he could miss a month of the season. That would be a huge setback for quarterback Willie Tuitama and the Wildcats' attack. Gronkowski is considered the Pac-10's top tight end after catching 28 passes for 525 yards (a school record for a tight end) and six TDs as a freshman.

Sophomore A.J. Simmons will start in Gronkowski's place.

"There is a lot of ways we can go adjusting the offense," said Stoops. "It's a little bit of a setback, but I think our offense will run smoothly."