The USC Trojans moved to 5-1 after a 30-9 win over Cal this week, but it came with a steep price. Three players, including the Trojans’ leading rusher, left the game with significant injuries that could impact the rest of USC’s season.
The most injuries that might be the biggest concerns were to freshman wide receiver Marqise Lee and senior tailback Marc Tyler. Lee has a sprained AC joint in his shoulder when he landed awkwardly catching a 39-yard touchdown pass from Matt Barkley in the first half. He left the game with four catches for 81 yards and the touchdown.
USC wide receiver Marqise Lee suffered a shoulder injury after catching a touchdown pass against Cal.
Lee’s been a surprise this season, following Robert Woods’ formula for success as a freshman at USC. Other schools primarily looked at him as a defensive back, but he’s become USC’s second-leading receiver on the team, behind Woods, his high school teammate.
Lee has 25 catches for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns to this point, giving Barkley another dangerous target and making opposing defenses account for him.
He avoided injuries through fall camp, which allowed him to prove himself while other receivers sat out with injuries. With more than a week to recover before the Trojans’ next game at Notre Dame, Lee thinks he might be able to go. If not, seniors Brandon Carswell and Brice Butler will get more looks opposite Woods.
Lee’s injury would put a damper on USC’s potent passing game, but the bigger concern is Marc Tyler’s dislocated shoulder. He sustained the injury in the third quarter, and ESPN speculated he might be out for an extended period of time. (USC Coach Lane Kiffin had no update on the severity of the injury the Friday after the game).
Tyler missed time in the beginning of the season to serve a suspension, but since his return, he’s been the unquestioned starter, and the only back with any consistency. He has twice as many carries (83) as the second-leading rusher, Curtis McNeal (41). McNeal took the majority of the carries after Tyler left the game this week and seems the likely guy to step in as starter.
Redshirt freshman D.J. Morgan started the first game, when Tyler was suspended, and he played well, but ball security issues in the next few weeks landed him on the bench. Even if Tyler’s out for the rest of the year (not likely), it might not be enough to help Morgan get back in the rotation.
It might help true freshman George Farmer get his legs under him, though. Farmer finally took the field against Cal when Kiffin decided to burn his redshirt in hopes of sparking the offense. It didn’t work in that game, but depending on how long Tyler’s out, and how well the other backs stay healthy and hold the ball, Farmer could have a chance to become an important part of the Trojans’ offense in some very big games down the stretch.
On the other side of the ball, USC suffered a big loss when cornerback Anthony Brown suffered a broken ankle in the first half of the game. He had surgery on Friday and will out for the remainder of the season.
Brown was in the game for CB Torin Harris, who missed the last two games with a shoulder injury. Brown got the start against Arizona, and he and Isiah Wiley rotated at the position against Cal early, before the injury. Wiley got a lot of positive attention for his breakout play during bye week practices, and until Harris is back, he’s going to have to step up, and Trojans’ fans will have to keep their fingers crossed there are no more injuries at corner.
