USC injury report: Clay Helton updates the latest on many key Trojans
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USC had already endured substantial injury setbacks just having to cycle through three starting quarterbacks in the first half of the season, but the personnel loss just keeps mounting.
The Trojans were already down five starters entering their 41-14 win over Arizona on Saturday night, and they lost six more contributors over the course of those four quarters.
Coach Clay Helton delivered the latest updates Monday after practice.
Here's a breakdown of his comments on each situation heading into a short week with the Trojans playing at Colorado on Friday night.
-Redshirt freshman running back Markese Stepp, who figured to get the bulk of the carries after Vavae Malepeai (knee surgery last week) and Stephen Carr (hamstring injury Saturday) went down, has torn ligaments in his ankle after taking a low hit Saturday. He will have a procedure done with a recovery timetable of 3-5 weeks. Junior running back Stephen Carr has a grade-2 hamstring injury and is not medically cleared to test it out yet. He is fully expected to miss the game Friday night at Colorado.
Helton said: "Vavae is multiple weeks. Stephen with a hamstring, you never know. I doubt it's this week. He's not medically cleared and it's a grade 2 hamstring so we'll see where it's at. … I've never lost three backs in one week before in 25 years, but you know what, there's a first-time for everything. Find a way to go win a game on the road and that's what we'll do."
-Starting sophomore safety Talanoa Hufanga has a dislocated right shoulder -- the same side on which he broke his collarbone last fall and again in the spring.
Helton said: "That's obviously a pretty good injury. … It was an automatic you could tell as soon as he went down, 'Hey, it popped out coach.' And they got it back in on the field. So that's a good thing, but the force to drive a shoulder out it takes time to get it healed. So once he's got strength back, once he feels confident in it then we'll proceed further."
-Starting freshman defensive end Drake Jackson has a high-ankle sprain and is not medically cleared. He was in a large walking boot Monday.
Helton said: "No, I don't have a timetable. … Pretty good injury."
-Reserve freshman wide receiver Munir McClain is out for the season with torn ACL. It is not the same ACL that he tore his junior year of high school. McClain has played in 5 games this season, so it he crossed the redshirt threshold already. He had a very impressive preseason, but stuck behind a top-loaded WR depth chart he had just 3 catches for 19 yards this season.
Helton: "He's in good spirits. I had a chance to visit with him today again and really taking it like a pro. He did a tremendous job for us this season, got some valuable reps as a freshman. We'll get this thing fixed, get it tightened up and good Lord willing he'll never have to worry about it again."
-Redshirt freshman outside linebacker Abdul-Malik McClain has a should separation.
-Sophomore cornerback Olaijah Griffin (back), redshirt freshman corner Isaac Taylor-Stuart (who played through an ankle sprain last weekend) and redshirt sophomore nickel Greg Johnson (shoulder) all practiced Monday.
Helton said: "I talked to [Griffin]. He said he felt more confident in it. Greg practiced today, felt confident in it. I think ITS is a lot better off than what he was last week."
-Redshirt senior defensive end Christian Rector is not practicing and appears to have decided to give his high-ankle sprain -- which dates back to Week 2 -- time to fully heal.
Helton said: "Christian's still not practicing. We'll see later in the week where he's at. I don't think he's even available for a full game, maybe a little bit, but we'll see. But it's going to be his confidence and what the doctors say."
-Sophomore linebacker Palaie Gaoteote remained in a boot with his ankle sprain, and Helton indicated Sunday night that it would significant enough to limit him for multiple weeks. Whether he plays through it at some point in the meantime is still unknown.
So what does all that mean? At running back, USC will lean on true freshman Kenan Christon, who went for 103 yards and 2 TDs on 8 carries in his debut Saturday, and veteran former walk-on Quincy Jountti. Redshirt senior Dominic Davis, who moved from running back to defense and then receiver this preseason, will slid back to running back as the third option there.
At safety, redshirt freshman Chase Williams has received significant playing in a utility role and will step in for Hufanga.
At defensive end, USC will lean heavily on redshirt juniors Caleb Tremblay and Connor Murphy. Tremblay has been the clear third DE this season. It's also likely that the Trojans will adjust to more alignments utilizing one DE and an outside linebacker, usually Hunter Echols.
And at linebacker, Kana'i Mauga (13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble, 1 sack) will look for an encore performance in place of Gaoteote.
"We believe in our kids. There's injuries that happen all through the country in all college teams. As a coach, we're not paid to make excuses; we're paid to find answers. And we'll find those answers. One, in the belief of the training and the kids that we have," Helton said.
"... I'm proud of our coaches, I'm proud of our players. The importance of recruiting is really shining through right here and being deep and having a multitude of players that are available. … We've got a huge opportunity that stands right there for us. We can write our own story right now, and we're going to believe in the kids that are out here. Hopefully we'll get some back here soon."