It wasn’t all roses for USC in a 30-9 win over Cal in AT&T Park.
Actually, considering the Golden Bears committed a whopping 5 turnovers, the margin of victory for USC probably should have been larger. Simply put, Thursday night was not a display of football worth $3 billion for Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, who was in attendance. The Trojans had a hard time finding any rhythm on offense and Lane Kiffin‘s decision to try a trick fourth down play on the first drive of the game was nothing short of nauseating.
But all of that pales in comparison to the bigger problems the Trojans could be facing on the injury front. USC lost three players -- cornerback Anthony Brown, wide receiver Marqise Lee (pictured) and running back Marc Tyler -- to game-ending injuries tonight.
Brown suffered what looked like a knee or ankle injury early in the game, and had to be helped off the field without being able to put any weight on his left leg. Lee hurt his right shoulder area on a first-half touchdown catch, immediately running over to the sideline in obvious discomfort. The details of those injuries and their prognosis are still fuzzy.
Tyler, on the other hand, suffered a dislocated shoulder and could be out for some time. Luckily, the running back spot is one of the few places where USC has some depth. Losing Brown definitely leaves the Trojans thin at CB, and an injury to Lee puts more pressure on sophomore receiver Robert Woods to continue to make plays.
USC is terribly young and thin in a lot of areas. Heading into South Bend to face Notre Dame in prime time on NBC a week from Saturday, Kiffin’s team is going to have to grow up in a hurry.
UPDATE: According to the Orange County Register, Brown suffered a broken left ankle, Lee a sprained right shoulder and Tyler a dislocated left shoudler. Kiffin is expected to address the long-term prognosis for the players when he speaks to reporters Friday night.