Suffice to say, USC will enter Week 9 a wee bit thin at the running back position.
Leading rusher Vavae Malepeai underwent surgery last week to repair an injured knee and is out indefinitely. In Week 8’s win over Arizona, Markese Stepp (pictured), USC’s second-leading rusher, went down with an ankle injury that will require surgery and sideline the back for a minimum of three weeks.
Unbelievably, the Trojans’ third-leading rusher, Stephen Carr, suffered a hamstring injury in the same game as Stepp.
“I’ve never lost three backs in one week in 25 years before, but, you know what, there’s a first time for everything,” head coach Clay Helton stated.
There’s a possibility Carr could be available for Friday’s game against Colorado, but his status likely won’t be known until later on in the week.
If Carr is out, the keys to the Trojans running game will be handed to a true freshman (Kenan Christon) and a former walk-on (Quincy Jountti) who was placed on scholarship during summer camp earlier this year. Christon’s 103 yards (on just eight carries) are fourth on the team, while his two rushing touchdowns are tied for third. Jountti, a redshirt junior, has 13 yards on four carries.
One other scholarship player at the position, Dominic Davis, began his collegiate career as a running back before moving to cornerback and then back to the backfield earlier this year.