USC looks to get right against Arizona

After taking a week off to recover from their first loss of the season and a slew of injuries, the Trojans will return to the gridiron Saturday against the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson.

Depth at the linebacker position is an immediate concern that will need to be addressed by kickoff. The loss against Utah saw sophomore linebacker Eric Gentry go down with an apparent lower leg injury. His counterpart, senior linebacker Shane Lee, also suffered a wrist injury in the Trojan’s win against Washington State.

The linebacker room not being at 100% health was felt as senior tight end Dalton Kincaid exploded for 234 receiving yards off of 16 catches against Utah.

Gentry is listed as day-to-day, and the Trojans could be thin at the linebacker position come Saturday.

“Guys have been able to take a lot of reps in [practice],” said Head Coach Lincoln Riley. “If everybody’s there, we’ll play with those guys. If not, the next guy’s up, kind of like we’ve done all year.”

One player who could make an impact at the linebacker position is redshirt junior Tuasivi Nomura, who Riley revealed broke his finger during the game against Fresno State, staying in for three more plays before exiting. 

“He’s about as tough as they come. [Nomura] broke his finger during the middle of a play… like bone sticking out, didn’t tell anybody,” Riley said. “So that tells you about his toughness and how much he wants to do well for this team.” 

Junior wide receiver Jordan Addison also exited the Utah game after an awkward landing that led to an apparent knee injury. The 2021 Biletnikoff award winner was seen using crutches after the game.

As with Gentry, Riley said that Addison is considered day-to-day and is confident in the depth at the receiver position. The returns of redshirt senior Terrell Bynum, sophomore Michael Jackson III and redshirt junior Kyle Ford have led to a deeper wide receiver room for the Trojans.

Sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams said that the team has gained confidence over the last two weeks despite the loss to Utah.

“Right after the game there was a certain energy about the team when we were in the locker room,” Williams said. “There was a certain confidence… that was in the locker room after even though we lost.”

The Oklahoma transfer also said that the bye week came at the right time.

“Especially after a loss I think [the bye week] was really effective,” Williams said. “We give a couple guys some time to rest, we had a few injuries in the Utah game and then we get to just work on being consistent in the middle of the season.” 

With a 3-4 record, the Wildcats have already improved from last season, when they won just one game. Arizona, also coming off of a bye week, has just one win in the Pac-12 thus far — a 43-20 victory over a now 1-6 Colorado team that fired their head coach following the loss.

Defense has been a major issue for the Wildcats so far this season. Power 5 opponents (Mississippi State, Cal, Oregon, Colorado and Washington) are averaging 41.2 points against a defense that features a weak secondary that has allowed 246.71 passing yards per game. 

On the offensive side of the ball, the Wildcats have found more success. Sophomore quarterback Jayden de Laura is off to a strong start with 2,274 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns. 

“The quarterback really makes it all go. He’s dynamic,” Riley said. “I enjoyed watching him at Washington State, watching him kind of fly around, make plays. He makes a lot of on schedule plays but [de Laura] is obviously very dangerous off schedule.”

Arizona fields what is among the best group of wide receivers the Trojans have faced all season. 

“You’ve got height, you’ve got speed and each individual guy kind of has their number one calling card,” said Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch. “They can win jump balls, they can run by you… And they’ve been as productive as anybody in the country.”

Jacob Cowing, Dorian Singer and Tetairoa McMillan have accounted for a combined 1,812 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

Lincoln is familiar with McMillan, having recruited the freshman receiver during his time at Oklahoma. 

“He’s a good player. He’s got really nice skills for his size. He’s a guy that impressed us early on in our time,” Riley said. “They’re obviously doing a good job featuring him and getting him the ball… he’s a good playmaker and a tough matchup on the outside.”

The Trojans will face off against Arizona Saturday at 3:00 p.m. PST.