SECU Stadium will host two teams sitting 3-3 overall when Maryland and USC meet for the first-ever matchup. Ahead of Saturday, USC is dealing with the injury bug on defense with junior defensive end Anthony Lucas and linebacker Eric Gentry sidelined for the rest of 2024.
Lucas, who suffered what head coach Lincoln Riley called a lower-body injury vs. Minnesota, was able to go last week vs. Penn State before suffering the season-ending injury.
“Hate it for Anthony because he’s really improved and had a really strong impact on our defense,” Riley said. “But he’s in a good frame of mind, we’ll be excited to get him back next year and get him rolling and build on all the progress he made. And in the meantime, it’s gonna create an opportunity for some more guys to step up.”
And for a team that has struggled to win the trenches through the first half of the season – similar to Maryland – Lucas’s absence delivers the latest hit to a defensive line unit that was already without Bear Alexander for the season. Sophomore Braylan Shelby, who has registered seven pressures in six games, is now the most experienced while true freshman Kameryn Fountain steps into a bigger role alongside Jahmil Muhammed and Solomon Tuliaupupu.
“Those are guys that have been working behind the scenes and have been part of that development that we've been pushing so hard,” head coach Lincoln Riley said this week.
Lucas isn’t the only absence for USC as star LB Eric Gentry announced he’s redshirting for the remainder of the season after suffering multiple concussions this season, leaving a big void in the Trojans’ defense after Gentry lead the team in TFLs (6.5) and sacks (2) while sitting tied for third in tackles (30). True freshman Desman Stephens could step into a bigger role vs. Maryland after registering his first career interception vs. Penn State.
“Desman just did a bunch of stuff that he's been doing in practice [against Penn State]," Lynn said. "From the time he got here to now, it's night and day. He's just gotta keep on growing and keep on developing. He just showed why we have confidence in him. He's going to keep on getting snaps each game even with each game being different as far as the rotations go. But he's definitely going to be in games.”
Under first-year defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, USC enters the weekend allowing the fifth-most yards of total offense per game (349.8) in the Big Ten, though lead the way in third down defense (27.1%).
“You rely on the development that’s been going on behind the scenes and the guys that we’ve recruited,” Riley said. “Maybe there’s some guys you thought, well, maybe their role won’t be quite as much this year or maybe they redshirt, and now, all of a sudden, they’re going to have that opportunity. All of us can point to our careers to guys who became phenomenal cornerstone-type players of a program who got their first shot like this.”
Kickoff is set for 4 PM this weekend on FS1.
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