Travis Dye Injured, Leaves Game Against Colorado
USC offense may have suffered a significant blow on Friday night as starting running back Travis Dye left the game with a lower leg injury.
Dye was tackled after picking up a first down with 2:44 left in the first half and remained down on the field. Colorado defenders who tackled Dye immediately called for the USC trainers to come onto the field.
Dye remained down for several minutes while USC trainers attended to him. He was fit with an air cast and carted off the field. The entire USC team surrounded him before he was taken off. Dye gave a thumbs up and fight on to the USC crowd that cheered him as he went up the Coliseum tunnel on the cart.
This would be a massive loss for the Trojans. Dye led the team with 858 rushing yards and nine touchdowns coming into this game.
Dye isn’t a captain for the Trojans but he is absolutely one of the team leaders. He made a quick impression on the entire team in his first year at USC following a productive career at Oregon.
The Trojans have their toughest two-game stretch of the season following this game against Colorado. USC will travel to the Rose Bowl to take on No. 12 UCLA next week. The Trojans then finish the season at home against No. 20 Notre Dame.
Austin Jones will step into Dye’s spot at running back for as long as he is out. Jones is third on the team with 261 yards and three touchdowns this season. USC also has Darwin Barlow and true freshman Raleek Brown in the running back room. Brown has seen some time this season and could take on a bigger role moving forward.
USC was leading Colorado 16-3 at the time of the injury.
Dye eventually returned to the USC sideline on crutches with his lower left leg heavily wrapped.
Dye Update from Lincoln Riley
After the game, head coach Lincoln Riley said not to expect Dye to play again for the Trojans this season. He said it won’t be an injury that impacts him long-term, and that he expects Dye to be on an NFL roster next year.
