USC Injury Report: Trojans enjoy injury-free trip to Boulder (11/12)

The Trojans enjoyed their healthiest game of the season on Saturday. Here’s the USC injury report after the 38-24 win in Boulder.

For what feels like the first time in the 2017 season, USC head coach Clay Helton had no injuries to report coming out of a USC gameday.

“We got out of Boulder basically injury free,” Helton said.

The Trojans didn’t have a single player leave the game due to injury, with only bumps and bruises suffered against the Buffaloes.

“Knock on wood, I hope it continues,” the head coach said.

Chances of the injury luck continuing should increase after this week. After battling UCLA on Saturday, the Trojans will finally have their bye week.

“We could have used a bye about halfway through the season, probably right after Washington State with the injuries that we’ve had,” Helton said. “I’m a glass half-full guy and said [earlier in the year] that if we got our job done then our bye would come after the 12th game. With good fortune we’ve been able to do our job and now we get it.”

That’s not to say there aren’t injury concerns that still need addressing at USC.

USC Injury Report:

• Out for season: DL Kenny Bigelow (retirement), K Michael Brown (knee), CB Greg Johnson (shoulder), LB Tayler Katoa (knee), CB Jonathan Lockett (hip), S Isaiah Pola-Mao (shoulder), OL Viane Talamaivao (pectoral), DL Marlon Tuipulotu (back), WR Keyshawn “Pie” Young (hamstring/redshirt)
• Out:  OLB Hunter Echols (hip), OT Nathan Smith (knee), RB James Toland (shoulder)
• Doubtful: OLB Porter Gustin (toe)
• Questionable: OLB Connor Murphy (hip)
• Probable: RB Stephen Carr (foot), OLB Juliano Falaniko (thigh), TE Josh Falo (foot), DL Rasheem Green (shoulder), OL Toa Lobendahn (knee), RB Vavae Malepeai (knee), CB Iman Marshall (knee), K Chase McGrath (groin), OLB Uchenna Nwosu (ankle), TE Tyler Petite (shoulder), DL Christian Rector (hand)

Running back Stephen Carr was in action for the second game since returning from a foot injury which kept him out for four weeks. But the freshman was little used, receiving no handoffs and only seeing the field as a potential receiving option while getting no targets.

The good news is, Carr is on track for a bigger role going forward.

“Stephen is very very close to being 100 percent back,” Helton said. “He looked healthy, so I would expect more reps for him in the upcoming future.”

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A clean bill of health will continue to elude kicker Chase McGrath, however.

The freshman kicker was 1-for-2 on field goal attempts against Colorado, also missing one of his four PATs as he deals with a groin issue.

The coaches sat McGrath for the week of practice, but felt comfortable sending him out for kicks inside the 25-yard line. Helton indicated that they will follow the same gameplan with the kicker this week.

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Punter Reid Budrovich will remain an emergency option for place kicking while continuing to handle kickoffs.