Eric Gentry leads USC Football on one leg--literally

Eric Gentry ended up getting hurt in the fourth quarter of USC Football's heartbreaking loss to the Utah Utes, in what looked like a leg injury. Perhaps it's a big part of why SC ended up giving up that last-minute game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion to lose the game.

Perhaps Gentry saw it coming as well, as he was seen running onto the field on the last drive to fire up the defense and talk some sense into them. How did he do it, when he was injured? Well, he literally ran out there on one leg:

The amount of leadership that was put to display there was unreal. For Gentry to be unable to play, but to spring out of the injury tent on one leg and onto the field to fire up his teammates means everything. Again, he not only ran out there from the sideline, but ran out there from the literal injury tent. He also did it despite only being able to use one leg...

It's part of why it was unfortunate that the Trojans couldn't contain Utes Tight End Dalton Kincaid. Kincaid went off for 16 catches and 234 receiving yards with a score in the contest. He was unstoppable, as SC couldn't figure him out. Not even Gentry lighting the team on fire could get USC to figure out how to tame the beast.

USC Football LB Eric Gentry had a good game against Utah.

Starting USC Football LB Eric Gentry made nine tackles in the game, and forced a fumble too. It was his leadership that may stand out the most, though. If Gentry had that type of energy on one leg, maybe he could have stopped Kincaid from torching SC on that last drive. The 'what could have been' hypotheticals were of course going to be killer as soon as Gentry had to leave.

Heck, would Cam Rising have been able to score that game-winning touchdown by easily running up through the middle on that last drive if Gentry was out there? There's a legitimate chance he doesn't, and at LEAST a legitimate chance Rising doesn't find room up the middle to win the game on the two-point attempt after the touchdown.

All anyone can say with certainty, though, is that SC could really use Gentry back as soon as by their next game after the bye week this week. Gentry is up to 52 tackles on the season, with two and a half for loss and both an interception and forced fumble.

He's also picked up two PD's. His impact clearly goes beyond the statistics, though, and into who he is as a leader and voice for this defense and his teammates.