USC Football proves they can withstand Travis Dye injury in CU rout

It was a scary sight on Friday when Travis Dye ended up having to leave USC Football's game against Colorado with a lower body injury that looked like it had the potential to be serious. Dye was struggling in the contest, but he was sure to fire up by the end of the game like he does every week, and the thought of missing Dye was not a pleasant thought to think about.

Those unpleasant thoughts ended up dying down, though, when USC's other three running backs on the roster ran all over the Buffaloes. Austin Jones had 11 catches for 74 yards and caught four passes for 39 receiving yards. He also caught a touchdown pass. So did Raleek Brown, who had two catches for 38 yards. He added on seven carries for 52 rushing yards.

Even the No. 4 RB on this team, Darwin Barlow, proved to be very good again this year. He had five carries for 41 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also chipped in two catches for 31 receiving yards. The running game didn't miss a beat without Dye. QB Caleb Williams even had two rushing scores of his own on the day.

It goes to show that a strong running game is most certainly possible without Dye for SC this year. Jones came into this game leading the Trojans in yards per carry (6.4 yards). Both Brown (12.6) and Jones (11.9) came into the game having more yards per reception than Dye.

USC is most certainly hurt by Dye's absence, and he will likely miss the rest of the year, according to Head Coach Lincoln Riley. They absolutely have the depth, though, to have a very strong running game without him on the field.

Travis Dye's absence from the USC Football program can be overcome.

Look--Travis Dye was an elite, featured back for USC Football. He was an elite pass-blocker, which none of the other backs on this roster can say. He was also a stud in the receiving game. He's one of the best backs in the country.

But again, some of the other RBs' efficiency numbers on this team were better, and Jones in particular has proven to be able to perform at a high level over the course of a season too. It was just two seasons ago when Jones led the PAC-12 in rushing touchdowns. He was a four-star back out of high school, and the No. 7 RB in the entire country in that 2019 recruiting class.

Brown was even the No. 3 RB in the 2022 class (all recruiting ratings and rankings in article are as of 247Sports). There's tons of talent in this backfield, and talent that's proven to be productive on the field this year.

Again, Barlow is the RB4 on this team and he showed up to the game this week averaging 5.2 yards per carry in his career. These three can play, and play at a very high level. This running game is absolutely good enough to win with, even without Dye.