September 2, 2009

David Fox
Rivals.com College Football Staff Writer

USC coach Pete Carroll called a broken collarbone to wide receiver Ronald Johnson a "crusher."

Besides losing "RoJo," it has been a crushing August for the Trojans when it comes to injuries.

USC is ranked third in the Rivals.com preseason 120, but the Trojans' fortunes have changed drastically in the past couple of weeks because of health issues.

The Trojans, though, aren't alone in facing major injury questions. The season hasn't even started, but here's a look at some teams, listed alphabetically, that already have been hit hard by injuries or health issues:

Boston College: The Eagles learned after spring practice that star linebacker Mark Herzlich, the reigning ACC defensive player of the year, would miss the season while he underwent treatment for Ewing's sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Herzlich is hopeful he will be able to return to BC in 2010, but doctors initially told him his career would be over.

Buffalo: The Bulls' hopes of repeating as MAC champions and going to consecutive bowl games took a hit with the season-ending injury to standout running back James Starks. Starks rushed for 1,333 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, but his college career is over because of an injury to his left shoulder. Buffalo already was looking to replace starting quarterback Drew Willy, who started every game over the past two seasons. Brandon Thermilus becomes the starting running back after rushing for 454 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Thermilus, the son of former NFL running back Alonzo Highsmith, is more of a bruiser than Starks.

Houston: Thanks to a high-flying offense, Houston is one of the favorites in Conference USA. The defense could have some problems, though. Projected starting free safety Jacky Candy, a junior college transfer who went through spring practice, will miss the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Plus, his backup, Jackie Hinton, was dismissed from the team. Those absences put a major strain on a questionable secondary, especially with early season games against Oklahoma State on Sept. 12 and Texas Tech on Sept. 26.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes were confident they could absorb the loss of Doak Walker Award winner Shonn Greene and make a run at the Big Ten title. A big reason for that was the return of Greene's backup Hampton. He rushed for 463 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman despite 307 carries for Greene. Instead, Hampton will miss the season after aggravating a knee injury. Paki O'Meara (62 career rushing yards and a former walk-on) will start against Northern Iowa. He'll be backed up by redshirt freshman Adam Robinson.

Ohio State: Junior linebacker Tyler Moeller was a projected starter, but he will miss the season after sustaining a head injury after he allegedly was attacked in an offseason incident in a bar in Florida. He suffered a seizure after the altercation and needed surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions were without star linebacker Sean Lee last season and still went 11-2 and earned a Rose Bowl bid. Linebacker Michael Mauti wasn't an established star, but he was on track to have a breakout season. Instead, Mauti will miss the season after sustaining a torn ACL in his right knee last month. Mauti was one of five true freshmen to play for Penn State last season.

Tennessee: The Volunteers' offense didn't need to take any more hits after struggling mightily last season, but Tennessee has to deal with a lengthy injury list. It starts with center Josh McNeil, who has started 35 consecutive games. He will miss at least three weeks after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee; his career could be over. The Vols didn't have a receiver with more than 30 catches or 332 yards last season. Now, senior wide receiver Austin Rogers is out for the season with a torn ACL, and fellow receivers Gerald Jones (ankle) and Denarius Moore (foot) are expected to miss all or part of September.

Texas: Four Longhorns tight ends have been lost for the season. Blaine Irby started early last season before a gruesome knee injury ended his season; he's still recovering from a dislocated right kneecap. Backups D.J. Grant (knee), Josh Marshall (shoulder) and Ian Harris (neck) have suffered season-ending injuries since the beginning of July. Greg Smith, who was the backup center for a time last season, is the top tight end this season; he did start four games at the position last season. The injuries should mean plenty of four-receiver sets and more attention on Jordan Shipley.

USC: Injuries already have shaped the Trojans' preseason even if they aren't of the season-ending variety. Aaron Corp went into camp as the No. 1 quarterback before he missed two weeks of practice after developing a crack in a bone below his left knee. His absence helped true freshman Matt Barkley claim the job. Wide receiver Ronald Johnson's broken collarbone means David Ausberry, now likely to start opposite Damian Williams, needs to produce more than the six catches he did a year ago. The Trojans also have questions in the trenches. Center Kristofer O'Dowd could miss the opener after suffering a dislocated kneecap; he would be replaced by either Alex Parsons or Jeff Byers, who both are guards. Defensive end Armond Armstead is out until October with a broken left foot, putting more pressure on Everson Griffen. Defensive tackle Averell Spicer, who started three games last season, is questionable with an ankle injury. Then on Monday, coach Pete Carroll announced that starting cornerback Shareece Wright would miss the season for academic reasons. That means starting strong safety Josh Pinkard now will move back to cornerback, and Will Harris steps in at safety for Pinkard.

Virginia Tech: The Hokies' offense took a hit when starting running back Darren Evans suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in fall drills. A first-team Rivals.com Freshman All-America last season, Evans rushed for 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns, most of it in the second half of the season. Redshirt freshman Ryan Williams and true freshman David Wilson were Rivals100 prospects, but they are inexperienced. Sophomore Josh Oglesby also is in the starting mix. The injury to Evans puts more pressure on Tyrod Taylor, who now has sole possession of the starting quarterback job.

Other injuries affecting the season: Iowa cornerback Jordan Bernstine (ankle, out for the season), USF kicker Maikon Bonani (back, likely out for the season), UCLA guard Nick Ekbatani (knee, out until mid-to-late September), Iowa running back Jewel Hampton (knee, will miss opener), Arkansas cornerback Isaac Madison (ACL, out for the season), Utah defensive end Koa Misi (back, out indefinitely), Hawaii linebacker Brashton Satele (shoulder, out for the season), Georgia Tech quarterback Jaybo Shaw (collarbone, out until at least October), Vanderbilt defensive end Steve Stone (foot, out until mid-September), USF running back Jamar Taylor (knee, out until mid-to-late October)

David Fox is a national writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at dfox@rivals.com.