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Anthony Lucas injury update: Lincoln Riley announces status for remainder of season

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•10/15/24•

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USC EDGE Anthony Lucas
© Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

USC EDGE Anthony Lucas has been ruled out of the rest of the season, Lincoln Riley announced Tuesday. He suffered an injury in last week’s overtime loss to Penn State.

Riley called Lucas’ injury a “lower extremity injury” while speaking with reporters and he underwent a procedure. He’s in the midst of the biggest year of his career, totaling 16 tackles over six games as well as one pass defended.

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Lucas started his career at Texas A&M in 2022, where he totaled 10 tackles. He then entered the transfer portal and committed to USC, where he again had 10 tackles last season. Under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn, Lucas was starting to make an impact on the new-look unit, but his season will now be cut short due to injury.

“I hate it for Anthony because he had really improved and had an impact on our defense,” Riley said of Lucas, via WeAreSC’s Erik McKinney.

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USC is off to a rough start in its first year in the Big Ten, falling to 1-3 after last week’s loss to Penn State in overtime. The Trojans’ three losses have come by a combined 13 points – which averages out to 4.3 per game. After Saturday’s loss, a reporter asked Riley if the responsibility fell on him for the losses, and he made it clear it does.

“It always falls to me,” Riley said. “When have I ever shouldered responsibility? I always take it. I’m the head coach. It’s my job. Believe me, there ain’t nobody taking more responsibility than I am. So, I don’t know where that line of questioning comes from.”

Riley also pointed to the schedule, which ranks as the No. 29-toughest so far, according to ESPN. But even despite the tough nature of schedule so far, Riley reiterated it falls on him for the 1-3 start to conference play.

“The reality of it is we’ve played the toughest schedule in the country the first six games, we’ve had a chance to win all six games,” Riley said. “And that’s hard to do… I have to do a better job. Our coaches, our players, because we’re doing too many good things to put us in situations where we have the lead and we can win, but we’ve got to get paid off for it. We got to be able to finish and it all falls on my shoulders at the end, and that’s why they call me head coach.”