Eric Gentry injury: USC LB emotional while getting carted to the locker room

The USC Trojans were in firm command of the game on Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers, using a pick-six by Mason Cobb to propel them to a 38-21 lead in the fourth quarter. But they got some bad news on their star linebacker Eric Gentry with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

CBS sideline reporter Jenny Dell let viewers know that trainers were evaluating his neck area. Shortly after that, Gentry was being carted to the USC locker room by training staff. Here’s the video of him heading to the locker room.

Eric Gentry has been carted off the USC sideline. Hope he’s okay. pic.twitter.com/b5GASO4kc8

— Connor Morrissette (@C_Morrissette) September 28, 2024

Gentry is the leading tackler for the USC defense through four games, so it’s a big loss. The good news for Lincoln Riley and company is that their defense is much improved this year compared to previous seasons in his tenure there.

USC got a critical stop late in the fourth quarter to make sure that the Badgers didn’t tack on another score. They ran out the final few minutes of the clock and came away with a big win, moving them to 3-1 on the 2024 campaign. USC was trailing Wisconsin 21-10 at halftime, but they managed to turn around things in the second half. They outscored the Badgers 28-0 in the second half, pulling out the comeback victory.

In 2023, Gentry saw action in 11 games, making three starts. He tallied 46 tackles, one sack, five pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble, and one blocked kick. One of his best games for USC came against California, when he tallied seven tackles, one tackle for loss, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one interception.

USC quarterback Miller Moss had another excellent performance. He certainly earned it, dodging Wisconsin defenders in the pocket for much of the day on Saturday. Their defensive unit hurried Moss more than 14 times, forcing him to step up in the pocket to elude several Wisconsin players harassing him off the edge. Moss finished completing 30 of his 45 passes for 308 yards, while tossing in three touchdowns and an interception.

He also tacked on a rushing touchdown on a critical fourth down. It was an eight-yard touchdown run in which Moss used a spin move to juke out Wisconsin defenders, and he even jumped in mid-air, crashing to the turf as he landed at the goal line. The play was reviewed, and officials said Moss broke the plane while in mid-air. He was eventually evaluated for a concussion by the USC medical staff, but they put him back in the game late in the fourth quarter.