Shane Lee Not Available for USC Against Washington State
USC will be without starting inside linebacker Shane Lee against Washington State due to a wrist injury. Lee came out with his teammates for early warmups but was not in cleats or uniform. He is wearing a cast on his wrist.
Head coach Lincoln Riley said Lee suffered the injury against Arizona State but was able to finish the game. He added that they expected him to be fully available for Washington State.
Lee did not participate in the portion of practice on Wednesday that was open to media. Asked about the combination of cast and sling he was wearing, Riley said it was “a little bit protective.”
Lee ranks second for the Trojans with 35 tackles and tied for third with 3.5 tackles for loss. He also recorded one of USC’s three interception returns for touchdowns in the season-opener against Cal.
Lee helped set the second-half tone against Arizona State last week with a sack on the first third-quarter possession for the Sun Devils to eventually force a punt. He was also a big part of USC’s defensive effort against Oregon State. Lee finished that game with 12 tackles.
This means USC’s other linebackers will obviously need to step up. Eric Gentry has asserted himself as a star at middle linebacker. It’ll likely be Ralen Goforth asked to fill in for Lee as a starter. Sophomore Raesjon Davis could see increased time as well.
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Washington State has not been strong in the run game this season, so the USC linebackers will likely be tested far more in the passing game this evening. The Cougars average just 91.2 yards per game on the ground this season.
Other USC Injury Updates
Tight end Lake McRee did not dress for the game against Arizona State. Riley said this week the Trojans expected to have him back and available for Washington State. McRee went through early warmups with his teammates and looks on track to play tonight.
Riley said wide receiver Terrell Bynum would be a game-time decision for Washington State after he also missed the Arizona State game. Bynum did not participate in early warmups.
Offensive guard Justin Dedich was also mentioned by Riley as a game-time decision. He played against Oregon State with a lower leg injury and then warmed up for Arizona State but did not play last week. He came out well before the game in uniform and jogged much better than he did last week.
