Andrew Vorhees is and has been USC’s best offensive lineman. He is the best NFL draft prospect on the Trojans’ offensive line, the lineman most likely to be a first-round draft pick. He left the Notre Dame game one week ago in the second half. The discussion surrounding his playing status for Friday’s Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah was very quiet, but it became clear just before kickoff that he would not be able to play.
Safe to say, this mattered quite a lot. Mason Murphy had to be slotted at right tackle. Against Arizona, Cal, and Colorado, USC could get by without Vorhees being fully healthy. Against Utah? Nope. The Utes are too physical, too deep, and simply too good.
Here’s a taste of the in-game reaction to Vorhees’ injury absence, and how much it affected USC against Utah: