It was never a surprise that Travis Dye became the more featured, dependable, high-usage running back in the 2022 USC offense compared to Austin Jones. Dye was always the centerpiece of the USC attack, given his versatility and leadership. Dye exhibited complete mastery of the craft, excelling in pass protection and other non-running components of the running back position. Austin Jones did not. That matters, and it has to matter. Lincoln Riley played Dye a lot more for a reason, and Dye’s injury isn’t merely a slight problem for USC; it’s a huge one with UCLA and Notre Dame on deck. It puts the Trojans in a very difficult spot.
However, Austin Jones — while not as good as Dye — is no chump.
Let’s look at what he and Brown can bring to the table with Dye out for the closing stretch of the season: