Halfway through preparation for a pivotal game against Utah, the narrative for USC football in Week 8 remains all about Porter Gustin.
The senior linebacker fractured his ankle against Colorado and is out for the rest of the season. That means the Trojans have a major conundrum on their hands.
Asked about replacing Gustin, head coach Clay Helton and defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast had the same refrain: “You can’t.”
No one else on USC’s roster is the complete package like Gustin, but the Trojans are hoping the sum of many parts will be enough.
“Based on down and distance, based on situation, we can go anywhere,” Helton said, ready to use different packages with different players to do Gustin’s job.