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USC's top running backs Silas Redd, middle, and D.J. Morgan will not make the trip to Hawaii along with the rest of the teammates. USC coach Lane Kiffin said today they're staying behind due to medical reasons. (Photo Courtesy Facebook)
USC’s two most veteran running backs will not be with the 24th-ranked Trojans when they travel to Honolulu today for Thursday’s season opener against the University of Hawaii.
"Silas Redd and D.J. Morgan have been ruled out (medically) for this game, so we’re not bringing them on this trip so they can stay here and rehab (injuries)," head coach Lane Kiffin said on the Pac-12 football coaches conference call today.
Redd, a senior, ran for 905 yards in 2012 and has a combined 2,583 career rushing yards and 18 touchdowns at Penn State and USC. Morgan, a junior, ran for 201 yards last season.
Kiffin said he will look to four younger running backs, sophomores Javorius Allen and Tre Madden, and freshmen Justin Davis and Ty Isaac.
Of the four only Allen carried the ball last season. Allen had six carries for 32 yards last season.
"They don’t have much game experience, but (they are) some guys we are very excited about from what they have shown in practice," Kiffin said. "We anticipate all of them playing."
Davis, a 6-foot, 1-inch, 200 pounder, was a high school All-American running for 1,806 yards on 229 carries (7.9 avg.) with 23 TDs at Lincoln High in Stockton, Calif.
Kiffin said he hasn’t determined if both sophomore quarterbacks, Max Wittek and Cody Kessler, will play equally against UH. "I don’t know that yet," Kiffin said.
Kickoff for the nationally televised game at Aloha Stadium is 5 p.m.
