The Week 13 clash between USC and Oregon is a must-win game for both sides. However, much to head coach Lincoln Riley’s dismay, they will have to do it without their starting center, Kilian O’Connor, who got injured during the game.

The timing of the injury couldn’t have been more unfortunate for Lincoln Riley’s Trojans. The game was tied at 7-7 in the first quarter at Autzen. During the Trojans’ second drive, Kilian O’Connor was down on the field, signaling he was injured. This meant USC was down to its backup center, a walk-on left guard, and its backup right tackle while starting its left guard at left tackle. To make matters worse, USC was forced to punt, and Oregon went on to score a touchdown from a Dante Moore pass to Kenyon Sadiq.

Kilian O’Connor has been at the center of injuries this season, missing out on a few games. He first suffered a knee injury against Illinois, which kept him out for weeks. And it seems like the injury has crept its way back, and we could see Kilian O’Connor out for the rest of the game. He was seen wearing a brace on his left knee with crutches on the USC sideline. Offensive lineman J’Onre Reed replaced O’Connor, who himself was listed as questionable. This shows how badly out of depth the USC Trojans are currently.

No additional information about his injury is available at the time of writing this report. Lincoln Riley will be praying to win the game against Oregon and hopefully get back O’Connor in the season finale game against UCLA. If doctors confirm that O’Connor will miss several weeks with an injury, it will only add to USC’s long list of injury problems.

Kilian O’Connor is just another addition to Lincoln Riley’s list of injuries

The 2025 season has been an injury-filled season for the Trojans. Coming into the Oregon matchup, USC lost starting left tackle Elijah Paige after he suffered an injury against the Iowa Hawkeyes. They have missed out on several defensive players, such as defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett, CB Prophet Brown, and safety Bishop Fitzgerald. Offensive linemen J’Onre Reed was listed as questionable, but had to make an appearance due to Kilian O’Connor’s injury.

This makes the USC defensive depth very thin, which is why O’Connor’s injury is such a big issue. Against the offensive line of Oregon, Lincoln Riley needs a strong, experienced defense. The injury list does not stop at just defensive players, as right backs Eli Sanders and Waymond Jordan are also out.

Losing out on Waymond was a big hit for Riley. The running back came up on the injury list after the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. He did practice, but Riley declared it was too soon for him to play. So, against the Ducks, quarterback Jayden Maiava made an offensive trio with King Miller and Bryan Jackson.