On his Sunday night conference call with the media, USC head coach Shane Beamer reported starting linebacker Mo Kaba and starting defensive end Jordan Strachan would miss the Georgia game this Saturday, and that would be all he would say on their status until talking more with them on Monday. That left a feeling there was more to the story. And there was.
Monday USC announced Kaba and Strachan had suffered ACL injuries in the loss to Arkansas and would miss the rest of the season, a major blow to a Gamecock defense already reeling from a poor performance in the loss to the Razorbacks.
“I’m extremely disappointed and heart-broken for both of these young men,” Beamer said in a statement. “They both worked really hard to prepare for this season and were off to great starts for us. Their best football is still in front of them.”
Kaba, a 6-2, 239-pound junior from Clinton, N.C., started each of the first two games at the Mike linebacker position. He recorded eight tackles, including a half-tackle for loss and was credited with one pass breakup. He appeared in 24 games with five starts over the past three seasons.
Strachan, a 6-5, 245-pound sixth-year senior from Kingsland, Ga., was in his second season with the Gamecocks after transferring from Georgia State. He recorded 10 tackles through the season’s first two games and was the team’s leader with 3.0 tackles for loss, including one sack.
Sherrod Greene filled in for Kaba after his injury Saturday, and Gilbur Edmond and Terrell Dawkins are the next two on the depth chart behind Strachan.
