Los Angeles Times

Jones runs past three historic Trojans names

- By Zach Helfand zach.helfand@latimes.com Twitter: @zhelfand

BOULDER, Colo. — Several people told Ronald Jones II after USC’s win over Colorado on Saturday that he’d just reached No. 6 on USC’s all-time rushing list. It meant that, in one game, he’d passed Reggie Bush, LenDale White and Mike Garrett. He did not quite believe it.

“It didn’t hit me yet,” he said. “I’ve got to see the numbers.”

I’m not lying to you, one person replied.

“I believe you,” Jones said. “But I want to see, like, the number numbers.”

USC has come to rely increasing­ly on Jones late in the season. A week after he received a career-high 27 carries, he rushed 25 more times Saturday for 142 yards and a touchdown. He was fast, cutting back so explosivel­y in the fourth quarter, that no one got within 15 yards of him on a 20-yard score. He was physical, running through a defender draped on his back in the third quarter for a 25-yard run. He took two-thirds of USC’s carries.

“Ronald Jones is everything that you’re looking for in a running back,” offensive coordinato­r Tee Martin said. “If one guy makes a mistake, he makes you pay for it. He’s like having a Sam Darnold at running back.”

Jones has now positioned himself to be one of USC’s most productive running backs ever. He has a shot to end the season at No. 3 on the all-time list.

Jones now has 3,293 yards in his career. He needs 130 more yards to catch O.J. Simpson (though Simpson needed just two seasons to accumulate that many), 396 to catch Ricky Bell and 432 to catch Anthony Davis.

Jones left USC’s locker room carrying a poster someone made and delivered to him after the game. It said “ROJO’S GOT THE MOJO.” He said he was going to hang it on his wall, a keepsake from the game he eclipsed a personal hero.

“Reggie was my all-time favorite player growing up, so just to be mentioned in the conversati­on with him is crazy,” Jones said. “And then obviously LenDale is obviously the go-to, and he’s got all these records here.

“I thought I’d never do it,” he continued. “But here we are.”

McGrath limited

Kicker Chase McGrath said his injured groin has gotten progressiv­ely worse, and if not for a week off from practice, he might not have been able to play Saturday.

“I’ve had it for a couple weeks,” he said. “It just got way worse. And basically, every time I kicked the ball it’s a really sharp pain in my groin. It’s something I can play through, I’ve just got to learn to manage it better.”

McGrath, a walk-on freshman, had made 10 of 13 field goals before Saturday. But he missed his first attempt against Colorado, hooking it from 40 yards. He also missed an extra point.

He said the rest this week “helped it a lot” and said he would continue to kick sparingly until the injury heals.

“It’s just something you have to play through,” he said.

Around the blocks

Austin Jackson and Brandon Pili both blocked Colorado field goals. It was the first time USC blocked two field goals in one game since 2011, also against Colorado.

Quick hits

Outside linebacker Christian Rector played with a club over his broken hand after missing two weeks because of the injury, but Jordan Iosefa was the starter. Rector had two tackles, including a sack. … Tight end Tyler Petite (sprained shoulder) played but did not catch a pass . ... Running back Stephen Carr again saw limited action in his second game back from a foot injury. He did not have a carry or a reception. … Michael Pittman Jr. made his first career touchdown reception. … Colorado linebacker Trent Headley proposed to his girlfriend, Elizabeth Trujillo, a cheerleade­r, before the game during senior-day ceremonies. … USC is now 12-0 all time against Colorado . ... The game took 3 hours 35 minutes to complete.

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