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SALT LAKE CITY — An attempt to get into bed last week revealed a pre-existing condition to one of Zack Moss’ knees that has sidelined him for the remainder of the season, according to head coach Kyle Whittingham.
Following Utah’s 32-25 win over the visiting Oregon Ducks, Whittingham discussed what led to his star running back suffering a season-ending injury. The injury didn’t take place on the gridiron, and there was no contact made; instead, there was something working beneath the surface and Moss’ knee became somewhat of a ticking time bomb following weeks of hard use.
“It’s a very strange injury,” Whittingham said. “It locked up on him, his leg, and it could have been from a week ago, a month ago, a year ago. There’s just no way to tell. It’s unfortunate.”
The injury may mean Moss needs surgery, but Whittingham said they’ll be looking for a second opinion on whether it’s merited. Regardless, the junior running back remains out for the season and was seen wearing crutches on the sidelines of Utah's matchup against Oregon Saturday.
In his absence, backup running back Armand Shyne got the start and managed 174 rushing yards on 26 carries for an average of 6.7 yards per carry. Shyne was a serviceable back to replace Moss, but it was in the red zone where Moss was missed most. Utah failed to punch it into the end zone on four drives despite being inside the 5-yard line.
With Moss’ NFL draft stock rising due to his 1,092 season yards and 11 touchdowns, and the physical nature he plays the position, there’s question as to whether Moss has played his last game for Utah.
Whittingham said that no matter the path Moss takes, the coaching staff will support him 100 percent. He added that it’s all dependent on the recovery time for Moss, though, and that there’s a possibility he could return to Utah if recovery takes longer than expected.
“If this thing ends up being what everyone believes it is right now, he’s going to be out 4 or 5 months, which means he’d miss combine and stuff like that,” Whittingham said.
“If it’s Zack’s best interest to come out early, then we’ll support him 100 percent,” he added. “But those decisions will be made in due time — in the next month or two. But the first order of business is to get the injury addressed and then decide where he’s at.”
In his career at Utah, the Florida native has 2,647 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. Moss is currently ranked fourth all-time at Utah in career rushing yards, just behind Eddie Johnson (3,219 yards), Tony Lindsay (2,995) and Devontae Booker (2,773).
