Michigan State linebacker Wayne Matthews III carted off field after scary injury vs. USC
Spartans say motor function intact as medical staff treat player on site; team heads into next Big Ten game with concern and next steps.
Michigan State linebacker Wayne Matthews III was carted off the field in a scary scene during the Spartans’ 45-31 loss to USC on Saturday night. With 42 seconds left in the second quarter, the redshirt senior helped stop a two-yard rush by Trojans running back Waymond Jordan but stayed down on the field after the tackle, prompting an extended delay as medical staff tended to him. Matthews gave a thumbs-up as he was loaded onto a cart, and the crowd erupted in applause as he was wheeled off.
MSU trainers cut off his jersey and shoulder pads, placed him on a backboard, and loaded him onto a cart before he was transported by ambulance to Los Angeles General Medical Center. Michigan State later confirmed that his motor skills were intact.
"Wayne Matthews III is a great leader for this defense," defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren said. "We are just wishing him the best right now." In his second season with the Spartans after transferring from Old Dominion in 2023, Matthews has 24 tackles and one interception. He had just taken over as the squad’s green-dot linebacker after Jordan Hall — a recent Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week — was ejected on a targeting call earlier in the game.
Michigan State (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) will resume conference play against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) at Memorial Stadium on October 4.