The Colorado football secondary took a hit before their showdown against superstar quarterback Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans. Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders, who is dealing with a kidney injury that has caused him to urinate blood, is doubtful and not expected to play vs. USC football, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

In some positive injury news, Colorado football is expected to have wide receiver Xavier Weaver, who exited last week's loss to Oregon late in the game with an injury, active for the game against the Trojans, the Buffaloes' second straight game against a Pac-12 opponent.

It's certainly a boon to the Buffaloes' fifth-ranked passing attack to have Weaver, the team's leading receiver, for a game against USC that figures to feature plenty of point-scoring.

But there's no doubt about it. The absence of Sanders, a starter on the back end of the Colorado football secondary, hurts, especially when coupled with the fact that shutdown corner Travis Hunter will miss his second straight contest with a lacerated liver.

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Sanders, a senior safety and the son of Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, has been a playmaker on the back-end, as he ranks second on the team in tackles, has a forced fumble to his name and came up with a huge, 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in a dramatic, double-overtime win over Colorado State two weeks ago.

Now, Colorado football will have to find a way to slow USC football's prolific offense, ranked third in total yards and first in points per game, without two key pieces.

Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams, a projected top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the reigning Heisman Trophy award winner from 2022, ranks second in the nation with 15 touchdown passes and has yet to throw an interception through four games played.