August 2010 Archives

Offensive lineman Khaled Holmes (pinched nerve in neck) will start at right guard on Thursday. Holmes practiced with the first unit, and Lane Kiffin proclaimed him ready. ... Abe Markowitz had surgery to repair a fractured foot on Tuesday, and Kiffin said the surgery went well ... QB Mitch Mustain and tailback DJ Morgan (knee) are limited ... TE Xavier Grimble (ankle) is out.

Lane Kiffin canceled Wednesday's walkthrough at Aloha Stadium. A pre-game visit to the opposing stadium was always a big part of Pete Carroll's itinerary on road trips but Kiffin said Monday he would do some things differently. Now we know one for sure.

``I never told him he needed to coach. He was always fascinated by the strategy and asked questions about game management.''
-- Monte Kiffin on Lane Kiffin

``He had no idea or desire to coach defense.''
-- Monte Kiffin on his son, Lane, preferring offense during his childhood

Among ESPN's analysts. Lee Corso, Ed Cunningham and Lou Holtz pick USC to win the Pac-10. But more analysts pick Oregon. Here's the results:

Lane Kiffin insisted he will not be nervous right before Thursday's Hawaii game.
``I don't have time to get nervous,'' he said.

USC tailback Marc Tyler got some helpful advice from fellow tailback C.J. Gable before he makes his first start.

Here's my video report on some coaching questions going into the season opener against Hawaii.

Lane Kiffin will be doing things differently on the road trip with his approach to pre-game walkthroughs and other things compared to his predecessor, Pete Carroll.
``There's a million ways to do things,'' Kiffin said. ``It's going to be a little bit tighter. That doesn't mean its better by any means. The old way won 34 straight games and seven straight conference championships.
``But you have to be yourself and you have to let your own personality on your team. We'll be a little tighter with them and not quite as loose.''

As you might notice, post-practice updates are posted first on the twitter feed located on the right side of this blog.
We already mentioned that freshman wide receiver Kyle Prater is expected to redshirt this season. Apparently, his thigh and hamstring injuries were too much to overcome and USC is deep at receiver.
Michael Reardon returned to practice Monday and is now the backup center. Khaled Holmes, listed as ``limited'' by Lane Kiffin, is the No. 3 center.
Kiffin said tonight that the defense's tackling and the running game would be two big questions going into the Hawaii game because of the lack of live tackling on practices.

Utah has sold a school-record 31,737 season tickets.

Ask your pre-game questions here.

We actually finished this one.

We address the scholarship situation for this coming year in this segment.

More questions answered today.

No, we did not forget to answer all the questions from the Open Forum.

USC scored 62 points against Hawaii in 1999, 61 points in 2003 and 63 in 2005. Can the Trojans break 60 this year? Does the fact Dillon Baxter is out affect that?

Although the depth chart lists Hunter Simmons as the backup fullback, there's probably a good chance Rhett Ellison (or another tight end) would move to fullback Stanley Havili is injured. Havili said his shoulder, which he dislocated earlier, feels fine this week.

USC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's got a concern going into Thursday's game but one of them is not middle linebacker Devon Kennard.

Abe Markowitz's foot injury is similar to that suffered by defensive end Armond Armstead last year. That means he will be out at least four-to-six weeks.

Reserve center Abe Markowitz fractured his right foot during Sunday's practice, which means he might end up needing to redshirt this season. Markowitz was the backup to Kris O'Dowd on the depth chart and means Mike Reardon will probably become the new backup.
Of course, Reardon did not practice Sunday because he was injured.

The Seattle Times polled 29 coaches on a variety of topics.

One question: Name the college coach for whom you have the least regard.
Most coaches did not answer. But ``three who did named Lane Kiffin of USC. Only three others got a single mention -- Brian Kelly of Notre Dame, Nick Saban of Alabama and Mike Locksley of New Mexico.''

USC will take 80 players to Hawaii this week. Safety Patrick Hall was supposed to make the travel squad before he was suspended from the team today. Hall's spot was replaced by walk-on K.C. Pola.

Here's a timeline that shows conference realignment is not something that just happened in the modern era.

Starting tailback Marc Tyler talked about how he wanted to leave USC nearly a month ago.

Seattle drops to 1-2 in the NFL exhibition season.

Former USC wide receiver Mike Williams caught a 42-yard pass for the Seahawks in tonight's game against the Minnesota Vikings.

``They tried to recruit him and it didn't go very well.''
-- USC coach Lane Kiffin on an attempt by defensive coaches Monte Kiffin and Ed Orgeron to move tailback Marc Tyler to linebacker when they arrived at USC.

Linebacker Chris Galippo talked today about his role at linebacker following Friday night's official announcement that Devon Kennard would start against Hawaii.

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit picked Stanford to win the Pac-10. His colleague, Lou Holtz, picked USC.

We asked Pat Haden if he would have reprimanded Pete Carroll if he were still USC's coach following NCAA sanctions.

Here's the depth chart released tonight:

Orange Lutheran guard Payton Banks, who is only a sophomore, on campus today.

We asked Lane Kiffin about that ESPN poll of Pac-10 players that showed he was the coach they would least like to play for.
``I'm not concerned about players that playing in the Pac-10 because I can't recruit them,'' Kiffin said.

As of today, USC can sign nine players to scholarships in January, which will not count against the 15 allowed in February.

Here is the watch list for the Lombardi Award, of which I am a voter. USC defensive tackle Jurrell Casey and middle linebacker Chris Galippo made the list.

The depth chart will be announced later today. There are not many mysteries if practice reps are any indication. Devon Kennard looks set at middle linebaceker. Marc Tyler at tailback. Nickell Robey at cornerback. And Robert Woods at wide receiver. One question will be if Khaled Holmes if healthy enough to start at guard.

Athletic director Pat Haden said when he got hired he would oversee a women's sport. That sport will be women's tennis.

USC's final scrimmage before the Hawaii game and Lane Kiffin reacts to those Peyton Manning comments in the Morning Buzz.

The mock game again showed the defense is looking sharper than the offense. But these scrimmages are not great indicators for game performances next week. There is no tackling and the offensive line does not cut block to prevent possible injuries. The rushing stats are near meaningless because tailback cannot get yards after contact.
What about Matt Barkley's two interceptions?
``The first interception, Robert (Woods) was a little off on his route,'' USC coach Lane Kiffin said. ``The second one the guy (Will Andrew) made a great play.''

Lane Kiffin was asked tonight why former USC quarterback Matt Leinart's struggled in the NFL.
``I have no idea. We've got a lot of problems ourselves to figure out,'' he said. ``Last time I spoke to him during training camp, things were going great for him. Sometimes a change of scenery is good to people.''
Already, there is speculation that Caesar might want Leinart.

Here's some mock game stats:

Passing

Matt Barkley 15-24 255 3 TDs, 2 INTs
John Manoogian 12-21 104

Rushing

Curtis McNeal 5-19
Marc Tyler 5-5
C.J. Gable 3-33
Allen Bradford 2-14
Brandon Carswell 1-17

Receiving

Dillon Baxter 6-70
Ronald Johnson 3-38
Jordan Cameron 2-75
David Ausberry 2-41

Scoring

Jordan Cameron 22 pass from Matt Barkley
Brice Butler 29 pass from Matt Barkley
Will Andrew 25 INT return
Marc Tyler 2 run
Robert Woods 4 pass from Matt Barkley

The spot in the Heritage Hall lobby reserved for the FWAA national championship team was replaced by the 1995 Cotton Bowl trophy.

Here's the official announcement on USC playing Texas in 2017 and 2018 along with hosting Utah State in 2013.

I'm a member of the FWAA and was asked to present the Grantland Rice Trophy to Pete Carroll at the national championship celebration at USC in 2005. With that in mind, I'm disappointed by today's decision. It seems silly to vacate a title that everyone saw a team win and attempt to alter history. The games took place. Everyone knows the results. Even more illogical was the decision not to include USC in this year's FWAA rankings. Why punish the 2010 team for something they had nothing to do with?
The BCS will follow suit at some point and vacate the 2005 Orange Bowl. But at the end of the day, USC remains the only national champion in the 2004 season because it is the Associated Press champs, the only selectors who allowed their title results to stand.

Earlier today, the Football Writers Association of America notified USC that it would vacate the 2004 national title.
Here is USC athletic director Pat Haden's statement:
``Due to the NCAA penalties, we understand the actions taken by the Football Writers Association of America, and we will abide by that ruling. While we know that some fans and former student-athletes may be disappointed, our central priority at this time is our overall commitment to compliance and this action is in line with the standards we have set for our entire athletic program.''

According to an ESPN magazine poll of Pac-10 players, 44.4 percent said Stanford's Jim Harbaugh is the best coach. USC coach Lane Kiffin finished first in the category of coach I would never want to play for.

Safety Demetrius Wright must submit even more paperwork than Jesse Scroggins for the NCAA to clear him academically.

Former USC wide receiver Travon Patterson is listed as the likely starter at wide receiver and starting punt returner on Colorado's depth chart.

Here is radio at its finest. My appearance today on the Petros and Money where I insulted Petros at least four times.

Allen Bradford met with Lane Kiffin two days ago and was basically told Marc Tyler would start the Hawaii game. No official announcement will likely come until Friday.
``He said it's not for the full year,'' Bradford said. ``He called me in the office and explained it to me. I just need to be more consistent. I was playing with little nagging injuries.''

Freshman quarterback Jesse Scroggins remains out of school because he is not academically cleared by the NCAA. Scroggins took a math course through independent study and the NCAA is still waiting for the transcript. But even with it, there might be a question by the NCAA whether he meets all the requirements.

Just to clarify some things regarding Taylor King, who is not going to transfer to USC. He was going to walk-on but USC never told him he could officially join the basketball team. And at some point in recent days, USC decided it would be better if he played elsewhere before he got a chance to enroll. There were some concerns about how he might blend in after transferring from two previous schools.

A recruiting question kicks off this segment.

Lane Kiffin is expected to release a depth chart Friday. The key is to see if middle linebacker (Devon Kennard), cornerback (Nickell Robey) and tailback (Marc Tyler) remain unchanged.

I will be on with the esteemed Petros and Money today around 3:30 p.m. on 570-AM.

USC's compliance dept. is now run by David M. Roberts, who was recently hired by school president Max Nikias. Roberts has a law firm in Los Angeles called Roberts, Raspe and Blanton.
Raspe is attorney Steven Raspe. His wife is Kristina Raspe, associate senior vice president of real estate at USC. There you go.

Monte Kiffin's got some concerns about playing Hawaii next week.

Joe Houston, who received a schlorship today, will kick field goals inside 45 yards for the Trojans. Outside 45 yards, the job should be handled by punter Jake Harfman.

Quarteback Matt Barkley was asked about Richmond naming Aaron Corp the starting quarterback.
``I'm happy for him. He's a gamer,'' Barkley said. ``We'll be watching him (against Virginia on film).''
USC plays Virginia the week after Richmond.

Someone asked in today's Open Forum about high school coaches being banned from practices. The rule is a high school coach can attend practice but only if they are escorting a recruit.
It's a silly rule and more importantly, keeps high school coaches away who might develop relationships with the USC coaching staff by visiting practices.

Lane Kiffin said USC does not really have a third-string quarterback with Jesse Scroggins out because he is not cleared by the NCAA. Dillon Baxter would be the No. 3 but he is suspended for the Hawaii game.

In this segment, questions on Nickell Robey and D.J. Morgan.

Remember practice updates are filed first at twitter.com/InsideUSC.

Former USC quarterback Aaron Corp was named the starter at Richmond for the Spiders' season-opener against Virginia. He must feel weird finding out before the day of the game.

USC holds ``preseason game 4,'' in Kiffinspeak or its final scrimmage on Thursday.

Some more answers, including one on an ideal linebacker.

Time for some answers to questions!

Former USC linebacker Richard Wood, the school's first three-time All-American, is the defensive coordinator at Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Fla. He joins John Robinson, who is defensive coordinator at San Marcos High School near San Diego.

Freshman tailback Dillon Baxter did not get any snaps with the first-team offense today because he is suspended for the Hawaii game.

Lane Kiffin said Devon Kennard and Chris Galippo would no longer alternate with first-team reps in practices.

There was a brief scare after practice when Lane Kiffin said offensive guard Khaled Holmes suffered a neck injury that potentially career-threatening. But Holmes said he underwent an MRI and was merely day-to-day.

First-team reps changed today in practice which are strong hints toward the starting lineup for the Hawaii game.
Marc Tyler got the majority of snaps with the first-team offense at tailback, Devon Kennard got the majority of first-team reps at linebacker and Nickell Robey got the majority at cornerback. Robert Woods continued to be the first-team wide receiver.

Good to see Ken Norton's job duties have changed in Seattle (photo courtesy Seahawks.com).

A member of the Seahawks organization told me today that former USC wide receiver Mike Williams should make the 53-man roster. The member of the organization was not Jeremy Bates.

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who played at Tennessee, was asked by radio host Dan Patrick what he would say to Lane Kiffin:
``It'd probably be a short conversation. I certainly got to know him when he was the head coach at Tennessee. I don't have anything personal against him. But I think the one thing where Tennessee, as a whole group was kind of hurt, our pride was hurt, was that we didn't think that Tennessee was a transition job.
``I've always thought and the big orange nation thought that Tennessee was a destination job. Unless you were fired or retired, that was the place to be. ... I wish Lane the best of luck there at Southern Cal and I'm sure he'll do a good job.''

Today is the first day of classes at USC. In the past, Pete Carroll gave players the day off from practice the first day. But today, Lane Kiffin will hold the first post-training camp practice.

Revisiting a midsummer controversy that involved freshman tailback Dillon Baxter.

Seattle rookie safety Earl Thomas got beat on a 56-yard pass the first play of last night's exhibition game with Green Bay.
``He thought he had the play made,'' Pete Carroll said. "The ball was amazingly thrown, and a great catch as well. He was there. We could have played better, there should have been two guys on it. Earl had a chance at it and didn't make his play.''
Somewhere, Taylor Mays is smiling.
I would mention the Seahawks lost the game but I don't think that will be unusual this season.

USC freshman tailback D.J. Morgan's injured knee is about 80 percent of its normal strength after last season's injury when he tore knee ligaments.

USC's lack of live tackling in yesterday's scrimmage was something the offensive players noted when analyzing their performances.
``We have playmakers and we're going to shed tackles and make plays,'' said quarterback Matt Barkley, who completed 13 of 29 passes for 173 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

I asked Lane Kiffin was asked if wide receiver Thearon Collier was a trade with Miami for offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, the No. 1 recruit in the nation who signed with USC but transferred following NCAA sanctions.
``Maybe with a player to be named later too,'' Kiffin said.
He then added, ``That would be like the Herschel Walker trade,'' to illustrate Henderson's value.'[EP
The Walker trade was the biggest in NFL history with the Dallas Cowboys receiving five players and eight draft picks from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for Walker and four draft picks.

Lane Kiffin said tonight USC does not have a starting tailback.
``Nobody is (the starter),'' Kiffin said. ``We do not have that.''

Joe Houston was Mr. Popular on Saturday night because he made a field goal (with no rush) that allowed the team go have the night off and not attend regular meetings.

Looks like Miami wide receiver Thearon Collier was actually dismissed from the team for a series of team violations.

Here is a detailed bio of Miami wide receiver Thearon Collier.

Lane Kiffin did not compliment the wide receivers today.
``Markeith (Ambles) dropped a couple passes,'' he said. ``We've got a long ways to go consistency wise. We played too slow.''

Tailback Allen Bradford missed the scrimmage with a bruised knee and said if there were a real game, he would be questionable. He pulled out of the scrimmage 30 minutes before it started. He hopes to return next week.

Today's scrimmage was skewed by the fact live tackling seemed to be an on-and-off thing, which even Lane Kiffin admitted made the stats meaningless. For example, running backs and receivers could not really get yards after catches or could be whistled down with a slap from a defensive player.
That said, the first-team defense was dominating (again) and the front seven makes it difficult to see how much Matt Barkley can really do because he does not get much time to throw and has to throw passes away.
Freshman tight end Randall Telfer emerged with some nice catches while wide receivers Ronald Johnson and De'von Flournoy also had big days. The secondary also looks pretty good despite its youth.

Here's the scrimmage stats:

Rushing

Dillon Baxter 5-32
Marc Tyler 12-84

Passing

Matt Barkley 13-29 173 yards 2 TDs 1 INT
Mitch Mustain 14-27 181 yards 2 TDs 2 INT

Receiving

Brice Butler 3-36 1 TD
Markeith Ambles 7-69
Ronald Johnson 4-70
De'von Flournoy 3-73
Randall Telfer 4-61

Tackles

Dion Bailey 10
Torin Harris 5
Jurrell Casey 4
Armond Armstead 4
Brian Baucham 4
Chris Galippo 4

Scoring

Ellison 1 run
Flournoy 58 pass from Mustain
Robey 82 kick return
Tyler 8 run
Johnson 38 pass from Barkley
Telfer 11 pass from Barkley
Wright 35 interception return
Butler 21 pass from Mustain

Interceptions

Harris, Bailey, Wright, Fangupo

Miami wide receiver Thearon Collier is transferring to USC and could practice next week. Collier (5-9, 190) play two years at Miami and caught 44 passes for 574 yards with 3 TDs.
Last year he had 18 catches for 250 yards with one TD. He also returned 12 punts for 158 yards and 2 TDs.
He will sit out this year and have two years of eligibility. Collier's real value is that he will enroll before scholarship reductions take place and will not count against the 15 scholarships for next year.

USC is ranked 14th in the AP preseason poll. After the jump is the complete poll, followed by my ballot, which had USC 16th.

Looks like a true freshman could start the season-opener and we're not referring to cornerback Nickell Robey.

I told USC tailback Marc Tyler tonight he might be the only healthy tailback on the roster.
``That's a first,'' he replied.

USC is down to 67 scholarship players, according to Lane Kiffin. That number excludes the three freshmen that are academically ineligible.

Rhett Ellison is starting at tight end and one of the biggest surprises of training camp according to Lane Kiffin. It's even more surprising because through the first week of camp, Jordan Cameron earned rave reviews. Kiffin said Cameron hit a wall during camp.
But now the question might be who backs up fullback Stanley Havili, which is/was Ellison's job? Blake Ayles? One hole filled creates another gap with a short roster.

Allen Bradford bruised his knee in practice tonight while C.J. Gable pulled a hamstring and Stanley Havili felt sick with stomach problems. But none of the ailments was considered serious.
Wide receiver David Ausberry seems to have a recurrence of last year's stress fracture and is being held out in hopes of him being available at some point. Wide receiver Kyle Prater bruised his thigh, the latest setback for the freshman.

From Day 1, questions were asked about USC signing fullback Soma Vainuku, who was considered a long shot to qualify academically. Lane Kiffin said today Vainuku needs more classes/tests and might not be eligible until the spring.

Aftter the jump dates to remember when Pac-10 games are on the Versus Network. Note that actual games are not listed. So beware.

The talk of two-way players, probably more likely after this season, always appeals to any player. Daylon McCutcheon briefly tried it in 1997 and Taylor Mays talked about it but it never happened under Pete Carroll.
It's a novel idea and might be necessary evil under probation. The one drawback is if some players resent a guy flipping sides. A cornerback might not appreciate a hot shot wide receiver jumping over for a few snaps in practice and then playing over him in a game.
But this is the new world USC needs to survive in for the next few years, so challenges will pop up with every decision.

If I were a JC baseball player, I would probably call USC right about now. Between the transfer of Cade Kreuter and departures to the draft, the roster's got opportunities for playing time. Oh, and you would no longer be playing for Chad Kreuter. A big plus.

USC scrimmages tomorrow. That means it is ``preseason Game 3,'' according to Coach Lane Kiffin. That year-and-a-half in the NFL apparently brought that term back to college football.
The term, ``preseason,'' is actually a marketing concoction by the NFL, which thought fans would be more likely to buy tickets to ``preseason games'' than ``exhibition games.''

The secondary is taking shape and safety T.J. McDonald will probably play the role Taylor Mays wished he could last season.

Although he entered training camp as a cornerback, freshman Demetrius Wright will play safety this season full-time.

Freshman baseball player Cade Kreuter, the son of former USC coach Chad Kreuter, is transferring to Miami.

If you ever watch Lane Kiffin's media sessions, you will see someone trying to be very calm. Almost sedate. Non-controversial. It's the anti-Tennessee persona of Kiffin. Here's a link to see for yourself.

I always consider it a plus when I don't have to see Petros Papadakis at a USC game. But now I hear he will be doing color commentary for the syndicated radio broadcast of the USC-Hawaii game. At least it is an alternative to the USC radio broadcast.

Nevada decided to bolt from the WAC to the Mountain West. This is the same Nevada we mentioned earlier this summer wanted to play USC once NCAA sanctions were announced. At least they're not boring in their actions.

Miami coach Randy Shannon on freshman offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson after his first scrimmage: ``He did all right. He still has a long way to go.
``He keeps learning and developing. He's a very competitive, very smart, very energetic and enthusiastic type of kid. The more you see him participate, the better he gets all the time.''

Monte Kiffin's defense will be different than Pete Carroll's but it's not something totally unseen. Auburn coach Gene Chizik ran it when he was the defensive coordinator at Texas. Nebraska coach Bo Pelini ran it when he was defensive coordinator at LSU. And Bob Stoops has run it at Oklahoma.

Time for questions. One per person please.

Lane Kiffin said tonight he is giving a lot of thought to not having live tackling in Saturday's final scrimmage before the Hawaii game in order to try to prevent injuries.

Yet another interception for freshman cornerback Nickell Robey tonight (while covering Kyle Prater no less). And tight end Blake Ayles entered the discussion with a 98-yard touchdown pass that was mostly him running downfield after he got behind the defense on about a 15-yard pass play.
Despite the lack of live tackling, injuries continue with wide receiver David Ausberry (fibula) and offensive guard Khaled Holmes the latest to be hurt.

Linebacker Bart Scott on HBO's Hard Knocks show addressed why former USC tailback Joe McKnight struggled in camp: ``He is just mad 'cause he took a paycut.''

The NCAA denied former USC linebacker Uona Kaveinga's appeal today for immediate eligibility at BYU. If Kaveinga waited to transfer until after the NCAA sanctions, he would have been eligible without redshirting.

USC will not be one of Nike's upcoming victims that will wear specially designed uniforms for at least one game this season. The uniforms, tastelessly called, ``Pro Combat System of Dress,'' during a time when troops are fighting abroad, ``are engineered to provide superior protection and durability, while utilizing advanced fabrics and tooling that reduce weight,'' according to Nike.
The 10 schools are TCU, Alabama, Boise State, Florida, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. The uniforms will be unveiled Sept. 1.

Here's the USC basketball schedule for this season.

Stafon Johnson also spoke about his weight room accident:

``About three to four weeks from today it will be a year from where I had a fatal weightlifting accident where I wasn't supposed to be alive any more. That kind of was my motivation to want to get back. The lord blessed me to be able to eat again and breathe again on my own, to run and play football again and I thought to myself, 'Why not try to go after my dreams like I did before?''

Stafon Johnson also spoke about his dislocated ankle:
``God has a plan and that's what I stand by at all times. ... The plan is for me to come back faster, stronger and better than I was before. I overcame an injury where it was fatal to where I was supposed to deceased. This is an injury that's common. Everybody's been through this some way or another in sport and came out of it productive. If they can do it, I can do the same thing.''

Former USC tailback Stafon Johnson spoke to Nashville radio station WGFX on what it meant to play in last weekend's Tennessee Titans exhibition game.
``It's one of those amazing times. Coach Carroll being around. He saw me play my first freshman year of college football game and then he comes in and sees me play in my first NFL football game. It was amazing. It was one of those points in time that a preseason game doesn't really mean nothing to a lot of people, but to me it meant a lot. Me getting there and getting the carries that I got and the time that I did get, it was a culmination for me.''

``Just be responsible, do what you need to do and stop acting like a knucklehead.''
-- USC tailback Dillon Baxter on what he's learned from his recent actions

The annual Salute to Troy barbeque is this Sunday at USC. In the past, the players mingled with fans and signed autographs (except Matt Leinart). It is considered an event to kick off the season for the fans and team.
But NCAA sanctions changed this year's event. Here's how the university describes it:
``We need to maintain the separation of our student-athletes and guests to protect our football program.
``In order to protect the student-athletes and the university, we will have a designated ``Meet and Greet'' area for players and guests. The football players will be available in this area from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. to sign autographs and take photos. There will also be a selected seating area for players and families that will only be accessible to them. Please do not ask for autographs or photos outside the ``Meet and Greet'' area or enter this seating area.''

Christian Thomas prepares to play offense and defense and some more detail the night Dillon Baxter earned his suspension.

Tonight was the night USC hosts its summer ``donor dinner,'' which traditionally takes place at Dedeaux Field and overlooks football practice. But tonight the donors were forced to go to Heritage Hall instead because the compliance office did not want donors near the football players with the new probation policies.

Freshman cornerback Nickell Robey tipped a Mitch Mustain that was then intercepted by freshman safety Demetrius Wright.

Lane Kiffin said he was pleased with the play of Wes Horton during Tuesday night's practice. Kiffin said he is not as worried about whether defensive end Nick Perry returns from a sprained ankle.[EP
``If (Perry) is here, he's here. If he's not, he's not,'' Kiffin said. ``Wes Horton has done a great job in his absence.''

New players who were hurt Tuesday included defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo (sprained shoulder), tight end Xavier Grimble (sprained ankle), offensive lineman Zack Heberer (concussion) and offensive lineman Michael Reardon (hip).

If USC played a game today, here is who I would start in the secondary:

CB: Shareece Wright
S: Jawanza Starling
S: Tim McDonald
CB: Torin Harris
Nickel back: Nickell Robey

This could be an area in flux through the season, especially at corner. The safety position could also see some change if Drew McAllister ever gets healthy or Marshall Jones plays like he did in Monday night's practice. Harris and Robey both look ready to play now, however, which eases a big concern that existed last spring. And Starling's improved too, so the safety question is also less than in the spring.

The Freeh Group, which was hired by USC following the NCAA sanctions and is named after former FBI director Louis Freeh, sent a team to campus to interview staff members of the athletic dept. and get their input and impressions of how things are run.
This is one of those feel-good measures to show USC is taking things seriously regarding the violations and accusations of lack of institutional control.
The curious part is the involvement of the Freeh Group. Remember Freeh worked as legal council to Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar, defending him in a corruption investigation launched by the U.S. Department of Justice that accused a British defense contractor of funneling billions of dollars in payments and gifts to Bandar so that he could buy himself an airplane (which he had painted in Dallas Cowboy colors) and claimed was for government use.

A radio host with ``Hog Sports Radio,'' was fired after she wore a Florida Gators hat to an Arkansas press conference. Hard to believe anyone can get fired from something called ``Hog Sports Radio.''
But it reminds me of the time former USC defensive coordinator Keith Burns walked around Heritage Hall in an Arkansas hat to show everyone he got another job the day John Robinson was fired. Just one of the many strange things that happens around Heritage Hall.

Former USC assistant coach Todd McNair is appealing the NCAA sanctions against him.

USC 400-meter runner Bryshon Nellum underwent surgery to remove shotgun pellets in his leg that remained from when he was shot outside a night club in Oct., 2008. One of the fragments was located directly on a nerve in his leg.
Nellum is expected to be sidelined about three months but should recover in time for the track season.

USC coach Lane Kiffin said he is thinking of using two-way players for the next few years because of scholarship reductions.

USC baseball player Cade Kreuter, the son of former baseball coach Chad Kreuter, was given his release Monday to transfer to another school. Kreuter listed LSU, Miami and UC Irvine as schools he would consider. UC Irvine is coached by Kreuter's grandfather, former USC baseball coach Mike Gillespie.
New USC baseball coach Frank Cruz said he was still hopeful Kreuter would remain even though he asked for his release.

Safety Patrick Hall's been an invisible figure in training camp and Lane Kiffin said tonight it was the result of a slow recovery from last year's torn knee ligaments.
``His rehab has not gone as well as hoped,'' Kiffin said. ``He's not there yet.''

Marshall Jones' interception of a Mitch Mustain and return for a TD was the highlight of the night practice. Another highlight was the offense put together a 14-play drive, which pleased Lane Kiffin, who said long drives will be a concern going into the Hawaii game because of the lack of live tackling in practices.
As far as injuries, offensive tackle Butch Lewis (groin) will be out another week. defensive end Nick Perry (ankle) is going to be out at least two more weeks. Linebacker Devon Kennard missed about 25 percent of practice Monday with a toe injury. Lane Kiffin said his competition with Chris Galippo at middle linebacker was going ``back and forth.''

Pitcher Austin Wood turned down an offer from Tampa Bay and will attend USC this year. Wood was a fourth-round draft choice.

We hear the much-awaited football complex will finally have a groundbreaking in November. No word if it will be called the Peter C. Carroll Center following NCAA sanctions.

The Dodgers signed outfielder Joc Pederson, an 11th round draft pick who was supposed to attend USC this year, for $600,000.
More importantly, pitcher Austin Wood, a fourth-round pick of Tampa Bay, must decide by tonight's deadline whether to go pro or play for USC.

If USC played a game today, here is who I would start at the skill positions:

WR: Ronald Johnson
QB: Matt Barkley
FB: Stanley Havili
TB: Allen Bradford
WR: Robert Woods
TE: Jordan Cameron

This takes into consideration the suspension of Dillon Baxter. What's tougher is who is the No. 3 WR? Markeith Ambles, David Ausberry or Brice Butler?

Lane Kiffin said again today that tailback Marc Tyler is enjoying a successful training camp. The key will be whether Tyler can stay healthy through training camp.

Lane Kiffin said today freshman cornerback Nickell Robey is the starting corner in nickel coverage and still might start the season opener at cornerback. He also said Robey is potentially going to return punts, kickoffs and block kicks.
``We have to spend time figuring out where we're not going to use him because everyone wants to use him,'' Kiffin said.

Tickets go on sale at 12 p.m. (PDT) for the USC-Hawaii game through the Hawaii website. Here's the link. Should be plenty of good seats available.

Here's an email Tennessee sent out today:
``With the 2010 football season right around the corner, Tennessee Athletics invites fans to "Meet Your Seats" at Neyland Stadium from Wednesday, August 18 to Friday, August 20, 2010. Fans will have the opportunity to take a first-hand look at available seats in Neyland Stadium and have the chance to purchase 2010 season tickets with home games including Oregon, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee-Martin and UAB.''

Apparently Lane Kiffin hatred did not motivate fans enough to sell out all season tickets.

Here is the complete Manning Award watch list, with Matt Barkley listed first (because it is in alphabetical order).

All four of USC's incoming freshmen on the basketball team (point guard Maurice Jones, shooting guard Bryce Jones, forward Curtis Washington and forward Garrett Jackson are on campus and attended summer classes.

What are USC's options at fullback with Stanley Havili nursing a sore shoulder?

Today is the day USC players got to move out of the dorm and back to the apartments. Or in the case of freshmen, dorms! It's always a popular day after being stuck in Fluor Tower for 10 days.

Former USC tailback Stafon Johnson underwent surgery on his dislocated right ankle Sunday.

Although freshman wide receiver Markeith Ambles caught a 15-yard touchdown pass, Matt Barkley said freshman wide receiver Robert Woods has a ``slight edge.''
``He seems to catch the offense a little quicker,'' Barkley said.
The other freshman wide receiver, Kyle Prater, remains a bit of an unknown quantity because of injuries. He was hobbled in the spring by a sore hamstring and suffered a groin injury last week.
``He's been hurt. He has phenomenal hands but can't run right now,'' Lane Kiffin said.

John David Booty completed 8 of 12 passes for 59 yards for the Texans last night against the Cardinals. Matt Leinart was 6 of 7 for 49 yards.

Matt Barkley expresses some frustration over Saturday's scrimmage.

Pete Carroll get a victory in his first exhibition game. I'm sure he was jacked and fired up with the win. He and Jeff Fisher hugged after the game. There was a tense moment when former USC tailback Stafon Johnson was carted off the field with a dislocated right ankle.
Here's hoping the Seahawks staff had three cups of coffee ready for the dour Jeremy Bates before the game, so he did not lose it in the locker room.

Lane Kiffin said during spring practice that the Trojans lacked an identity because the incoming freshmen were not around. But 10 days into camp, he still cannot answer the question.
``No, I really don't (know),'' he said. ``I don't think we'll know until we start playing (games) because of limited live drills.''

Cornerback Nickell Robey continued to draw praise from Kiffin. He had three tackles, a sack and deflected a pass while also returning a punt 46 yards.
``He's the defensive version of Dillon (Baxter) in terms of doing so many things for us,'' Kiffin said.

Marquis Simmons underwent successful surgery to remove his appendix Friday night. He is going to be out 2-4 weeks.

There was not much live tackling in the second half and the scrimmage was more run oriented and not terribly revealing. It seemed an endless amount of running plays especially in the second half when cut blocking was emphasized.
One positive is no interceptions by the quarterbacks. And an improved kicking performance by Joe Houston, who clearly is the starting placekicker.
The defensive line continued to shine with Armond Armstead and Christian Thomas each getting a sack. Robert Woods had a 50-yard kick return but that always seems to happen in scrimmages against scout team players. Another positive: Four penalties.
A negative is the depth, as it limits how much USC can really do right now. There were 56 healthy scholarship players today.

Lane Kiffin said that wide receiver Robert Woods would switch from No. 13 to No. 2 next season because that is the number worn by former wide receiver Steve Smith. Woods cannot wear it now because it is C.J. Gable's number.

Here's the scrimmage stats:

Rushing

Allen Bradford 9-62
C.J. Gable 7-31
Marc Tyler 11-76
Dillon Baxter 7-33
Curtis McNeal 7-52

Passing

Matt Barkley 9-13 116 yards 1 TD
Mitch Mustain 12-19 141 yards 2 TDs
Jesse Scroggins 4-13 63 yards

Receiving

Markeith Ambles 5-83 1 TD
Dillon Baxter 3-22
Ronald Johnson 3-27

Tackles

Demetrius Wright 11
Devon Kennard 4
Shane Horton 4
Armond Armstead 2 tackles for loss

Scoring

Ambles 15 pass from Mustain (run failed)
FG Houston 32
Ausberry 8 pass from Mustain (Houston failed)
Tyler 5 run (Houston kick)
FG Houston 43
Baxter 11 pass from Barkley (Houston kick)
Baxter 2 run (McMahon kick)

USC center Alex Stepheson actually grew an inch since last season and is now 6-foot-10.

With Stanley Havili nursing a sore shoulder, it means more fullback reps for tight end Rhett Ellison. It should be noted that starting tight end Jordan Cameron's also gotten some snaps at fullback.
Want an effect of probation? D.J. Shoemate would be here today if not for the sanctions allowing him to transfer without sitting out a year.

We mentioned last week the reluctance of the coaching staff to use fullback Stanley Havili too much in practices. Well, he dislocated his shoulder yesterday. Havili returned today but wore a yellow jersey, which means no contact.

A big night for the defense, which forced several turnovers and intercepted three passes.
``Brian Baucham and Torin Harris (had their best practices of camp), which is great to see,'' Lane Kiffin said.
Harris made a nice play on an interception in the end zone of a Matt Barkley pass intended for Robert Woods. Nickell Robey also intercepted a pass.
Kiffin said it is still too early to say who will start at cornerback opposite Shareece Wright but Harris appears in the lead.

USC just added fullback K.C. Pola, the son of running backs coach Kennedy Pola. He will wear No. 43.
Didn't Lane Kiffin ban that number last spring along with No. 1 unless the player lived up to the legacy of Troy Polamalu and Mike Williams?
That kind of goes with not allowing players to wear retired numbers. Except for Darnell Bing.

New injuries Friday included offensive tackle Kevin Graf (sprained shoulder), tailback Marc Tyler (groin) and cornerback Demetrius Wright (toe). Wide receiver Ronald Johnson sat out with a bruised back.

Linebacker Marquis Simmons underwent surgery Friday night to remove his appendix, the latest injury for the already thin Trojans

Today's practice scheduled for 3 p.m. was pushed back to 6 p.m. We'll have updates tonight here and at twitter.com/InsideUSC.

``Undisputed.''
That is the title of USC's DVD on the 2004 national championship season.

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh was asked on San Francisco radio station KNBR how the perception of his program changed with the upset at USC:

``I don't know exactly. I'm sure it's the perception, the public perception, has benefited from that. It was a great win, but it was nine or 10 months ago. Internally, it's irrelevant to us because in football you could've proved it a thousand times before. Every time you've got to go out and prove it again. You don't think about the times you've proven it before.''

It's not as easy being a USC coach as it used to be. Some coaches now carry a notepad with them to log every call on their cell phones because they must tell the compliance office who they spoke to, in order to make sure they do not call recruits more times than allowed.

It's time for our annual season-opening post . . . about the English Premier League, that is. Who do you think will win it all? Chelsea in a repeat? Manchester United bent on revenge? Arsenal? A resurgent Liverpool? Dark-horse Tottenham?
I tipped Chelsea but I'm wavering following their weak preseason. Who do you pick?

At this point of training camp, the two most impressive freshmen are wide receiver Robert Woods and cornerback Nickell Robey. Both are challenging for starting spots. I am not including tailback Dillon Baxter because he was here in the spring.
Woods seems to make a big play at every practice, which is not surprising to anyone who saw him play in high school. Robey's a better-than-expected tackler for someone who is 5-7.
Redshirt freshman Torin Harris still looks like the starter at this point at cornerback though because he's also had an impressive training camp.

UTEP dismissed guard Myron Strong from its basketball team this week. Strong then posted an angry message on Facebook:
``Yeah I'm not at utep anymore I know a lot of ppl wondering y, but the big question really should be how did tim floyd even get the job there? Wasn't he just under investigation at USC? Well I'm hearing that he had a fake charity event to pay former player OJ Mayo $100,000 to play for him. How did the ncaa let that slide? I'm just saying ...''
The story doesn't end there. Floyd then told the Memphis Commercial Appeal that Strong was dismissed for a drug policy violation. Strong then responded with an email to an El Paso TV station. One of Strong's claims is that Floyd wanted his scholarship for another player. Now that sounds like Floyd.

Lane Kiffin said it is too soon to tell if he will redshirt defensive tackle George Uko. But he will face a dilemma with many freshmen this year and will wait as long as possible. He admitted tonight his choice is to save players for later when the scholarship reductions hit hard or playing guys now because the numbers are already low.

There were quite a few dropped passes in the evening practice, maybe because it felt more like a November night at Howard Jones Field. One player who made a catch was freshman wide receiver Robert Woods, who caught about 40-yard pass in the end zone.
Lane Kiffin praised freshman Nickell Robey and said he will play a lot this season on special teams and cornerback. He even said Robey might start.

Even during tonight's practice, it's noticeable how dynamic Dillon Baxter can be even on simple pass plays. And it makes his absence even more tangible for the Hawaii game as it will be difficult to replace, even if it is against Hawaii.

Tight end Christian Thomas is playing defensive end full time now because of the injury to Nick Perry. Thomas had a sack in last weekend's scrimmage and caught a 20-yard pass. USC had 14 scholarship players out today with injuries. Offensive tackle Butch Lewis said a hip specialist said he strained his groin and might Monday. Lane Kiffin said Lewis might need an injection before he comes back. Safety Drew McAllister's strained hip is a bigger problem and he might need to tough out the season and then undergo surgery, Kiffin said.

Former USC defensive end Malik Jackson started in Tennessee's first scrimmage of training camp.

USC is still advertising travel packages to the Hawaii game. We noted the other day only 30,000 tickets were sold so far.

Lane Kiffin said USC's depth problems will eliminate live tackling for the rest of training camp except for two scrimmages that are scheduled. Nick Perry's ankle injury in a goal-line drill reinforced the idea.
But it's not too revolutionary an idea. Former Kentucky coach Hal Mumme never practiced in pads even during the regular season.

Lane Kiffin said today that defensive end Nick Perry would probably be out 2-4 weeks with a sprained ankle. Perry said Wednesday night he would be back by today but obviously his status for the Hawaii game is in doubt.

Matt Barkley was named to the Manning Award watch list today.

Linebacker Chris Galippo said a group of players, ``dropped us down in the character area,'' last season.

Here is our story on the suspension of Dillon Baxter in the season-opener against Hawaii.

``You can see there is zero tolerance.''
-- USC linebacker Chris Galippo said on Coach Lane Kiffin

One thing this incident demonstrates is that a high school player graduating early and enrolling in the spring semester does not necessarily make better decisions than freshman who arrive in the summer.

The freshman tailback was unexpectedly summoned to a meeting with athletic director Pat Haden this afternoon right before football practice, where he discussed the incident at the dorm and his suspension from the season opener.

Here is the USC public safety report that said a ``student was cited to Judicial Affairs for violating a team curfew and being under the influence of a controlled substance.''
That was USC tailback Dillon Baxter, who was suspended today for the season-opener against Hawaii. A source within the football program said DPS officers smelled marijuana in the dorm where Baxter and the football team stay in during training camp.

Lane Kiffin did not say why he suspended tailback Dillon Baxter for the first game against Hawaii, which he announced after practice tonight. As we previously mentioned, Baxter missed bed check Monday night but that was not the reason for suspension. We'll post more later.

Former USC quarterback Aaron Corp is going through another quarterback derby as he battles John Laub for the starting job at Richmond.
``Aaron was at USC for a reason," Richmond coach Latrell Scott said. ``He's very talented. By the same token, we felt very good about John Laub. We didn't take Aaron because we didn't have confidence in John. We took Aaron because we were very thin at quarterback.''

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper says defensive tackle Jurrell Casey might be the top tackle in next year's NFL draft.
``Casey could overtake Marvin Austin as the top DT in the draft. Still a mountain of NFL talent remaining on this roster,'' Kiper said of USC.

Is it too soon to say Robert Woods might be starting midway through the season?

After ignoring USC his first two times, Taylor King is apparently finally transferring and will play basketball for the Trojans. Why would USC take him? He will be a senior in two years and help balance out the classes, something Kevin O'Neill's tried to do since he got the job last summer by taking transfers like Fordham's Jio Fontan and Iowa's Aaron Fuller.

Defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo said he is fully recovered from last year's broken fibula. He also said he never considered transferring despite NCAA rules allowing him immediate eligibility.
``This is my family, I never wanted to go anywhere else,'' Fangupo said.

The Seattle Seahawks play the Tennessee Titans on Saturday but the best part should be the pre-game conversation between Pete Carroll and Jeff Fisher.
What will they talk about? Lane Kiffin? Norm Chow? Kennedy Pola? Lendale White? Pat Haden? Mike Garrett?
The possibilities are endless.

USC is rated 15th in ESPN's power rankings.

USC could be on the verge of landing a Tennessee transfer in January.

Tailback Dillon Baxter was forced to roll along the grass for the morning and evening practices Tuesday because he missed bed check Monday night. Wide receiver Markeith Ambles was held out of the morning practice because he helped Baxter get back to his room.

Although Lane Kiffin said the defense dominated early, the offense did well at the end. Tailback C.J. Gable broke a long before getting tackled by defensive end Kevin Greene before he could score. Robert Woods broke a long gain on a play. Ronald Johnson also caught a deep ball. The defense finished strong with the interceptions in the final 10 minutes.

Brice Butler made a tough catch in the middle of the end zone in traffic that drew praise from Lane Kiffin.
``Brice has gotten stronger. He's not made the really tough plays but he made one tonight.''

Matt Barkley and Mitch Mustain each threw their first interceptions of training camp tonight in the sixth practice of training camp. Barkley was intercepted on a deep ball over the middle by cornerback Torin Harris. Cornerback Anthony Brown made a good play taking the ball away from wide receiver Kyle Prater.

Safety Drew McAllister said he will undergo an MRI on his right hip tomorrow. He said his hip is overcompenating from the torn labrum he suffered in his left hip. Safety Dion Bailey is out with a concussion. Butch Lewis will undergo an MRI on his hip.

We'll have updates on tonight's practice here and at twitter.com/InsideUSC.

Former USC basketball player Jarvis Turner is now the boys' basketball coach at Beverly Hills High School.

Defensive end Nick Perry made the watch list for the Hendricks Award. Here's the full list.

From Pete Carroll's twitter: ``lemme hear you!! "win 2 free tix in the @ABetterLA suite for the preseason game at Qwest on Sat! RT by 4pm to enter to win!''

Wonder if the suite was part of the Seahawks' contract offer.

Safety Drew McAllister is out again with a hip injury and will undergo an MRI. But it's not the hip he underwent surgery last season.
``It's his other hip. They are looking into it,'' Lane Kiffin said.

Tailback Dillon Baxter and wide receiver Markeith Ambles spent the practice rolling on the grass as punishment
``They were late for something,'' Kiffin said. ``Unfortunately that happens a lot of times with the freshmen. They ran for two straight hours.''

Lane Kiffin after watching the scrimmage film: ``Jordan Cameron was probably the star. Mitch (Mustain) did really well again. Malcolm Smith, if he stays healthy and keeps working, can be a great player.''

Next month will see the release of the book, ``Scoreboard, Baby,'' which is a deeper look at the Seattle Times' exhausive series two years ago on the University of Washington's last Rose Bowl team, which was coached by Rick Neuheisel under athletic director Barbara Hedges, who previously worked at USC.
The authors claim the book shows how a ``community's blind embrace of a football team compromised judges, prosecutors, police agencies, a proud university and the media.''
The first three chapters are available online here.

USC is ranked 17th in Sports Illustrated's College Football Preview and tailback Dillon Baxter is listed as the freshman to watch in the Pac-10.

Cornerback Shareece Wright relishes a new role in the secondary this season.

With USC needing a permanent baseball coach, the names floating are George Horton of Oregon, Dave Serrano of Cal State Fullerton, Rich Hill of San Diego and UCLA's John Savage.
But here's our name: Mike Gillespie.

Pat Haden met with Chad Kreuter, so at least the firing was done in person. And Kreuter was not in Oakland working on the film, Moneyball. USC president Max Nikias was also in Heritage Hall today. Keeping an active role with athletics, apparently.

Now that Pat Haden came out firing, who's next? Lane Kiffin could be on a two-year time period for results.

It took Pat Haden less than a week on the job to do what Mike Garrett refused to do for a couple years. That's called leadership.

USC athletic director Pat Haden fired baseball coach Chad Kreuter today.
USC baseball assistant coach Frank Cruz will serve as the interim coach.
``On my first day on the job at USC last week, I said one of my goals was to return the USC baseball program to national prominence,'' said Haden. ``There is no reason we shouldn't be there.
``We thank Chad Kreuter for his four years of hard work and service, but this move was necessary to revitalize our program. USC is synonymous with college baseball. This is the most successful and tradition-laden program in the country. We've won twice as many College World Series titles (12) as anybody. We need to get back to our championship ways.''

Only 30,000 tickets have been sold for the USC-Hawaii game.

A reader pointed out this article where Pete Carroll talks about how he traded for quarterback Charlie Whitehurst because Seawhawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck because, ``it was a great opportunity to send a message to the leader of the football team that he needs to compete too.''
The same reader wanted to know why Carroll did not feel the need to employ a similar philosophy with players like Joe McKnight and Matt Barkley last season?

The Walter Camp Award announced its watch list. No USC players made the list but two players from UCLA, two players from Stanford and one from Oregon State did.

USC's new student union officially opens this month and one building is called Steven and Kathryn Sample Hall. I thought that horse statue Sample donated was enough but now his name has to be on a building. Maybe if he fired Mike Garrett he would deserve it.

Here's reaction from Matt Barkley, Mitch Mustain, Malcolm Smith and Lane Kiffin on Sunday's scrimmage,

As much fun as it might be to have a quarterback controversy, nothing indicates there is one. The stats today might seem lopsided between the quarterbacks, but stats are relatively meaningless especially when the quarterbacks are going against completely different defenses.
``Matt's the starter,'' Lane Kiffin said. ``I wouldn't say he's far ahead. I wouldn't have two game plans (if we had a game), which is unusual.''
I do not recall two game plans for the quarterbacks last year either but Barkley was a freshman so maybe the No. 1 QB had a more-limited game plan (though Caesar would never admit it).
But unless Barkley gets hurt, he is the starter. And Mustain is the backup. And Jesse Scroggins is No. 3 fresh off an 0 for 4 effort with an interception in his first college scrimmage. Paging Garrett Green?

Freshman Christian Thomas recorded a sack at defensive end and caught a 20-yard pass at tight end in today's scrimmage.

Matt Barkley threw a 39-yard pass to tight end Jordan Cameron. Mitch Mustain rolled out and hit Robert Woods on a 21-yard pass. Walk-on Augusto Alonso intercepted a Jesse Scroggins pass and went 35 yards for a TD. Curtis McNeal ran 30 yards for a TD.
Freshman cornerback Nickell Robey tackled tailback Marc Tyler for a 2-yard loss on a short pass play. Freshman defensive tackle George Uko and freshman defensive end Christian Thomas recorded sacks.

The first-team defensive line dominated today even without Armond Armstead. The offensive line missed Matt Kalil and Butch Lewis. The first-team offense was stopped fairly easy the first three series. And Allen Bradford lost five yards in six carries.

USC did not look sharp kicking the football. Joe Houston missed two extra points while Jake Harfman missed an extra point and a 32-yard field goal.

Here are the first scrimmage stats:

Passing

Matt Barkley 9-15, 127 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Mitch Mustain 23-35, 231 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Jesse Scroggins 0-4, 1 INT

Rushing

Allen Bradford 6 (minus) 5 yards
C.J. Gable 7-25
Curtis McNeal 6-57
Dillon Baxter 5-39
Marc Tyler 7-34

Receiving

Jordan Cameron 8-96 (long 39)
Markeith Ambles 2-21
Robert Woods 4-56
Rhett Ellison 2-32
David Ausberry 3-21 (2 TDs)
Ronald Johnson 3-39
Robbie Boyer 4-34
Christian Thomas 1-20
Brice Butler 2-19

Tackles

Devon Kennard 7
Dion Bailey 6
Malcolm Smith 4
T.J. McDonald 4
Hayes Pullard 4
DaJohn Harris 4
Brian Baucham 4

Scoring

Ausberry 5 pass from Mustain (Houston kick)
McNeal 30 run (Harfman miss)
Ausberry 10 pass from Barkley (Houston miss)
Alonso 35 int return

The defensive line continues to be the strongest unit, picking up where it left off in spring practice. It's early but already some practice observers believe it could compare to the Mike Patterson-Shaun Cody group, which was dubbed The Wild Bunch II. The proof will come during the season, of course.

Lebron James was at the Galen Center on Wednesday filming a commercial for Nike. We hear he only had a small entourage with him.

``I feel like we had a bonding moment.''
-- USC fullback Stanley Havili on his relationship with cornerback T.J. Bryant after he punched Bryant last week.

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said he does not expect linebacker Glen Stanley to qualify academically.
``Doesn't look like it, from what I understand," Fisher told the Orlando Sentinel.

Lane Kiffin said wide receiver Robert Woods reminds some coaches of former USC wide receiver Steve Smith.
``Coming in, he's faster than (Smith),'' Kiffin said.

USC will do some scrimmaging Sunday afternoon for the first time this week. The freshmen wide receivers should get plenty of work if Brandon Carswell and De'von Flournoy remain out.

Lane Kiffin was asked if he was concerned that bringing Stanley Havili back after a one-day suspension might be considered too light a punishment.
``I don't concern myself with the perception of people outside the program,'' Kiffin said.
He could have said it was a heavier sentence than Joe McKnight received when he punched Vidal Hazelton in a summer workout.

Offensive tackle Martin Coleman was out with a concussion. Tight end Blake Ayles is out with a pulled hamstring. Wide receivers Brandon Carswell (thigh) and De'Von Flournoy (shoulder) were also out while Kyle Prater (groin) was limited.

Wide receiver Robert Woods had a long TD catch in practice today. USC also played its true freshmen secondary together (cornerback Anthony Brown, cornerback Demetrius Wright, safety Dion Bailey) during some scrimmage situations. Several field goals were blocked during drills which showed the protection needs work, according to special teams coach John Baxter.
Joe Houston remains in front of Jake Harfman although Harfman will kick off and punt.

Fullback Stanley Havili was reinstated to practice today after his one-day suspension for punching cornerback T.J. Bryant and fracturing his cheekbone. Lane Kiffin said he brought Havili back because teammates ``begged'' him to allow the senior to return to practice.
Havili's got a sore hamstring, so he really wasn't able to practice Friday or today though Kiffin said he missed Friday's walkthrough and some individual work.
Bryant said he forgave Havili.
``Nobody needs to miss practice. We're both at fault,'' Bryant said. ``I just wanted him back. The team needs him.''
Bryant remains out for 3-4 weeks with a fractured cheekbone.

Here's my first ballot for the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Here's a recap from Friday's practice.

USC practiced 3 hours and 10 minutes Friday, so the Trojans have practiced over nine hours in their first three practices. Practices are expected to be shorter when the Trojans don full pads, which is Sunday.

Lane Kiffin is not concerned about the latest reports that more secondary violations occurred during his tenure at Tennessee.
``Absolutely not at all. There's no way. I have great confidence in what we did there and that we didn't do anything wrong. I'm not concerned about it. It's been going on for eight months,'' Kiffin said.

Stanley Havili wasn't around for meetings or practice Friday, and Lane Kiffin said he doesn't know how long this punishment will last.
``I don't know yet,'' Kiffin said. ``We're still thinking about it. I know it hurts him, and it should. He should be accountable. T.J., who had really finished spring strong after a slow start, put himself in position to compete for a starting spot but was set back a little.''

Tennessee said today it is possible it will get a letter of inquiry from the NCAA regarding allegations that occurred under Lane Kiffin.
``We've not had one yet, and as I acknowledged earlier, we've publicly acknowledged that the NCAA has been looking into some potential allegations during Coach (Lane) Kiffin's time here,'' Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said. ``Obviously at this point there hasn't been a conclusion to that. We'll see, but I think that is a possibility.''

Reports up in Seattle are that Pete Carroll's walking with a severe limp and possibly wearing a knee brace after underdoing a medical procedure for a ``little knee thing.''
Maybe the wear-and-tear of that book tour caught up with him.

My feeling is that Stanley Havili will not be punished (much) for that summer conditioning incident. I'm not sure what additional information Lane Kiffin needs from something that many witnessed, other than the fact T.J. Bryant needed surgery on his cheek after it was initially thought he was uninjured.
Remember, Joe McKnight threw a punch at Vidal Hazelton a couple summers ago in a similar incident and went relatively unpunished.

Tight end Jordan Cameron, who always wore 23 when he played wide receiver, decided to switch to 84.
``It's a tight end number,'' Cameron said.

Aside from the punch incident, the more pressing issue is that USC's coaching staff is trying to manage Stanley Havili's practice time to avoid aggravating last year's shoulder injury. Especially with no scholarship tailbacks behind him and tight end Rhett Ellison now playing as his backup.

The USA Today coaches' poll featured just two Pac-10 teams (Oregon, Oregon State) and of course, USC was not eligible.

Here's a bit more detail on what caused that fight between Stanley Havili and T.J. Bryant last week.

Defensive end Armond Armstead missed practice with a stomach ailment after being dehydrated Wednesday. Offensive tackle Matt Kalil remained out with a pulled hamstring.

Fullback Stanley Havili on his altercation with T.J. Bryant:
``I feel terrible about it. We got into it. It was heated. We were all fired up and emotions were high. I let it get the best of me.''

Former USC center Davis Rozitis decided today he would transfer to Hawaii. He will play for former USC assistant Gib Arnold.

T.J. Bryant underwent surgery on his cheek today after being punched by Stanley Havili last Friday during the end of a conditioning workout. Bryant will be out 3-4 weeks. Lane Kiffin said he has not decided if he will punish Havili yet.
Havili practiced today but stopped early because he aggravated his hamstring.

Immediate post-practice updates will be available at twitter.com/InsideUSC.

When USC announced that some players ``switched'' numbers yesterday, it did not point out that offensive tackle Kevin Graf's No. 77 was unceremoniously removed for top recruit Seantrel Henderson and then given back once Henderson bolted for Miami.
Pete Carroll took quite a bit of heat in 2003 for a similar maneuver with Whitney Lewis taking Brandon Hance's No. 4.

Here's the bios on seven new walk-ons to the football team:

How did we miss this? Michael Cooper hired his son, Michael Cooper II, as his assistant coach earlier this summer. Cooper II worked as a scout for the Sparks and was general manager of the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. I wonder if this would wash in the new Haden administration.

The NCAA is making APR scores available by coach and sport. Here's some Pac-10 marks for the 2008-09 academic year.

Football

Mike Bellotti: 933, 952, 949
Pete Carroll: 947, 955, 971
Dennis Erickson: 943, 925
Jim Harbaugh: 979, 975
Chip Kelly: N/A
Lane Kiffin: N/A
Rick Neuheisel: 943
Mike Riley: 959, 949, 962
Steve Sarkisian: N/A
Mike Stoops: 938, 958, 961
Jeff Tedford: 973, 938, 963
Tyrone Willingham: 963, 959, 934
Paul Wulff: 953

Basketball

Dana Altman: N/A
Tony Bennett: 942, 962, 1000
Ken Bone: N/A
Johnny Dawkins: 951
Tim Floyd: 804, 949, 980
Ben Howland: 980, 896, 930
Ernie Kent: 980, 979, 870
Sean Miller: N/A
Mike Montgomery: 1000
Kevin O'Neill: N/A
Lute Olson/Kevin O'Neill/Russ Pennell: 898, 100, 925
Craig Robinson: 1000
Lorenzo Romar: 962, 981, 1000
Herb Sendek: 977, 100, 933

Wide receiver De'von Flournoy got behind the secondary yesterday in practice and caught a long pass. Maybe it's the first step toward reclaiming the No. 1 that was taken away in spring practice.

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel was asked by San Diego sports-talk radio host Darren Smith if he felt sorry for Lane Kiffin.
``No. He's got a great job. It's a tremendous opportunity for him to weather the adversity. Adversity comes with these jobs. You don't necessarily always know when it's coming but every time you hit an adverse situation it's an opportunity to show how you can navigate it and this is a tremendous opportunity for him.''

The large electronic sign next to the Galen Center advertises ``group ticket sales'' for USC's home opener against Virginia.

USC players said the first practice was a way to forget about the turmoil of the past two months.

Or lack of an update. Lane Kiffin said fullback Soma Vainuku is still not academically cleared and he did not know when Vaihuku's status might change.

There were probably less than 50 people at today's first practice and many of them were media. The size of the crowd will increase when family members start showing up but it's still going to be far less than in the past as the general public is no longer allowed inside Howard Jones Field.
Most players said they did not notice a difference. Quarterback Matt Barkley said he used to notice all the people when he watched practice films.
``I was watching tape from last summer and it was outrageous,'' Barkley said.

Freshman tight end Christian Thomas got off to a good start with a nice catch of a Matt Barkley pass during the first practice.
Otherwise, the usual suspects (Barkley, Ronald Johnson, Dillon Baxter) made most of the noticeable plays.

Starting defensive end Armond Armstead left practice because he was dehydrated and needed to receive intravenous fluids. Safety Drew McAllister practiced Wednesday but is still not 100 percent following last year's hip injury.
Safety Marshall Jones, who missed last year with a neck injury, said he is completely recovered and able to endure full contact. Offensive tackle Matt Kalil did not practice because of a pulled hamstring.
Offensive tackle Tyron Smith missed practice to attend a funeral.

Tight end Rhett Ellison moved to fullback and it looks like it probably will be a season-long move because the Trojans have only one scholarship fullback (Stanley Havili).

USC coach Lane Kiffin held a three-hour workout at Howard Jones Field, about an hour longer than on the team's itinerary.

Here's some revised jersey numbers for players.
Ahmed Mokhtar 39
Dion Bailey 18
Kevin Graf 77
De'von flournoy 10

I guess this means Flournoy still must wait to get No. 1 back.

Former USC pitcher Mark Prior's signed with the Orange County Flyers of the independent Golden League. Prior's not pitched in the major leagues since 2006 after being sidelined with shoulder injuries.

Here's a look at USC as training camp begins this afternoon.

``I dont take vacations. I don't get sick. I don't observe major holidays. I'm a jackhammer.''
-- Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh

But does he do book tours?

Every USC player reported for training camp except freshman fullback Soma Vainuku, who is still trying to qualify academically.

I know everyone else besides me can't wait to know when all the college football awards cut down their lists of nominees and choose their winners. So here you go:

Kudos to J.K. McKay for taking over an office in Heritage Hall with a prime corner window. It's an office anyone would like that works in the athletic dept. Except Pat Haden, of course, since his office is bigger.

Mike Mayock of the NFL Network will replace Pat Haden as NBC's Notre Dame analyst. Mayock is a no-nonsense personality who might be a surprising choice to some but he's knowledgeable and better than just hiring Joe Montana or some other Irish yes man.

Another interesting statement from new athletic director Pat Haden's letter.
``We are intent on the continued improvement of our basketball program, and on the return of our baseball program to national prominence.''
Sounds like baseball is on formal notice.

There's a rule that when writing a letter or paper, the most important sentence often ends up at the bottom and probably belongs up higher.
With that in mind, here's a revealing final sentence from Pat Haden's letter this morning.
``I will fess up to my mistakes, explain my decisions . . .''
That sounds like the antithesis to Mike Garrett.

Forward Leonard Washington finally made a decision and will transfer to Wyoming. Not Hawaii with Gib Arnold. Not UTEP with Tim Floyd. Interesting choice. But at least he will not be distracted. And he will not have to speak to the media too often.

Here is athletic director Pat Haden's letter to the fans as he starts his new job today.

The over/under for USC victories this season is 9.5 according to oddsmakers.

What's the deal with Redwood High in Larkspur? Graduates (Pete Carroll, Chad Kreuter) do not seem to like coaching much in the summer.

Looks like Caesar's Facebook discussion on the meaning of respect drew a few critics.

I really wanted to avoid talking about this guy but when does he coach???

I briefly, and I do mean briefly, heard a sports-talk station discussing Lane Kiffin's character this afternoon. OK, I listened for 45 seconds to be exact.
An interesting topic. But I think Kiffin's demeanor's changed since he was a USC assistant. He's calmer now, sees the big picture more. Definitely matured. I doubt five years ago he would have asked wide receiver Brandon Carswell to stay and get his degree and advise him to leave in a year anyways if he were unhappy.
Now this does not mean he is perfect. And I would depart here from any USC spinmasters who argue otherwise. But his character probably is no more noteworthy an item than most of the other Pac-10 coaches.

I voted in the AP preseason poll today. Who do you think should be No. 1? I'll give a hint on my ballot: I did not vote Oregon No. 1.

Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said the Gophers need to do a better job getting students involved at games. I'm sure that won't be a problem when Lane Kiffin and USC roll into town next month.

If you have any intention of attending USC football practice during training camp, I'd suggest you contact the athletic dept. at 213-740-4204.

Here is the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award. A notable omission is USC cornerback Shareece Wright. Of course, a watch list is not final and someone can win the award who is not mentioned. But it's still surprising.

Lane Kiffin on his bad-guy image:
``I don't want it to happen but it doesn't bother me.''

Why did Pete Carroll think Seattle was the best franchise in the NFL? Because they even incorporated his slogans into the practice-field scoreboard.

Since USC is disassociating itself from Reggie Bush, how about the USC bookstore refunds all fans who bought those No. 5 jerseys?

Hey, what's Pete Carroll thinking about his first day of practice?
``Today it's really just a day about feeling blessed and fortunate to be part of a franchise like this and an opportunity like this. (I) feel pretty, I don't know, just happy about it and just kind of blessed by the whole thing.''