As I posted yesterday Matt Barkley did not take part in throwing drills because of his bruised shoulder.
Like I said, I am not surprised, bruises get worse before they loosen up so that would hamper Barkley's ability to participate. Aaron Corp took the majority of snaps yesterday and will continue to do so until it is determined that Barkley can get back in the game.
Pete Carroll continues to keep his cards close to the vest in regards to who will ultimately will start...
USC coach Pete Carroll remained noncommittal on who would start Saturday against Washington. Barkley wants to try throw today, but Corp said he is 95 percent recovered from his cracked fibula. One reason for the delay could be the longer leash Barkley enjoys, as every possible chance will be given to see if he can return.
Carroll would not even rule out the talented freshman if he did not practice all week.
"We'll see," Carroll said. "There's no save-(Barkley)-for-later philosophy. Fortunately, we have a tremendous alternative at the quarterback spot with Aaron."
Corp is obviously a more than adequate replacement. It woud not concern me one bit if he got the call.
But that decision needs to be made soon...
Pete Carroll has to be careful here, everyone understands that he sees the future in Barkley but it would seem to me that he needs to make the decision as soon as possible so that whomever gets the call can get mentally prepared to perform. Both QB's know the X's & O's but this is an important game for many reasons so whomever gets the call needs to have as much prep time as possible.
The last thing the team needs is drama after their dramatic win against Ohio St. Most of us are concerned enough with the team just coming down off that emotional high who needs the extra drama?
Corp is putting the best face on things. I have no doubt that he is chomping at the bit so you kow he is ready to go.
And he is ready to grab the starting job...
"I'm excited to practice right now," Corp said. "This is my chance to show off."
He needs to shake of the rust but I am not really concerned.
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Here is something interesting form Saturday's game (OL Coach Pat Ruel is funny in this piece)...
In a program filled with nationally recognized stars, the most consistent play is run by a guy who is ends-up hidden under a pile.
"The bigger you are, the more you need to get down," offensive line coach Pat Ruel said.
In a USC pro offense marked by tricky terminology, the most enduring play has a two-word title that pulls no punches.
QB Sneak.
"That's what it's called, I'm serious," Byers said. "Somebody just says, 'QB Sneak on one,' it's that simple."
And suffocating.
As the third-ranked Trojans proved again Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, while they shine with the most dazzling of plays, they win with the dirtiest.
Well, I don't know about dirtiest but SC hs been very effective at running this play when they need it.
The QB sneak is pretty demoralizing when you think about it...it is a play that is your face If the defense stands (see Texas in 2006) it can snatch a victory away from you. But as we saw on Saturday, SC needed the Sneak twice to sustain the final drive. Ohio States defense played lights out for most of the game but they could not stop SC on those critical plays.
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Here is another piece on SC possibly being upset on Saturday...
At a minimum, you shouldn’t get bored with Saturday’s game. And here’s why you might want to stick around until the end, just in case that 1-in-100 chance plays out:
1. Despite evidence to the contrary, the Trojans are human. As Dr. Lou might say, they put their pants same way the Huskies do. Humans are prone to emotional swings, and right now, USC is coming off the dramatic high of an 18-15 win at Ohio State. If USC were coming home to play San Jose State, it wouldn’t matter. But another road trip for a bunch of 19-22 year olds against a motivated team in a hostile stadium? That’s no gimme.
2.. While at USC, Pete Carroll’s Trojans have done OK in the second of back-to-back road games, going 12-2. But not all situations are equal. For example, USC’s lone back-to-back last year started with the painfully easy 69-0 win at Washington State. Twice times the Trojans concluded a back-to-back roadie with a walkover opponent. On two other occasions, USC lost the first of back-to-backs (Cal, 2003 and Oregon State, 2006), and the Trojans went looking for a scalp the following week.
I think this game is very different becasue it is against Sarkisian and that is an added dimension that SC will definitely be mindful of.
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Here is a nice article on Steve Sarkisian and the USC coaching tree from the OCR...
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I will have more later on today.