USC's Barkley out?
- Thread starter Skipper
- Start date
Source: Corp to step in for Barkley
USC quarterback Aaron Corp has been chosen to start the Trojans' Pac-10 opener against Washington on Saturday, a person briefed on the decision told ESPN's Joe Schad on Friday.
Freshman Matt Barkley is expected to retain his status as starter when he is healthy enough to resume throwing, the source said. Barkley continues to experience pain in his bruised right (throwing) shoulder, which was injured in the third-ranked Trojans' 18-15 victory at Ohio State last weekend.
USC coach Pete Carroll said Thursday that Barkley is improving every day, and Carroll wants to give him as much time as possible to heal before ruling him out against Washington.
Following Thursday's practice, Carroll said he still hasn't made a decision on who will be the starter, adding he might wait until Saturday's game (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET) before making an announcement.
Corp, a junior, took all the snaps with the first-team offense Thursday and Carroll pronounced him ready to go if needed. Barkley did some light throwing on the side.
USC quarterback Aaron Corp has been chosen to start the Trojans' Pac-10 opener against Washington on Saturday, a person briefed on the decision told ESPN's Joe Schad on Friday.
Freshman Matt Barkley is expected to retain his status as starter when he is healthy enough to resume throwing, the source said. Barkley continues to experience pain in his bruised right (throwing) shoulder, which was injured in the third-ranked Trojans' 18-15 victory at Ohio State last weekend.
USC coach Pete Carroll said Thursday that Barkley is improving every day, and Carroll wants to give him as much time as possible to heal before ruling him out against Washington.
Following Thursday's practice, Carroll said he still hasn't made a decision on who will be the starter, adding he might wait until Saturday's game (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET) before making an announcement.
Corp, a junior, took all the snaps with the first-team offense Thursday and Carroll pronounced him ready to go if needed. Barkley did some light throwing on the side.
USC cornerback Brian Baucham hurt in motorcycle crash, won't play Saturday
USC cornerback Brian Baucham hurt in motorcycle crash, won't play Saturday
USC cornerback Brian Baucham hurt in motorcycle crash, won't play Saturday
The redshirt freshman suffers abrasions in incident on Harbor Freeway. Sophomore T.J. Bryant will take Baucham's spot in nickel situations against Washington.
USC cornerback Brian Baucham did not practice and will miss Saturday's Pacific 10 Conference opener at Washington after suffering injuries in a motorcycle accident Thursday morning, the school announced.
Baucham, a redshirt freshman from Torrance, was traveling north on the Harbor Freeway when the accident occurred.
Baucham was taken to the hospital and treated for abrasions and was recovering at home, the school said.
Baucham could not be reached for comment.
An officer with the California Highway Patrol said an incident occurred on the northbound 110 Freeway at 6:34 a.m. that required transport of a motorcyclist to the hospital, but she could not confirm that Baucham was involved.
"He was very fortunate that he didn't sustain any major injuries," Coach Pete Carroll said. "He got scraped up pretty good."
Baucham, who sat out the season opener against San Jose State because of flu, was the Trojans' third cornerback in last week's 18-15 victory at Ohio State.
Sophomore T.J. Bryant will take Baucham's spot in nickel situations against Washington, Carroll said.
Carroll said he does not have a policy forbidding players from riding motorcycles. Several have ridden them during his tenure at USC.
"I continue to advise them that they are assuredly more vulnerable on a motorcycle than you are in a car," Carroll said.
McKnight sits out
Tailback Joe McKnight sat out for the second consecutive day because of illness but said he would play against Washington.
McKnight left practice Wednesday because of migraine symptoms. He did not practice Thursday because of flu, he said.
"It's just more like body aches and everything," he said. "I'm just trying to get over it right now, trying to sweat it out."
If McKnight cannot play, Stafon Johnson would start at tailback, running backs coach Todd McNair said.
Johnson also has battled flu symptoms.
"I'm still fighting it, but I'm good," Johnson said. "I've been practicing all week, so even if that did come up and I am still feeling under the weather, I'm used to it.
"I've been running around and that's why I wanted to practice through it."
Middle linebacker Chris Galippo said many Trojans players received flu shots this week.
"They put the signs out for free flu shots in the training room after practice," Galippo said.
Quick hits
All-American safety Taylor Mays did not practice because of a knee sprain suffered against Ohio State, but he said he would make a determination about his ability to play during warmups at Washington on Saturday. . . . Tailback Marc Tyler, who has been sidelined because of a toe injury, said he was awaiting word from a foot specialist regarding whether he should have surgery. "If I have to have surgery, I'd rather get it over with now," he said.
USC cornerback Brian Baucham hurt in motorcycle crash, won't play Saturday
USC cornerback Brian Baucham hurt in motorcycle crash, won't play Saturday
The redshirt freshman suffers abrasions in incident on Harbor Freeway. Sophomore T.J. Bryant will take Baucham's spot in nickel situations against Washington.
USC cornerback Brian Baucham did not practice and will miss Saturday's Pacific 10 Conference opener at Washington after suffering injuries in a motorcycle accident Thursday morning, the school announced.
Baucham, a redshirt freshman from Torrance, was traveling north on the Harbor Freeway when the accident occurred.
Baucham was taken to the hospital and treated for abrasions and was recovering at home, the school said.
Baucham could not be reached for comment.
An officer with the California Highway Patrol said an incident occurred on the northbound 110 Freeway at 6:34 a.m. that required transport of a motorcyclist to the hospital, but she could not confirm that Baucham was involved.
"He was very fortunate that he didn't sustain any major injuries," Coach Pete Carroll said. "He got scraped up pretty good."
Baucham, who sat out the season opener against San Jose State because of flu, was the Trojans' third cornerback in last week's 18-15 victory at Ohio State.
Sophomore T.J. Bryant will take Baucham's spot in nickel situations against Washington, Carroll said.
Carroll said he does not have a policy forbidding players from riding motorcycles. Several have ridden them during his tenure at USC.
"I continue to advise them that they are assuredly more vulnerable on a motorcycle than you are in a car," Carroll said.
McKnight sits out
Tailback Joe McKnight sat out for the second consecutive day because of illness but said he would play against Washington.
McKnight left practice Wednesday because of migraine symptoms. He did not practice Thursday because of flu, he said.
"It's just more like body aches and everything," he said. "I'm just trying to get over it right now, trying to sweat it out."
If McKnight cannot play, Stafon Johnson would start at tailback, running backs coach Todd McNair said.
Johnson also has battled flu symptoms.
"I'm still fighting it, but I'm good," Johnson said. "I've been practicing all week, so even if that did come up and I am still feeling under the weather, I'm used to it.
"I've been running around and that's why I wanted to practice through it."
Middle linebacker Chris Galippo said many Trojans players received flu shots this week.
"They put the signs out for free flu shots in the training room after practice," Galippo said.
Quick hits
All-American safety Taylor Mays did not practice because of a knee sprain suffered against Ohio State, but he said he would make a determination about his ability to play during warmups at Washington on Saturday. . . . Tailback Marc Tyler, who has been sidelined because of a toe injury, said he was awaiting word from a foot specialist regarding whether he should have surgery. "If I have to have surgery, I'd rather get it over with now," he said.
Aaron Corp is almost certain to start at quarterback for USC
Aaron Corp is almost certain to start at quarterback for USC
Aaron Corp is almost certain to start at quarterback for USC
With Matt Barkley possibly sidelined by a bone bruise in his throwing shoulder, Trojans are expected to go with their second first-time starter in three games on Saturday at Washington.
September 18, 2009
Maybe Pete Carroll just wants to have some fun, to keep former assistants Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt guessing as Washington prepares to play USC.
Or perhaps Carroll just can't help himself when it comes to all things Matt Barkley.
Whatever the reason, Carroll declined Thursday to name a starting quarterback for USC's Pacific 10 Conference opener Saturday at Seattle.
But with Barkley still sidelined because of a shoulder injury, third-year sophomore Aaron Corp will almost certainly make his first collegiate start.
"This is what he's been preparing for all along," Carroll said after practice. "It's been in his mind that he's the starter."
So what's going on in Carroll's mind?
With Barkley possibly sidelined, running back Joe McKnight trying to overcome illness and safety Taylor Mays nursing a knee injury, Carroll is not about to willingly provide his former offensive and defensive coordinators with any concrete information that would help them hone their game plan and pull off an upset.
The Trojans also are coming off an emotional victory over Ohio State, the same scenario that contributed to a letdown and loss in their Pac-10 opener last season at Oregon State.
Carroll, therefore, appears to be doing everything possible to sharpen his players' competitive edge.
His quarterbacks included.
"Aaron knows he's ready to go," Carroll said. "I've told him, 'Get ready. You have to be thinking and preparing like you're starting the football game.'"
That seemed obvious as Barkley did not practice for the fourth consecutive day.
The freshman threw passes to the team trainer, but his range of motion remains impaired by a bone bruise in his right shoulder suffered during last week's dramatic 18-15 victory at Ohio State.
Barkley spoke with Carroll after practice, pointing to his shoulder throughout the conversation.
"He's got a bruise that's really, really tender, that's right in the place where you fire," Carroll said. "And when you throw, it activates.
"But it's not something that he's going to hurt more . . . other than the fact that if he really changes his motion, then things like that can give him a sore arm in other areas. So that's one of my concerns."
Another would be the fact that Barkley has not thrown a pass in practice since engineering the Trojans' game-winning drive at Ohio Stadium.
Asked whether he had ever started a quarterback who had not practiced during the week, Carroll said he twice started Drew Bledsoe in similar circumstances when he coached the New England Patriots. The Patriots split the two games, Carroll said.
Bledsoe, however, was a seasoned veteran. Barkley has two college starts under his belt.
That, of course, is two more starts than Corp has made since arriving at USC from Orange Lutheran in 2007.
The mobile Corp redshirted his first season and finished the 2008 season as the backup to starter Mark Sanchez.
He entered training camp No. 1 on the depth chart after throwing only one interception in 15 spring workouts and beating out Barkley and junior Mitch Mustain.
But Corp's chance to succeed Sanchez vanished when he suffered a cracked fibula on the third day of training camp, opening the door for Barkley.
Corp completed all four of his passes and led two fourth-quarter scoring drives in USC's 56-3 season-opening victory over San Jose State. He warmed up but was not called upon after Barkley played through his shoulder injury last week.
Offensive coordinator John Morton has no doubt that Corp is ready to play.
"He was the starter from the get-go and he brings an extra dimension with his legs, which is a threat to the defense," Morton said.
Several USC players said they had no preference between Barkley and Corp, but they sensed that Corp would lead them against Washington.
"It would be rare to see Barkley come back to start without practicing all week," center Kristofer O'Dowd said. "I think Aaron's running the show."
Carroll remained noncommittal. "It just depends on how far [Barkley] comes along and all that," he said. "Hopefully, we won't do the wrong thing."
Aaron Corp is almost certain to start at quarterback for USC
Aaron Corp is almost certain to start at quarterback for USC
With Matt Barkley possibly sidelined by a bone bruise in his throwing shoulder, Trojans are expected to go with their second first-time starter in three games on Saturday at Washington.
September 18, 2009
Maybe Pete Carroll just wants to have some fun, to keep former assistants Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt guessing as Washington prepares to play USC.
Or perhaps Carroll just can't help himself when it comes to all things Matt Barkley.
Whatever the reason, Carroll declined Thursday to name a starting quarterback for USC's Pacific 10 Conference opener Saturday at Seattle.
But with Barkley still sidelined because of a shoulder injury, third-year sophomore Aaron Corp will almost certainly make his first collegiate start.
"This is what he's been preparing for all along," Carroll said after practice. "It's been in his mind that he's the starter."
So what's going on in Carroll's mind?
With Barkley possibly sidelined, running back Joe McKnight trying to overcome illness and safety Taylor Mays nursing a knee injury, Carroll is not about to willingly provide his former offensive and defensive coordinators with any concrete information that would help them hone their game plan and pull off an upset.
The Trojans also are coming off an emotional victory over Ohio State, the same scenario that contributed to a letdown and loss in their Pac-10 opener last season at Oregon State.
Carroll, therefore, appears to be doing everything possible to sharpen his players' competitive edge.
His quarterbacks included.
"Aaron knows he's ready to go," Carroll said. "I've told him, 'Get ready. You have to be thinking and preparing like you're starting the football game.'"
That seemed obvious as Barkley did not practice for the fourth consecutive day.
The freshman threw passes to the team trainer, but his range of motion remains impaired by a bone bruise in his right shoulder suffered during last week's dramatic 18-15 victory at Ohio State.
Barkley spoke with Carroll after practice, pointing to his shoulder throughout the conversation.
"He's got a bruise that's really, really tender, that's right in the place where you fire," Carroll said. "And when you throw, it activates.
"But it's not something that he's going to hurt more . . . other than the fact that if he really changes his motion, then things like that can give him a sore arm in other areas. So that's one of my concerns."
Another would be the fact that Barkley has not thrown a pass in practice since engineering the Trojans' game-winning drive at Ohio Stadium.
Asked whether he had ever started a quarterback who had not practiced during the week, Carroll said he twice started Drew Bledsoe in similar circumstances when he coached the New England Patriots. The Patriots split the two games, Carroll said.
Bledsoe, however, was a seasoned veteran. Barkley has two college starts under his belt.
That, of course, is two more starts than Corp has made since arriving at USC from Orange Lutheran in 2007.
The mobile Corp redshirted his first season and finished the 2008 season as the backup to starter Mark Sanchez.
He entered training camp No. 1 on the depth chart after throwing only one interception in 15 spring workouts and beating out Barkley and junior Mitch Mustain.
But Corp's chance to succeed Sanchez vanished when he suffered a cracked fibula on the third day of training camp, opening the door for Barkley.
Corp completed all four of his passes and led two fourth-quarter scoring drives in USC's 56-3 season-opening victory over San Jose State. He warmed up but was not called upon after Barkley played through his shoulder injury last week.
Offensive coordinator John Morton has no doubt that Corp is ready to play.
"He was the starter from the get-go and he brings an extra dimension with his legs, which is a threat to the defense," Morton said.
Several USC players said they had no preference between Barkley and Corp, but they sensed that Corp would lead them against Washington.
"It would be rare to see Barkley come back to start without practicing all week," center Kristofer O'Dowd said. "I think Aaron's running the show."
Carroll remained noncommittal. "It just depends on how far [Barkley] comes along and all that," he said. "Hopefully, we won't do the wrong thing."
Aaron Corp on track to start
Aaron Corp on track to start
Aaron Corp on track to start
Trojans' sophomore quarterback will make his first career start against the Huskies unless freshman Matt Barkley can recover from a bruised right shoulder.
For a while Wednesday, the trainers-table area at USC's practice facility looked like a convention for injured Trojans starters.
Quarterback Matt Barkley sat on a folding chair with an ice pack on his right shoulder. All-American safety Taylor Mays camped on the table, taking weight off his sprained right knee. And tailback Joe McKnight, suffering from migraine headaches, stood with a towel wrapped around his head to shield his eyes from the sun and his ears from music blaring from loudspeakers.
Meantime, out on the field, sophomore quarterback Aaron Corp looked the picture of health while taking another step toward possibly making his first career start.
Unless Barkley makes an improbable recovery from a bone bruise, Corp is on track to be under center when the Trojans open Pacific 10 Conference play on Saturday at Washington.
Corp, who had entered training camp No. 1 on the depth chart, had a pass intercepted for the third consecutive practice. But he continued to show that he was no longer limited by the cracked fibula that he suffered on Aug. 10, an injury that opened the door for Barkley to start the first two games.
"He's taken over just like he had done in the spring time," Coach Pete Carroll said of Corp, "and so it feels comfortable to us having him get ready."
But apparently not comfortable enough to announce Corp as the starter.
Carroll and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates said they would wait to make a decision. Carroll, though, has made a habit of announcing quarterback decisions on Thursdays preceding Saturday games and scrimmages.
"If Aaron's the guy, we're fired up," Bates said.
Barkley has not thrown a pass in practice since injuring his shoulder last Saturday against Ohio State.
He took snaps and handed off the ball on Monday and Tuesday, but worked only with trainers on Wednesday and was forced to watch from the sideline.
"We don't want to blow it out here in practice trying to get him ready to see if he could throw," Carroll said. "If he had any discomfort we were going to wait.
"Obviously, it's still sore. . . . It's just going to be that way until he can throw through it."
USC did not make quarterbacks available to the media on Wednesday.
Players, however, said they would be prepared to welcome Corp as the starter.
"Let's hope if he gets this opportunity that he takes advantage of it like Barkley and then we can have two super quarterbacks," senior guard Jeff Byers said.
McKnight left the practice facility after about 30 minutes, saying he had begun to experience migraine symptoms following Tuesday's workout.
McKnight said he hoped to return to practice today.
Mays did some light running while wearing a knee brace. Carroll reiterated that Mays could play on Saturday without practicing during the week.
Mustain punts
Mitch Mustain might not be able to find his way into the lineup at quarterback, but he could possibly do it as a punter.
Impressed by kicks Mustain made for fun during last Friday's walk-through at Ohio Stadium, Carroll had Mustain punt before, during and after practice on Wednesday.
Mustain also took second-team snaps at quarterback.
"He's got a leg on him," said receiver Damian Williams, who estimated that Mustain punted about five times during their senior season at Springdale High in Arkansas. "Sometimes you've just got to find a way onto the field and if that's what he wants to do then hats off to him.
"I was back there catching some [of his kicks] and he made me run for a couple."
Carroll said incumbent Billy O'Malley still led Jake Harfman in the competition to handle punting duties at Washington.
Mustain's kicking ability would be valuable because the Trojans are limited to 64 players for conference games.
Quick kicks
Charles Brown returned after missing two days because of flu and is on track to start at left tackle. . . . Safety Drew McAllister worked in Mays' spot and would start if Mays does not play, Carroll said.
Aaron Corp on track to start
Aaron Corp on track to start
Trojans' sophomore quarterback will make his first career start against the Huskies unless freshman Matt Barkley can recover from a bruised right shoulder.
For a while Wednesday, the trainers-table area at USC's practice facility looked like a convention for injured Trojans starters.
Quarterback Matt Barkley sat on a folding chair with an ice pack on his right shoulder. All-American safety Taylor Mays camped on the table, taking weight off his sprained right knee. And tailback Joe McKnight, suffering from migraine headaches, stood with a towel wrapped around his head to shield his eyes from the sun and his ears from music blaring from loudspeakers.
Meantime, out on the field, sophomore quarterback Aaron Corp looked the picture of health while taking another step toward possibly making his first career start.
Unless Barkley makes an improbable recovery from a bone bruise, Corp is on track to be under center when the Trojans open Pacific 10 Conference play on Saturday at Washington.
Corp, who had entered training camp No. 1 on the depth chart, had a pass intercepted for the third consecutive practice. But he continued to show that he was no longer limited by the cracked fibula that he suffered on Aug. 10, an injury that opened the door for Barkley to start the first two games.
"He's taken over just like he had done in the spring time," Coach Pete Carroll said of Corp, "and so it feels comfortable to us having him get ready."
But apparently not comfortable enough to announce Corp as the starter.
Carroll and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates said they would wait to make a decision. Carroll, though, has made a habit of announcing quarterback decisions on Thursdays preceding Saturday games and scrimmages.
"If Aaron's the guy, we're fired up," Bates said.
Barkley has not thrown a pass in practice since injuring his shoulder last Saturday against Ohio State.
He took snaps and handed off the ball on Monday and Tuesday, but worked only with trainers on Wednesday and was forced to watch from the sideline.
"We don't want to blow it out here in practice trying to get him ready to see if he could throw," Carroll said. "If he had any discomfort we were going to wait.
"Obviously, it's still sore. . . . It's just going to be that way until he can throw through it."
USC did not make quarterbacks available to the media on Wednesday.
Players, however, said they would be prepared to welcome Corp as the starter.
"Let's hope if he gets this opportunity that he takes advantage of it like Barkley and then we can have two super quarterbacks," senior guard Jeff Byers said.
McKnight left the practice facility after about 30 minutes, saying he had begun to experience migraine symptoms following Tuesday's workout.
McKnight said he hoped to return to practice today.
Mays did some light running while wearing a knee brace. Carroll reiterated that Mays could play on Saturday without practicing during the week.
Mustain punts
Mitch Mustain might not be able to find his way into the lineup at quarterback, but he could possibly do it as a punter.
Impressed by kicks Mustain made for fun during last Friday's walk-through at Ohio Stadium, Carroll had Mustain punt before, during and after practice on Wednesday.
Mustain also took second-team snaps at quarterback.
"He's got a leg on him," said receiver Damian Williams, who estimated that Mustain punted about five times during their senior season at Springdale High in Arkansas. "Sometimes you've just got to find a way onto the field and if that's what he wants to do then hats off to him.
"I was back there catching some [of his kicks] and he made me run for a couple."
Carroll said incumbent Billy O'Malley still led Jake Harfman in the competition to handle punting duties at Washington.
Mustain's kicking ability would be valuable because the Trojans are limited to 64 players for conference games.
Quick kicks
Charles Brown returned after missing two days because of flu and is on track to start at left tackle. . . . Safety Drew McAllister worked in Mays' spot and would start if Mays does not play, Carroll said.
