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The middle linebacker competition rages on in spring practice for USC, with Devon Kennard and Chris Galippo fighting to take over the top spot at what coaches are calling the most important position on USC's defense. Kennard, a sophomore, and Galippo, a redshirt junior, combined to start 17 games at linebacker last year — with Galippo earning all 13 at the middle position.

Kennard, who came to USC as a defensive end but moved to strongside linebacker near the end of the 2009 season, said he was "up for it" as soon as the new coaching staff told him they were planning to switch him to the middle spot. He said he has enjoyed working alongside and against Galippo so far. "We're definitely working together, helping each other out, correcting each other, pushing each other," Kennard said. "We want to have the best linebacking corps possible. We all want to be out there and we're going to push each other every day."

A few other notes from the full-pads practice:

• It was a defense-dominated day in team drills. Included in the highlight plays of the scrimmage were a Shareece Wright interception of a Mitch Mustain pass that looked to be intended for receiver Travon Patterson, and a T.J. Bryant end-zone pick of an ill-advised throw from Matt Barkley. Wright had a fairly dynamic return of his pick, taking it back almost to the opposite end zone. The biggest hit of the day came from receiver/tight end David Ausberry, who lit up walk-on corner Omari Crittenden after catching the ball near the line of scrimmage.

• The injuries just continue to rack up for the Trojans. In his post-practice meeting with the media, Kiffin read them off quickly, then finished by saying: "Beat all your questions, didn't I?" The injuries he listed were: running back Dillon Baxter (quad), fullbacks Stanley Havili (shoulder) and D.J. Shoemate (hamstring), offensive linemen Matt Kalil (hip), Zack Heberer (ankle) and Martin Coleman (ankle), defensive tackle Hebron 'Loni' Fangupo (ankle), linebacker Marquis Simmons (spine) and safeties Ryan McMahon (stinger) and Marshall Jones (cervical spine). Jones' injury might be the most serious, as he missed the final nine games of 2009 because of a similar injury. Jones entered Howard Jones Field toward the end of practice in a neck brace. When asked if it was a similar injury, Kiffin said, "I don't know that."

• The quarterback position is leaning toward the incumbent Barkley over the reserve Mustain, Kiffin has determined. Barkley, a sophomore to-be, has proved impressive in early play, appearing very calm in the pocket. "Matt would have an edge over Mitch right now, in what we've seen," Kiffin said Saturday. "But it's real early, and we'll continue to split the reps right down the middle like we have and let both guys alternate in there and see where it goes."

• Two days after Kiffin called him the MVP of the first two spring practices, receiver Ronald Johnson struggled a bit in Saturday's drills. The senior dropped at least two passes, including a toe-tipper on the sidelines. Receiver Brice Butler had two touchdown grabs in team play, while running back Curtis "Moody" McNeal had both a drop and a solid grab while splitting out as a receiver.

• The quote of the day, from Kennard on the new coaching staff's focus on toughness and discipline: "We're trying to go out there and bang as a defense and rekindle something we didn't have last year."

Here's more of what Kiffin had to say in his media congregation afterward:

A few leftover notes from Thursday's practice, the last no-pads practice of the spring before the penultimate practice of the spring on April 29. On Saturday, the Trojans will — in all of their fully-padded glory — hit the practice field at 11 a.m.

• The new practice policy: Visitors to practice Thursday were asked to sign a waiver before they entered Howard Jones Field to assure they were not attending on behalf on any agency. Included in the so-called rules for viewing practice most visitors had to ink: "You agree not to have any contact with any USC prospective student-athlete (or their relatives or friends) before, during or after the practice. This includes in-person contact and written or telephone communications, either directly or via a third party."

• In his media session after practice, USC coach Lane Kiffin was asked about the early performances of his running backs, and he was more than complimentary about the three major players in the back rotation: seniors Allen Bradford and C.J. Gable and redshirt junior to-be Marc Tyler. His comments on Tyler — who has struggled in his time at USC so far, totaling only 41 carries — stood out. "He’s very serious about playing," Kiffin said of Tyler, who missed most of last season because of a lingering toe injury. "He hasn’t played a whole lot here, a big-time recruit who’s sat on the bench for a lot of time, a lot of reps. I think he’s excited to be thrown into the mix, and he’s got something to prove.” These things have been said about Tyler before. A five-star recruit from Westlake Village Oaks Christian in the class of 2007, Tyler has been severely hampered by a variety of injuries at USC. A quote from Tyler, from an April 2009 L.A Times article profiling the hard-luck running backs: "I'll walk by Coach [Pete] Carroll in the hallway and he'll say, 'This is your spring.'"

• SCPlaybook offers more information on associate head coach/special teams coordinator John Baxter's new 'Survivor Troy' idea that began Thursday, including a photo of Team Atlas' flag, designed by lineman Martin Coleman. Baxter, who's known to stress team unity and academic achievement, served as an assistant coach under Fresno State's Pat Hill for 12 years. Hill attended practice Thursday.

The Trojans were thisclose to beating No. 21 Oregon State on Thursday in the first game of a key Pac-10 weekend series at Dedeaux Field — thisclose being about two inches.

With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, USC (13-13, 1-3) had a runner on second with two outs and pinch-hitter Keith Castillo at the plate. Facing Oregon State reliever Kevin Rhoderick, Castillo hit a fast-moving grounder in the gap between Beaver second baseman Keith Jennette and first baseman Jared Norris.

USC head coach Chad Kreuter, in his typical post as third base coach, immediately began to wave Matt Hart home from second base, as it looked like the ball would find its way into the outfield and Hart would have the opportunity to score the game-winning run.

But there was no such luck for the Trojans, as Jennette made a stunning dive to his left, cornered the ball in his glove and threw to first to end the inning. And instead of a 2-1 victory, USC was left with a disappointing 4-1 loss in 10 innings, as the Beavers — winners of two of the last four national titles in college baseball — scored three runs in the top of the tenth inning to break open the game.

"That's baseball," Kreuter said afterward. "We did what we needed to do, we just needed a break somewhere along the line and they ended up getting it in the tenth there."

Joe De Pinto stole home in the third inning for the Trojans' only run of the night. The feat was a fairly remarkable straight steal — and it was made even more remarkable by the fact that the Trojans' hitter at the plate, big bopper Ricky Oropesa, is left-handed.

Kreuter said he noticed that Oregon State's Greg Peavey was slow to the plate early on and called for the steal as soon as De Pinto got to third. Kreuter said De Pinto "got cold feet" the first time he called the steal, but used the second time to study some of Peavey's tendencies. Then, on the third call, De Pinto took off — and scored.

"I thought he did a great job of getting down there," Kreuter said. "And it wasn't even close."

De Pinto was one of two Trojans to collect two hits on the night, the other being third baseman Matt Hart. Collectively, USC amassed just seven hits while striking out 10 times against Peavey.

The Beavers had only nine hits on the night but got crucial tenth-inning hits from Parker Berberet and Rob Folsom. Peavey also pitched a strong seven innings, allowing just six baserunners. USC got a solid five innings from starter Kevin Couture (five innings, one run) and impressive relief from Chad Smith, who pitched five innings and didn't allow a run until the tenth

Kreuter talked afterward about the disappointment of suffering another close loss, the thought process behind De Pinto's steal, and more:

Through two spring practices, the USC offense has performed up to expectations. Boasting a significant amount of weapons for quarterback Matt Barkley — like receivers Ronald Johnson and Brice Butler and backs Allen Bradford, C.J. Gable and Stanley Havili — the Trojans have been utilizing the big play a lot more in practice. Butler, a redshirt sophomore to-be, talked about the performance of the other skill position players and how competition will increase begining Saturday, when the Trojans bring out the pads:



Meanwhile, safety/outfielder Jawanza Starling has a lot more on his mind besides Saturday's practice. Starling's also a member of the baseball team, and those Trojans have a big series with Oregon State this weekend. Starling, who went straight from football practice to the baseball diamond for the game with the Beavers, talked about the challenges of being a two-sport athlete at USC:

Special teams coordinator and associate head coach John Baxter was known as a sort of think-tank for team-building activities during his time with Fresno State, and it appears he's brought those ideas to USC. Baxter came up with the idea for Trojan Survivor, an idea he says was simply meant to facilitate his learning of the players' names:



In other off-the-field news, defensive tackle Hebron 'Loni' Fangupo is getting married. Fangupo, 24, transferred to USC before the 2009 season and was performing well in limited snaps before he broke his ankle against Washington State. He missed the rest of the season and was recently granted a medical redshirt — meaning he has two seasons left at USC. A devout Mormon, Fangupo proposed to his girlfriend last month, and they plan to get married in June. Here's what the always exuberant Fangupo had to say about returning to the practice field after his injury and his fiance, Rebecca:

It's no April Fools' Joke. Just two practices into the spring slate, the Trojans are creating their own version of Survivor as a way to combat the monotony of spring practice — and by the looks of things, it was a success.

It was new special teams coordinator/associate head coach John Baxter's idea. He designated four tribal chiefs and held a Survivor Draft this week in team meetings. Then, he told the players to come onto Howard Jones Field for Thursday's practice waving their flags.

The "chiefs" are linebacker Michael Morgan, tight end Rhett Ellison, fullback Stanley Havili and running back Allen Bradford — and their antics set the tone for what would be another highly-energized practice for the Trojans.

A few other notes from practice:

• Offensive lineman Martin Coleman was the last pick of the survivor draft. The last six selections were all offensive linemen."Takes you right back to elementary school P.E., doesn't it?" Baxter said.

• Former Trojans Charles Brown, Jeff Byers and Everson Griffen all stopped by to watch practice after participating in Pro Day on Wednesday. Mater Dei quarterback Max Wittek, who has a scholarship offer from USC, was also in attendance.

• Senior center Kristofer O'Dowd suffered a sprained left knee when he crumpled to the floor early in Thursday's practice. The injury looked to be worse, but reports say O'Dowd is day-to-day. In his absence — and the absence of Michael Reardon, who suffered a neck injury in an ATV accident over the weekend — walk-on center Abe Markowitz took a great deal of the snaps. Offensive line coach James Cregg said the coaching staff could move guard John Martinez over to center to give Markowitz a break during Saturday's practice.

• Coach Lane Kiffin called receiver Ronald Johnson the team's MVP through two practices — "for what it's worth." Johnson had two touchdown catches in team play Thursday, including a streak down the left sideline that showcased his speed. He also came away unscathed after a dangerous attempt to make a diving catch on a one-on-two play led to him lying on the cement near the entrance to the practice field.

• The defensive play of the day came from defensive tackle Da'John Harris, who jumped in the air and tipped a Matt Barkley pass to himself, intercepting it and taking it back the other way. Harris, a redshirt junior to-be, has struggled so far in his time with the Trojans.

Here's what Kiffin had to say about the Trojans' day on the field:

Safety Taylor Mays is probably USC's most hyped prospect heading into April's NFL Draft, but defensive end Everson Griffen and offensive tackle Charles Brown each have solid shots at finding their way into the first round as well. Brown had a disappointing Pro Day after pulling his hamstring while running the 40-yard dash in the first drill of the day; Griffen ran a remarkable 4.59 40 and impressed scouts with his intensity level all afternoon.

Afterward, Griffen said he felt he had adequately dispelled any questions regarding his maturity level with his post-season performance:



Brown's official 40 time was a 5.25. He said he was disappointed to have his day end with an injury and added that his hamstring will be reevaluated Thursday afternoon:

Two USC defensive backs are expected to go in the mid-rounds of April's NFL Draft. Both players — corner Kevin Thomas and safety Will Harris — did better than expected in Wednesday's Pro Day festivities.

Thomas ran the day's best 40-yard dash time — a 4.43. He said that time and his performance in defensive back would hopefully help his stock in the eyes of NFL scouts:



Harris, who started a season and a half with the Trojans, wasn't invited to the combine in February. He said he used Pro Day as an opportunity to show NFL teams what he could do, and he came away pleased with his performance:

USC running backs Joe McKnight and Stafon Johnson had slightly different ends to their final seasons in Troy — with McKnight running for 1,014 yards in 12 games and staying healthy throughout the year and Johnson suffering a tragic throat injury that ended his season after just four games. But both backs are in the same position now, attempting to prove to NFL personnel they are worthy of being selected early in the draft.

McKnight, who struggled in shuttle drills but did split out wide and catch some passes in receiver workouts, said it was a thought-out decision to refrain from running the 40. He also said he was willing to play any position in the NFL:



Johnson, who still talks with a raspy whisper, said his 40 time (officially 4.62) wasn't exactly what he hoped for, but said he heard some scouts had it in the 4.5's. He also talked generally about his NFL hopes:

We'll have video interviews from a number of Trojans who participated in Wednesday's Pro Day soon, but here are a few highlights to carry you through the wait:

• The fastest Trojan was cornerback Kevin Thomas, who registered an official 4.43 time in the 40-yard dash. Other impressive times came from defensive end Everson Griffen (4.59, significantly better than his 4.66 at the NFL Combine) and offensive lineman Alex Parsons (4.90, would have been the third-best time for a lineman at the combine). Safety Taylor Mays didn't run the 40.

• Mays did perform favorably in individual workouts, though, making several plays in defensive back drills. His ball skills have been questioned, and he admitted that in interviews with the media afterward. He also said — to questions that he may isolate himself as a player and not be "coachable" at the next level — that he was always receptive to coaching at USC.

• Impressive strength performances: 38 reps of 225 pounds from offensive lineman Nick Howell, 35 from safety Will Harris and 32 from defensive tackle Averell Spicer, who looked particularly good.

• Justin Hart and Adam Goodman also did timed drills and individual workouts. Other participants who didn't play for USC last year included Hershel Dennis, Omar Nazel, Ryan Powdrell, and Michael Coleman. Dennis also appeared at Pro Day last year. He ran a 4.65 40 today.

• Running back Joe McKnight struggled in both the short and long shuttles, tripping up twice on the latter version. He said his camp decided he had no need to run the 40 this time after recording a 4.47 at the combine. Receiver Damian Williams didn't participate in the short shuttle but impressed scouts in attendance with his long shuttle performance.

• Speaking of scouts, there were significantly less NFL crowding Cromwell Field this year as compared to previous years. The likely reason? Texas, boasting prospects like Colt McCoy and Sergio Kindle, held its Pro Day today as well. The only head coach spotted was Carolina's John Fox, who was also reportedly at UCLA's Pro Day on Tuesday.

• Harris wasn't invited to the combine. He said he took it as a slight and came into Pro Day with a chip on his shoulder. He ran a 4.59 40 and impressed in other workouts. "I'm very happy with my performance," he said.

• Offensive lineman Charles Brownhurt his hamstring on his second 40-yard dash attempt and didn't take part in anything else. His official 40 time was a 5.25; Howell, a reserve on the line in 2009, ran a 5.07. His father, former USC great Pat Howell, was in attendance. Offensive guard Jeff Byers ran a 5.09 and looked decent.

• In a stark contrast from last year, when former coach Pete Carroll was all over the field motivating players and talking to NFL personnel, new head coach Lane Kiffin was nowhere to be seen.

We'll have full reports later on in the day, but in the meantime, here's what to watch for in today's USC Pro Day, which is scheduled to start at around 11 a.m. on Cromwell Field — rain or shine:

• Thirteen Trojans from last year's squad with NFL Draft hopes will participate. If past years are any indication, we'll also see a number of former players come out of the woodwork to appear in minor roles. Last March, former tight end Dominique Byrd appeared at Pro Day and caught passes from Mark Sanchez in workouts and signed with the Arizona Cardinals two months later. As for 2009 Trojans, well:

• Safeties Taylor Mays and Will Harris will gather a lot of interest — for different reasons. Mays was a polarizing figure at the NFL Combine last month with his 40-yard dash time and impressive performances in the bench press, vertical jump and broad jump, but somewhat disappointing showing in individual workouts. His NFL.com scouting report reads: "He can be inconsistent with his angles and technique but relies on his great athleticism to recover and make the play." A good performance in safety-specific workouts would help him. Mays said Tuesday he would not run the 40 at today's event. Harris started all of last season and some of 2008 but didn't get an invitation to the combine. He could impress scouts in a workout setting.

• Offensive linemen Charles Brown, Jeff Byers, Nick Howell and Alex Parsons will all work out. Brown has a reasonable shot at going in the first round of the NFL Draft, but is perceived by some as being somewhat soft. He could help himself by displaying a mean streak in workouts and in the weight room today. Any boosts in athleticism and/or agility Byers shows will benefit his reputation as a slower, older prospect. Parsons didn't shine in any workout areas at the combine. If he could show excellence in any specific activity or workout, it would help his draft prospects significantly. Howell was not invited to the Senior Bowl or East-West Shrine Game but did play in the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Game. He will need a marquee performance to get drafted in April.

• Cornerbacks Josh Pinkard and Kevin Thomas face similar questions. Pinkard has great size but likely needs a sub 4.6 40-yard dash time to be thought of as a corner at the next level rather than a safety. At 6-foot and 192 pounds, Thomas has fine size but would do well to display improved footwork in workouts.

• Receiver Damian Williams has nothing to prove when it comes to route-running — scouts know him as a premier receiver in that aspect. Where he could help himself out would be in the 40. At just 197 pounds, Williams could go a long way toward soothing scouts' thoughts that he is a little too slow for his small frame to succeed in the NFL if he were to run under 4.50 in the 40-yard dash.

• Running backs Joe McKnight and Stafon Johnson are in different spots. Johnson is fully recovered from the tragic throat injury that derailed his 2009 season and performed decently at the combine. His size and speed combination is projectable to the next level, but right now he stands as a mid-round pick. McKnight ran a 4.47 at the combine, so the speed is there. He put up solid numbers receiving in his time at USC, and will likely display that pass-catching ability today, which could entice scouts.

• The story with tight end Anthony McCoy is that he will always put up great numbers and measurables — but not great production. He had just 46 catches in his four-year USC career. Reads his NFL.com scouting report: "McCoy is a good looking tight end that does not quite play up to his numbers." His initial quickness on routes is also a question mark.

• Defensive end Everson Griffen doesn't have much to prove. He's a known workout warrior; what scouts worry about is his game film. While his NFL.com scouting report terms him "not an impact player" as a pass rusher, he needs to show today that he is in fact just that as a defensive end. If he does so, a first-round selection could be in his future.

New USC coach Lane Kiffin is doing things different at Howard Jones Field, running a tighter ship than players are used to. Also the new play-caller, Kiffin jumped the gun with a number of plays the Trojans had not yet gone over in meetings. Quarterback Matt Barkley said it was a welcome addition to Tuesday's practice. Among other changes instituted at Howard Jones Field for Tuesday's spring practice opener were a new closed-door practice policy and competition for starting spots at every position.

As part of his post-practice media gathering, Kiffin said there was plenty of room for improvement from his team:



Defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Ed Orgeron echoed that sentiment, saying specifically that USC's defensive line needed to get a lot tougher. Orgeron also said the Trojans needed to work on fundamentals:

Redshirt junior linebacker Chris Galippo and sophomore linebacker Devon Kennard dived headfirst into what may be spring practice's most intriguing competition Tuesday — the fight to start at middle linebacker. Galippo started every game at the position last year. Kennard moved from defensive end to strongside linebacker near the end of the season and started the final four games. But this spring, both players will be practicing at the middle linebacker spot — in direct competition with each another.

Kennard said the battle went beyond the "mike" spot and stretched throughout the linebacking corps — one coach Lane Kiffin said needed to improve from last season. Kennard said he was ready:



Galippo said there was "no depth chart," meaning that every position truly was up for grabs, according to the coaches. Galippo said he welcomed the challenge:

Coach Lane Kiffin said Monday that quarterbacks Matt Barkley and Mitch Mustain would split the snaps at quarterback at Tuesday's spring practice opener, and they did just that. Both quarterbacks said they enjoyed the competition. Barkley also talked about his overall feelings after the two-and-a-half hour practice:



And Mustain, who has thrown only 16 passes in a USC uniform, said he appreciated the chance to compete for the quarterback position, even if he said it was "hard to tell" if it was a real competition:

USC kicked off the 2010 season with its first spring practice Tuesday, showcasing new plays, new players, and a new practice policy.

In all, it was an eventful day. New coach Lane Kiffin's first practice as head coach lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours, and despite the new policy calling for only "pre-approved guests who submit requests 24 hours in advance," at least 150 people stood on the sidelines of Howard Jones Field in an atmosphere entirely reminiscent of years past.

As for the practice field, Kiffin's emphasizing his new theme of toughness and discipline, but it looked an awful lot like former coach Pete Carroll's old competition mantra. There were competitions all over the field, including at middle linebacker (Devon Kennard and incumbent Chris Galippo), quarterback (Mitch Mustain and incumbent Matt Barkley) and running back (C.J. Gable and Allen Bradford).

More on that later. But players did say they noticed an increased sense of regimen in Tuesday's opener.

"There is more discipline," Barkley said. "I don't know if it's tension. We're still having fun."

USC athletic officials released the new practice policy during practice. Afterward, Kiffin downplayed it, saying USC has never had truly open practices and the new policy that denies access to agents or anyone with ties to an agent wouldn't change much.

"I don't think it's a whole lot different than what was here before," Kiffin said. "I know it was kinda assumed that practices were open before, but it wasn't open where anybody could just walk in.

"We just have changed the way we monitor it a little bit — tightened it up."

Kiffin also had a list of injured players that he read from when talking to the media. The list included offensive guard Butch Lewis (thigh), linebacker Malcolm Smith (ankle), safety Drew McAllister (hip), safety Patrick Hall (knee), tight end Blake Ayles (ankle), receiver Kyle Prater (hamstring), cornerback Brian Baucham (foot), offensive lineman Michael Reardon (neck) and tight end Rhett Ellison.

Kiffin said Ellison had mononucleosis and could very well miss all of spring practice. Jordan Cameron, a redshirt senior, was the No. 1 tight end Tuesday, Kiffin said. Redshirt senior David Ausberry backed him up. Kiffin also announced that senior Cooper Stephenson, the projected punt snapper, quit the team last week.