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As the Trojans begin the final week of practices prior to the spring game it was shoulder pads and shorts practice on Tuesday. The team has been hit with injuries during the physical spring and, even though the load was lightened a little, USC coach Lane Kiffin was happy with the intensity.

“We really wanted to focus on keeping guys staying up today and that usually happens when we don’t go full pads,” Kiffin said. “I thought we were still able to have a physical practice.”

Highlight plays

• From deep in his own end, Cody Kessler stood in the pocket against strong pressure and fired late to Nelson Agholor for 12 yards and a first down.
• Max Wittek had his chance with the ball near his goal line and he found Victor Blackwell with a quick strike, and Blackwell put on the jets to race for a long touchdown despite valiant pursuit from Leon McQuay III.
• Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick made a nice catch of a low-thrown ball across the middle from Wittek.
• McQuay popped the ball loose from Cope-Fitzpatrick after a short catch.

Goal-line intensity

One of the most fiery drills of any practice is when the ball is placed inside the 5-yard line and the offense takes its shots at the end zone.

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With the USC defense making the switch to a 5-2 alignment under Clancy Pendergast, it was generally assumed that the most likely candidate to start alongside MIKE linebacker Hayes Pullard at the WILL position would be junior Lamar Dawson, a starter since his freshman season, not to mention the owner of one of the most revered jerseys in program history -- No. 55.

When camp opened up earlier this month, however, it was redshirt sophomore Anthony Sarao who was lining up with the first unit, with Dawson running primarily with the second group.

Athletic and physical, Sarao first made a name for himself last season as a reserve and on special teams, and he excelled right from the get-go this spring, proving to be more than capable in his extended role. And while Sarao's strong play has continued throughout March, it’s been Dawson who has taken his game to a whole new level the past couple of weeks.

With both players establishing themselves as two of the defense’s most promising performers, the competition at WILL linebacker has developed into one of the spring’s more interesting position battles.

“I would think that Lamar Dawson is probably our most improved player on our team, and Anthony would be in the top five,” Kiffin said after Thursday’s practice. “They have both had great camps.”

It’s been Dawson, in fact, who has arguably been playing the best football of his career, showcasing improved instincts, speed and playmaking skills. Rewarded with a greater number of reps with the first team defense this week, Kiffin believes Dawson’s performance is directly tied in with his experience and physical maturity.

“I just think it’s a guy going into his third year and sometimes the light just clicks on and his body looks better, he’s getting stronger, he’s playing a lot lower, he’s playing more physical on special teams and on defense,” Kiffin said. “A majority of the guys take a couple of years, and we’re seeing that with guys like Lamar going into their third year who are really shining, and Anthony a year behind that is doing really well.”

With both Dawson and Sarao playing at such a high level, the competition for the starting WILL linebacker spot will likely extend into the fall. But as they continue to push each other, no matter who ultimately lines up with the first group this fall, it’s safe to say that the Trojans are likely to receive some very strong production out of the position.

The Trojans put an emphasis on the offensive line during the Thursday full-pads practice, and coach Lane Kiffin liked what he saw.

“I thought the offensive line responded well today,” Kiffin said. “We had some issues on Tuesday with fumbled snaps and false starts, but the players came out today with good energy along the line of scrimmage.”

Kiffin also noted the continued strong play of quarterbacks Cody Kessler and Max Browne, who have been forced to take extra snaps this week as the only two available players at the position.

“I thought both the quarterbacks did some good things today," Kiffin said. "Cody [Kessler] is really doing a great job and really comes alive in those team settings. Max [Browne] is moving around probably better than we thought this early from pocket movements and getting out of trouble for a tall, young guy."

Kessler hit Nelson Agholor against coverage from Morgan Breslin and the play went for a long gain. Browne had his best practice of spring and it included a pair of touchdown passes to Darreus Rogers. There was also a nice sequence for Browne where he had a pass attempt broken up by Leon McQuay III but he came right back on the next play for a nice completion to Buck Allen.

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
It was a breakout day for Rogers. The first touchdown from Browne came on a short throw that he caught and put a spin move to get away from Ryan Dillard for a 20-yard score. The second touchdown was the highlight play of the day on a 40-yard pass reception at the goal line. He also had an impressive play with a sideline catch where it took multiple defenders to bring him down.

“Darreus Rogers had an unbelievable day,” said Kiffin.

Bucking the trend
Buck Allen hasn’t made a ton of noise during his USC career so far, but he’s quietly put together a pair of strong practices in a row. Allen finished the practice off right, first with a 4-yard TD run and then with a 20-yard touchdown dash off the left side on the final play of the day.

Injury update
Marqise Lee and Max Wittek continued to sit out practice with the knee injuries they suffered last weekend, and Kiffin said both will wait until the first Tuesday practice after spring break (March 27) to get back on the field. Silas Redd and Chad Wheeler both left the Thursday practice with knee injuries, while George Farmer had a shoulder injury. There was no word on the status of those three. Kevon Seymour sat out with an ankle injury and is day to day.

MVP
Xavier Grimble was named the MVP of the day with Rogers a close second. Kiffin gave a lot of praise to Grimble as a guy who is on his way to becoming a potentially great player. Grimble wasn’t even supposed to practice due to a rib injury but he went out and performed well, most notably in a blocking drill against the safeties.

Other highlight plays

Anthony Sarao and Lamar Dawson both had pass deflections. Dawson also added a big hit on Justin Davis. Kiffin said Dawson has put together five great practices in a row after changing his body in the off-season.

Sarao, Devon Kennard and Charles Burks each had a sack.

Leonard Williams had a pass deflection.

Notables in attendance
Nico Falah, Damien Mama, Rey Maualuga and several players from Upland HS including safety Jeff Farrar, QB Tyler Hilinski and incoming ninth-grade receiver Nathan Telfer (no relation to TE Randall).

Quotebook
“The competition between Xavier Grimble and Randall Telfer is good, no issues between the two of them. It’s kind of like how it was with Robert (Woods) and Marqise. They are really close, and they just push each other. They are almost exactly the same size, Randall is five pounds heavier and tests better.” -- Lane Kiffin

“This has probably been my best day here, but obviously still making a few mental errors. We slowed it down today and didn't install that much, so I was able to go out there and play. I felt like today I was the most comfortable and I think it showed in our offense as a whole." -- Max Browne

As the Trojans begin the second week of spring ball sessions, they held a full pads practice on Tuesday without quarterback Max Wittek and wide receiver Marqise Lee.

Both players suffered knee injuries last Saturday prior to the Coliseum scrimmage that USC coach Lane Kiffin described as “not serious.”

“It wasn’t one of our better practices,” Kiffin said. “This can happen in the second week, everyone is fired up to get going so they start well the first week but they came out today in full pads and it was hot so they need to learn to get through that. It had nothing to do with Wittek and Lee not being out there.”

Lee was fully dressed but did not participate in drills while Wittek was not in pads and he wore a sleeve brace around his right knee.

“I’ve got a sprained MCL,” Wittek said. “Nothing is torn, so that’s a positive, and it can’t get any worse so it’s just a matter of pain tolerance to when I can return. I’m rehabbing 2-3 times a day and if I can’t get back by the end of the week, I should be fine to go when we get back from spring break. You never want an injury but if it’s going to happen it’s good to happen now.

“The injury happened while I was holding for a placekick, kind of a silly way to happen. If there’s a bad snap again on a kick, if it’s not in a game I will probably get out of the way next time. But if the team needs me to be there, I’ll be there.”

MVP of the day: True freshman Su’a Cravens put together his best practice of spring with two interceptions and a key pass break-up, all against Max Browne. The first interception was an overthrown attempt by Browne to hit Xavier Grimble and Cravens simply played center field to get the pick. The second pick was an aggressive break on the ball by Cravens while the pass break-up came over the middle on a pass attempt for Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick.

“Su’a is a very special player,” Kiffin said. “He prepares so well, always soaking things up, watching film. He’s similar to Robert Woods and Nickell Robey in that way and both of those guys started from day one.”

Kiffin said Cravens is already at 220 pounds.

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With two spring practice sessions in the books for the Trojans, it’s time to take a quick look at how a team depth chart might look if it were released today.

Quarterback
Max Wittek (6-foot-4, 235 pounds, RS So.) OR Cody Kessler (6-1, 215, RS So.) OR Max Browne (6-5, 215, Fr.)

Kessler opened up spring camp with a big performance on Tuesday, but Wittek has certainly had his moments, and even the young freshman, Browne, has caught USC coach Lane Kiffin’s eye, making this battle too close to call. And that’s the way it could stay throughout the spring, as Kiffin revealed he’s in no hurry to name a starter.

Tailback
Silas Redd (5-10, 200, Sr.); D.J. Morgan (5-10, 190, RS. Jr.) OR Tre Madden (6-1, 220, RS So.) OR Javorious Allen (6-1, 210, RS So.) OR Justin Davis (6-1, 215, Fr.)

With a full season under his belt at USC, Redd looks comfortable and focused as the starter. Morgan showcased a couple of big plays this week, while Madden looked much sharper than you might imagine a year removed from his knee injury. Davis, meanwhile, has been perhaps the hit of the early-entrant group so far, making the most of his limited carries in practice.

Fullback
Soma Vainuku (6-0, 250, RS. So.); Jahleel Pinner (5-11, 225, So.)

Two of the team's hardest workers, Vainuku and Pinner alternated as the team’s primary fullbacks. It remains to be seen, however, if they’ll take on a bigger role in the offense.

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LOS ANGELES -- It was shorts and shoulder pads for the Trojans on Monday morning for what USC coach Lane Kiffin referred to as a Thursday practice in terms of its look and what was covered. Just three days remain before the Utah game, and a refreshed USC squad is anticipating a spirited crowd at sold-out Rice-Eccles Stadium.

“I think the players are anxious to play again after having some time off,” said Kiffin following practice. “And we’re excited for it. I think it will be a very entertaining game in a place that I think will be rocking when we go in there. It’ll be a good test for us.”

Storyline of the day: Cornerbacks
The cornerbacks were the topic of the day on Monday, with Kiffin noting the stellar play of Nickell Robey at the outset of his post-practice media session. You don’t hear the 5-foot-8 standout’s name called very often, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and certainly by no fault of his own.

“I think he’s played great, they just don’t throw at him,” said Kiffin. “You’re seeing of him a little bit like Robert [Woods]. If they take something away, or don’t give you the opportunity, it’s hard to get numbers. “

The best way to get Robey more opportunities, Kiffin said, would be to get improved play out of the opposite cornerback position, something that the Trojans have struggled with in 2012.

“We need to play better at the other spot, and force them to throw the ball to [Robey],” he said. “We need to cover better, we need to tackle better and we need to make the play when the play is there. It’s no secret we haven’t played well there. We haven’t played well there all year, and it’s unfortunate for Nickell because, I mean, we’ve watched the film, the ball goes the other way all the time.”

Time for Harris to settle in
The quick fix for the Trojans opposite Robey since the Syracuse game has been Torin Harris, but with Harris having missed extensive time at the start of the season due to injury, Kiffin admitted that maybe they rushed him. The good news is that, with some extra time to get in shape this week, there’s hope Harris will begin to resemble the standout cover corner that the staff fell in love with at the beginning of the 2011 season.

“Torin has missed a lot of time,” Kiffin said. “We probably played Torin too much right away. As you go back to that Syracuse game, he played 70 snaps or something. We can’t do that because he’d been out for so long. So I think this bye has been good for him. He’s got some extra conditioning in, and I think he’ll continue to improve.”

Awesome Dawson
Lamar Dawson has been one of the stars of the defense since returning from injury before the Syracuse game, racking up 19 tackles in the past two contests alone. And this might just be the tip of the iceberg for the 6-foot-2, 235-pound middle linebacker.

“I think we played our best game on defense last week -- it had a lot to do with him,” said Kiffin. “He’s played physical, and he’s finally getting comfortable. He’s only in his second year, and he’s been hurt in both seasons and missed time. So it’s almost like he kind of now has one full season of games. So we’re really excited about his development and the way that he’s played the last two weeks.”

Mr. Versatility
It’s not as if T.J. McDonald had a whole lot more to prove heading into this season in terms of his individual play, but now you can add versatility to his long list of talents. The Trojans have been bringing the 2011 All-American safety up on certain plays into a kind of hybrid defensive end position, freeing him up to cause havoc at the line of scrimmage. It’s safe to say that the move has been a success so far, further emphasizing his unique abilities.

“We did some similar things with Eric Berry a few years ago in our one year with him, and it really kind of came from watching T.J. blocking kicks -- how well he rushed,” explained Kiffin. “And when it came up, our defensive ends had been beat up like they still are, so it allows us to get some reps there with some speed. And obviously he can drop too, and do all of the things in coverage as well.”

Hays a backup no more
Utah’s offense was dealt a crushing blow in the second game of the season when fourth-year starting quarterback Jordan Wynn went down with a career-ending shoulder injury. Six-foot senior Jon Hays has taken over, and the transition has certainly come with its struggles -- the Utah offense currently ranks dead-last in the Pac-12 in passing offense (298.2 yards per game). Hays has shown promise, and with 11 starts under his belt, he doesn’t lack experience.

“I thought he’s thrown the ball well,” Kiffin said. “I thought there were a couple times where they could have helped him out by making some plays outside. From a competitive standpoint, you like when you see a backup that you’re getting ready to play, but when you watch him, he’s not really a backup. And he played a lot last year.”

LOS ANGELES -- The No. 2-ranked USC Trojans begin Pac-12 conference play Saturday against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium (4:30 p.m. PT). Here are five things to watch:

1. No Luck. How much of a problem? By now, just about everybody knows the Cardinal are without former all-everything quarterback Andrew Luck, who graduated to the NFL after last season and now starts for the Indianapolis Colts. What not everybody knows is the name of his replacement: Josh Nunes, a fourth-year player from Upland, Calif. He's been good so far, making few of mistakes that often plague first-time starters. But many of the Trojans weren't afraid to say this week that Nunes is not yet comparable to Luck. For the Cardinal, the obvious narrative after they barely snuck by the San Jose State Spartans to win their opener was growing pains with a first-year signal-caller. But Nunes demonstrated improvement against Duke in Week 2. If they were to upset the Trojans, that would obviously be a sign his growth process has accelerated quite a bit.

2. The unkind road and the unkind team. In each of the past five seasons, USC has lost either its first or second conference road game, including its first in three of the past four seasons. That's kind of an alarming statistic, and it might help explain why the Trojans are favored by single digits in most locations for this game. Of course, it's an even more unsettling stat that this season’s crop of USC seniors -- Matt Barkley included -- hasn't beaten Stanford in their college careers. That hasn't happened to a USC class with a regular opponent in more than a decade. Stanford Stadium isn't the loudest, craziest opposing atmosphere in the conference. But many of the Trojans' older players may have memories of a 37-35 loss on a game-ending field goal two years ago at Stanford enter their heads at various times Saturday.

3. A real running back. Stanford's Stepfan Taylor hasn't played like a particularly elite running back thus far this season, but he's thought of as one around the country. He may be the best back the Trojans face all year, so it could be a telling test for the USC front seven. Linemen Morgan Breslin and Antwaun Woods have played better than expected through two games. But can they keep it up when a capable, varied running game is thrown into the mix? If this is the first game this season USC sees the originally planned linebacking crew of Dion Bailey, Lamar Dawson and Hayes Pullard on the field together shortly after kickoff, can they handle the Cardinal's run game as a group? Will the Trojans' secondary be unified enough to prevent long runs?

4. Media distraction? It's easy to overstate the impact here -- and let's first clarify that few of USC's players may have even heard about what happened this week with the status of injuries and the local media – but it's quite unlikely thee events will affect play. But if Lane Kiffin were to somehow lose this week, he'd get absolutely roasted in subsequent days by the national media for worrying about the practice suspension of a local reporter in the middle of an important game week. He'll of course say it wasn't a distraction, but the results will stand alone. It's kind of a ready-made critique of a college football coach: If they don't win, what's the point of being so secretive about your players' injuries, anyway?

5. The tandem. Most in-game signs are pointing to Silas Redd 's eventual takeover of the Trojans' No. 1 running back role and Curtis McNeal's quiet demotion to the second spot. If it's going to happen, this will be the week it does, with USC needing to establish a consistent run game early against Stanford's solid defense. Then again, there's always the possibility that Kiffin has been keeping McNeal extra fresh, what with 16 carries in two games, so he can succeed in a game like this one. If Redd again gets 60 to 70 percent of the total carries and performs well, it's safe to assume he's USC's top back -- regardless of whether he's officially defined as such by Kiffin and Co.

Prediction: USC 41-30.

The No. 2 USC Trojans play their first road game of the 2012 season against Syracuse (12:30 p.m. PT) on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Here are five things to watch:

1. A different approach in the backfield. Who could have predicted that Curtis McNeal and Silas Redd, both 1,000-yard rushers in 2011, would have combined to carry the ball 14 times against Hawaii? Not many. But the Trojans are sure to alter that distribution of the play calls this week, both to keep McNeal and Redd happy and to show teams on tape that they're not overly reliant on the pass. Also of note: With D.J. Morgan out after undergoing knee surgery, who's going to be USC's third back? A quick look at the depth chart would tell you it's redshirt freshman Buck Allen, but it would not be surprising if fullback Soma Vainuku ended up getting the majority of the carries behind McNeal and Redd.

2. Passing talent. Ryan Nassib, Syracuse's senior quarterback, can play. He had success against USC last season at the Coliseum, with a 68 percent completion rate and no picks, and he had a lot of success in Syracuse's opener last week against Northwestern, with a school-record 470 passing yards. The Trojans have enough talent in their secondary to keep the Orange offense from really getting going, but there are still some questions. Last week, Hawaii found it could attack the Trojans' second and third corner slots and consistently advance the ball. If that's the case again Saturday, it could lead to a bit of trouble for USC. Syracuse's leading receiver in 2011, Alec Lemon, sat out Week 1 and is questionable this week.

3. Injured returns? Cornerback Torin Harris and linebacker Lamar Dawson, two of the three Trojans who missed last week's opener because injury, said this week that they'll be back for Syracuse. So that will add some intrigue, especially since Trojans coach Lane Kiffin seems to think Harris could solidify that second corner spot if healthy. Adding Dawson into the mix given his weeks of missed camp could be a risky proposition, but USC clearly feels it makes more sense to introduce him this week than next week in Palo Alto. He has to start playing again sometime if he's going to be the Trojans' regular middle linebacker.

4. The road and NFL atmosphere. USC will play in at least two NFL stadiums this season -- Saturday at MetLife and next month at CenturyLink Field in Seattle (Washington's home stadium is being renovated). This week's venue is particularly interesting because it's being used for two NFL games in a five-day span surrounding USC's appearance. The New York Giants played the Dallas Cowboys there Wednesday, and the New York Jets will host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. But reports out of New Jersey say the entire top level of MetLife Stadium will be closed down for USC-Syracuse, cutting the max number of attendees from 82,000 to roughly 40,000.

5. Barkley and Lee, Barkley vs. Lee. It was widely assumed in the offseason that Matt Barkley would be USC's top Heisman Trophy candidate. It only made sense, with a senior quarterback returning to a preseason BCS favorite. But Marqise Lee sort of stole the show in Week 1, and if he keeps up that type of play into the meat of the Trojans' schedule, he could conceivably start to take away votes from Barkley. So, in these early-season games where the outcome isn't much in doubt, it'll be fun to follow the statistical race between the two. What's better, a 200-yard, two-touchdown game as a receiver or a 400-yard, four-touchdown game as a quarterback? It's also Barkley's 22nd birthday on Saturday, so maybe he'll get the benefit of the doubt this time.

LOS ANGELES -- USC linebacker Anthony Sarao has exactly one college start to his name, but he's already somewhat of a local legend back home in suburban Atlantic City, N.J., because of where he went to school.

He's looking to add to that this weekend, when the Trojans take on Syracuse at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., two hours north of Sarao's hometown in Egg Harbor Township.

"Where I'm from, nobody really makes it," Sarao said Wednesday.

"But now everybody saw me on the field Week 1, so everybody's a USC fan, supporting."

Sarao, a redshirt freshman at USC, arrived on campus last summer as a hyped four-star linebacker, then earned scout team defensive player of the year honors while redshirting the 2011 season. He started at weakside linebacker in his college debut Saturday against Hawaii and performed well, recording four tackles and an eight-yard sack.

He may or may not start against this Saturday -- depending on the health of middle linebacker Lamar Dawson -- but he figures to have a sizable role with this Trojans team this season.

And that's a big surprise to people from his hometown, he says. There isn't much of a football tradition in the South Jersey area, so his friends aren't used to Jersey natives having such immediate success in college football -- especially so far away from home.

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LOS ANGELES -- USC was without three starters in its season-opening win over Hawaii on Saturday.

Two of those three, middle linebacker Lamar Dawson and cornerback Torin Harris, say they'll be back this week for Syracuse. Defensive end Wes Horton's status is still unknown.

But Dawson and Harris are rearing to be back.

"This week, yeah, I expect to play," Dawson said on Wednesday. "I've been practicing, getting reps, and I'm just ready to get back on the field."

Of course, he said similar stuff a week ago. But a decision was eventually made "not to rush things," Dawson said, and keep him out of the opener.

If he does indeed suit up, he'd likely displace Anthony Sarao from the starting lineup at linebacker, with Hayes Pullard moving back to the weakside from his makeshift middle position. But Sarao will likely still take considerable snaps either way, based on his solid play against Hawaii.

Dawson said he was about "95 percent" healthy.

Harris, who's been out since the first week of camp with what he said was a hamstring injury, could also move into the starting lineup if healthy, moving Saturday starter Anthony Brown to the nickel slot.

"Yeah, I'm back," he said. "Whatever the coaches have planned, I'll play my role."

Harris hasn't played in a game since last September, when he hurt his shoulder against Arizona State. He said he felt like forever since he's been on the field in a game situation.

But his latest injury didn't discourage him much.

"I've been through a lot worse than just a hammy pull," Harris said. "This is where I want to be, so I'll do anything to get back out here."

Asked if any or all of the three injured players would be back Saturday, Kiffin had little to say.

"I hope so," he said.

Here are notes and quotes from Lane Kiffin's Sunday evening teleconference with the media, as the Trojans' head coach looked back at his team's 49-10 win over Hawaii and looked forward toward Syracuse:

Plenty of room for defensive improvement

USC played alright on defense against Hawaii, but Kiffin wanted to see more playmaking from his defenders -- especially a deep secondary that possessed a significant athleticism advantage over the Warriors receivers.

But the Trojans' head coach attributed a lot of the desired playmaking to the three defensive starters who did not play in the game due to injury: defensive end Wes Horton, middle linebacker Lamar Dawson and cornerback Torin Harris.

When some of those guys get back, Kiffin will expect immediate improvement, with games against better offensive teams Syracuse and Stanford quickly approaching.

"We're gonna need to make more plays on the ball in the secondary," Kiffin said Sunday.

McNeal should play more

No, it was not part of Kiffin's plan to run Curtis McNeal only five times in the Trojans' season opener.

It sort of just happened. And so McNeal finished with only 10 yards, his lowest rushing total since the second game of the 2011 season.

Kiffin said Saturday was "kind of a strange game offensively," what with how many explosive plays USC was able to achieve through the air and how few the Trojans got on the ground.

That probably had to do with the fact that Kiffin called 43 pass plays and just 21 running plays. But Kiffin said Hawaii's defense "really dictated" how much USC tried to throw the ball.

He did at least allow that it wasn't "the balance we're looking for."

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