USC's Trojans got one potential starter, quarterback Mark Sanchez, back Tuesday, but lost another, tailback C. J. Gable, to a sprained hip and sprained ankle injury almost as freakish as the dislocated kneecap that sidelined Sanchez the past 12 days.
"He's really sore,"
team physician Dr. James Tibone said after examining Gable.
The hip was more of a problem than the ankle after being twisted to the ground from behind just before he was about to make a cut.
"We won't know for a few days,"
how long the redshirt sophomore will be out, Tibone said.
Sanchez was another story, after taking pre-practice snaps with the first team and throwing as many as 35 passes with little loss in arm strength or accuracy despite his inactivity.
"He looked good, really good,"
Tibone said.
"It felt good,"
said Sanchez, whose goal is to go full-steam by next Tuesday when the game-week installation begins in earnest for the Aug. 30 opener at Virginia.
"He was able to throw the football with ease,"
offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian said. "He's not restricted at all."
But the best part is right now, Sanchez said, the knee showed little swelling and pain after practice. By Tuesday, the goal is "full flexion (in the knee) without pain."
USC coach Pete Carroll was encouraged about Sanchez getting into the flow of things, but downbeat after Gable's injury.
"Sure it affects us,"
Carroll said even though USC is still five-deep at tailback.
"He's a good football player ... a dynamic player,"
Carroll said. "He can do everything. It's a real disappointment."
New-Look Receiving Corps
If the Trojans' wide receivers have a new look about them this season, there are two reasons why. The first is simple: More veteran guys can do more things, and do them better. Last year, this group couldn't live up to its recruiting rankings.
This year, from 6-foot-5 Patrick Turner to 5-9 Travon Patterson, from Vidal Hazelton to David Ausberry and Ronald Johnson, Carroll said, they're better and more diversified across the board.
But it's Arkansas transfer Damian Williams who is the game-changer for this group. Running out of the slot much of the time to give him freedom to use the whole field to find an open spot, Williams hasn't disappointed.
"He has a knack of finding the soft spot,"
Sarkisian said."That's something we haven't had for a couple of years. And he has a burst after the catch. Damian has such a feel for the game."
"They are calling a lot of plays for me,"
Williams said. "I like that."
More USC Notes
Safety Kevin Ellison got a day off Tuesday, and tailback Allen Bradford, nicked up with "a little hip thing,"
Carroll said, also was given the day off as a preventative move.
Tailback Joe McKnight was back in action, with no elbow brace and going full-speed while protecting his finger with the most recent missing fingernail. The Trojans will be put through the next 24 hours in the exact conditions they'll find themselves in Aug. 30 at Virginia. That includes the afternoon walk-through and pep rally with the band, to the trip to the hotel and full game-day routine today and Thursday, including an off-limits-to-the-media policy for the only time in the preseason before Thursday's mock game at the Coliseum (3:30 p.m., open to the public).
