The initial reports on injured linebackers Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing are mostly positive.
Maualuga will have an MRI on his sprained right knee Monday. USC coach Pete Carroll said Friday that Maualuga’s knee did not swell.
Cushing broke a bone in one of his hands. He will wear a cast (for the second time this year) and will be able to play against Oregon, Carroll said.
Safety Taylor Mays “should be OK” after suffering a bruised chest, Carroll said.
Right guard Zack Heberer has a sprained big toe. His status is TBD.
Related links:
When are the Trojans going to realize that Joe Mcknight is not Reggie Bush and never will be. He does not have the explosiveness, but more importantly, he does not have the mental discipline; once McKnight loses his confidence, GAME OVER for him. There are at least two other backs that statistically have shown to have better “hands” than McKnight. Correct me if I am wrong, but in order to return a punt, don’t you first have to catch the ball? Relying on McKnight to convert on a CRUCIAL 3rd down is almost ludicrous in any type of competent offensive play calling, especially since it was a bust in the SAME game. As far as #15’s defensive competency in the end zone; even high school players are taught that basic principal of knocking the ball down, I don’t care what your playing experience is. To Mr. Sarkisan- aka offensive “coordinator”- it is truly apparent that “Mr. Rodgers” made it quite clear that is wasn’t “a great day in the neighborhood”!!!!!
Losses happen - it’s why they play the games.
Yes, it seems like Joe Mac is not Reggie Bush - yet. He might never be actually - but he was good against tOSU and as long as they don’t put him in that direct snap situation he’s still threat to take it all the way every time he is on the field and thus the opposition has to allow for his presence.
Take away the unfortunate tip by Thomas into the hands of “the other” Rodgers and the game probably would have been a 14-14 tie midway through the 3rd quarter. But then again the Trojans never really seemed on their game so who knows if the outcome really should have been any different from what it was?
As seen today (Saturday), a number of supposed top 10 teams lost to supposedly inferior opponents - about the only constant at this point is that the pollsters seem unable to figure this thing out so perhaps it will be better just to wait and see what happens over the next two months before worrying about the BCS games.
As for the Trojans, it is pretty much a certainty that they will need to win all of their remaining Pac-10 games if they want to win record 7th straight title - so it’s pretty much business as usual and USC gets the luxury of two weeks at home against decent foes in Oregon and ASU. Get the two wins (which won’t necessarily be pushovers) and move on - make that “Fight On”.