Orange County Register

Tailback Joe McKnight said, “I’m back.”

Receiver Damian Williams said, “I’m fine.”

Defensive tackle Fili Moala said, “I’m playing … with an ankle or not.”

USC was talking a healthy game two days before playing at Arizona on Saturday. Moala, who suffered a sprained right ankle Wednesday, was the only one of the aforementioned three that did not practice Thursday, instead running on the side.

“It wasn’t too stiff,” he said. “My straight ahead movement is good. My lateral movement I’m not too high on.”

Williams, who suffered an AC sprain in his right shoulder Wednesday, resumed his normal workload, including punt returns. Standing nearby was McKnight, who practiced at full speed for the first time in two weeks because of a turf toe injury.

“I got to burst today,” he said. “When I make a cut and burst I feel a little bit (of pain). It’s just a matter of dealing with the pain.

“I’m close to 100 (percent).”

Coach Pete Carroll said C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson, who received most of the first-team repetitions this week, will get the “bulk of the work” against Arizona.

“We’ve got plays for (McKnight) we’d like to get him in on,” said Carroll, a day after he said he was preparing as if McKnight would not play.

Carroll added that he did not foresee having the same type of balance in carries that USC had against Washington State.

Gable had 16 carries and Johnson had 11 carries against the Cougars. Broderick Green, who had had nine carries on the season, rushed 18 times for 121 yards.

“That was a good game to mix everybody evenly,” Carroll said. “That was not by design until we realized how the game was going. This is different.”

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