USC closed practice to the media on Thursday, but coach Clay Helton met with reporters afterward to discuss the session and his expectations for the mock game this weekend (which is also closed to media).
He also had some interesting comments about how the Trojans plan to use impressive freshman receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
But first, injury updates ...
Health Report
Center Toa Lobendahn (knee/pectoral), left tackle Austin Jackson (ankle) and linebacker Jordan Iosefa (residual soreness from spring kneecap injury) were given the day off Thursday to "take some wear and tear off their injuries they've had in the past." Helton called it preventative.
In addition to Lobendahn and Jackson, the Trojans have another key offensive lineman whose workload will have to be monitored moving forward.
Helton noted that right tackle Chuma Edoga is battling through a "labral injury to the hip" that he said is non-surgical.
"But we'll just have to monitor throughout the season," Helton said. "They'll have to be, like we've done this week, take some periods away to save the wear and tear. Team periods will be most important to get scheme in and diagnose defenses he's going against."
Offensive tackle Bernard Schirmer's MRI revealed nothing serious after he was pulled from practice Wednesday with a stinger.
"It was fine. There was nothing to it. We're just waiting for full range of motion to come back," Helton said, adding that he hopes he can return to practice Monday.
Versatile St. Brown
One of the lingering questions through the preseason has been whether St. Brown, who has looked like a budding star in his first college camp, would settle into the slot once veteran Michael Pittman returned to practice.
Well, Pittman has been back in action this week and St. Brown indeed got some time in the slot on Wednesday (with Pittman and Tyler Vaughns on the outside), but Helton indicated he still sees the freshman working as an outside receiver "the majority of the time" once the season starts.
"We've been moving Amon-Ra both outside and inside. We have the capability with all our outside receivers to move them in at any point in time, whether it's formation or whether it's a certain personnel group," Helton explained. "So there are situations early in the season that you will see him in the slot, and then there will be times formationally that he will be labeled as an outside receiver in that personnel group, but because of the formation can be placed in the slot. We can also motion him inside also at any point in time so you will see that in the opening game. You will see him as an inside receiver, and the majority of the time -- I would say 75 percent of the time -- you'll see him outside."
Mock game and depth chart decisions
Helton said the Trojans will run through 40-45 plays Saturday in the closed scrimmage Saturday.
The coaches will try to give the first-team offense and defense some looks that they expect to see from opening opponent UNLV, while also putting both units in "certain situational mastery phases" like short-yardage, goal line, two-point conversion, two-minute, red zone, backed up against the goal line, etc.
Mostly, Helton wants to see a clean performance from this team.
"Just putting people where we have to get particular people in within the 40-second clock, nobody moving, everybody lined up right. I'd love to come out of there and just be smiling that, hey, we're game ready, we're ready to go," he said.
And on Sunday, he and his staff will then make some final depth chart decisions.
"[We'll] treat it like an away game, and it's an important day for us. We'll go through that game, and then come in Sunday and sit down as a staff and start diagnosing our two-deep depth chart going into Game 1 and let everybody know where they stand," Helton said.
While he said a depth chart will be released at some point Sunday, that doesn't mean a quarterback decision will be announced with it. Helton said he'd make a separate statement about that position when the time comes, and he wasn't willing to give any hints as to when he expects that time to be.
He said again that he's gone back and re-watched every practice from camp and will continue talking to offensive coordinator Tee Martin and quarterbacks coach Bryan Ellis before making a final call at QB.
"I garner all opinions and then I'll make the best decision for us as a team in this moment in Game 1. I'll let the kids know -- they'll be the first ones to know -- then let their parents know and then let our team know and then let the rest of the world know," Helton said.
Praise for Griffin
Helton had plenty of praise Thursday for freshman cornerback Olaijah Griffin, another of the Trojans' most intriguing newcomers.
"You see a guy that's extremely athletic and has tremendous ball skills. You remember, he was a wide receiver as well," Helton said. "... And Olaijah is displaying that. He had two picks yesterday that I thought were phenomenal. You could see his play on deep balls. Usually, you get a defensive back, those deep balls are hard on them and probably one of the reasons they play DB, but not in his case. He has a very good knack of being able to play the ball at its highest point and being able to retrieve long balls, and I think that's one of the reasons you see him moving up on the depth chart."
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