Written by Dave Dulberg, USC blog contributor
With the team set to fly to Chicago later this afternoon, Thursday's morning session was more or less a glorified walk-through...
- No new injuries to report heading just two days before the team's rivalry game in South Bend. CB Torin Harris (shoulder) sat out and is unlikely to play against Notre Dame, but RB Marc Tyler (shoulder) and WR Marqise Lee (shoulder) practiced without the yellow no-contact jersey for the first time this week.
- USC is currently listed as a nine-point underdog this Saturday, but Lane Kiffin thinks that role might actually benefit his young team. "I don't think [the spread] bothers this team too much, because we don't really talk about that kind of stuff," Kiffin said. "Going in, sometimes it's better though to have those type of outside expectations, because kids don't feel as much pressure."
- (Photo of Nick Perry by John McGillen)
- This weekend is typically known as being one of the more important trips of the season for highly-touted recruits, but Kiffin believes a lot of times that aspect of the game is built up to mean more than it actually does come Signing Day. "In the end, by the time guys sign the papers, so much has happened since this game," said Kiffin. "We've seen it help sometimes, in the case of Reggie [Bush}, who was at the game Carson [Palmer] went off against them. At the end of the day, after Saturday, there is still so much time, so many home visits, so many official visits, that by the time they sign the game is out of their mind."
- In terms of visits, DT Christian Tupou will be making a rare 3rd appearance in Notre Dame Stadium this weekend. "I feel blessed, lucky and grateful to be making this trip again, especially to the coaching staff who took me my freshman year," said Tupou. "But I definitely am in a defensive lineman mentality right now, and will treat this like any other game."
- Tupou on the sage advice he offered to teammates who hadn't made the trip: "It's important not to let the outside stuff effect your game, because all of that hype is just for the alums of each school. It's a privilege to be a part of this rivalry and tradition, but it's time to go work and represent the Trojan family and your family out there on the field."
- Coming into Saturday night's primetime billing, the Irish boast one of the more formidable 1-2 RB punches in college football, with Cierre Wood (650 yards and 6 TDs) and Jonas Gray (395 yards and 4 TDs). "They just have so much speed," said Tupou. "When they hit the corner, they are gone. They both have special breakaway speed, so for us, it has to be 11 guys on the ball at all times."
- Kiffin on Notre Dame's backfield: "They are physical. They like to fall forward a lot and will run through you. They're hard to bring down and their offensive line has been playing really consistent, because they are a veteran group. They just play together really well."
- Outside of the Irish's run game, a lot of the talk this week has centered around ILB Manti Te'o (who is currently listed as the No.13 best player on Mel Kiper's draft board). Te'o comes in leading the country at his position with four sacks, while also adding 8.5 tackles for a loss. "He is just a great player with incredible instincts for a linebacker," center Khaled Holmes said. "After watching film on him, he's just always around the ball. He's definitely someone as a unit we will have our eye on."
- All eyes were on CB James Harbin (JUCO transfer) today, who may see playing time due to the injuries sustained by Harris and CB Anthony Brown (season-ending ankle surgery). While the media rushed to greet No. 47 after practice, his teammates and head coach made sure to rag on him for all the new-found attention.
- Here's the coach for the final time before Saturday night's highly anticipated 4:30 p.m. (Los Angeles time) matchup with the Fighting Irish...
