- CB Torin Harris (shoulder) and RB George Farmer (walking boot) did not practice. Robert Woods (undisclosed) and Andre Heidari (ankle/foot) were limited.
- Harris continues to suffer from nerve damage in his shoulder, which they test every day. The doctors are waiting for the nerves to fire before Harris is cleared to play.
- The defense forced a pair of turnovers today with interceptions by LB Tre Madden (photo from Tuesday by John McGillen) and S Drew McAllister.
- Stanford has three tight ends (Coby Fleener, Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo) that have accounted for 47 catches for 867 yards and 13 touchdowns. "I don't know how they have so many people," Lane Kiffin marveled at the Cardinal's depth.
- By comparison, USC tight ends Randall Telfer, Xavier Grimble and Rhett Ellison have combined for 33 catches for 267 yards and 6 TDs.
- Ellison has not put up big stats, but he is an integral part of the blocking scheme. "Rhett's played great," Kiffin praised. "Rhett makes a ton of plays that nobody knows about."
- Kiffin admires Stanford's power football identity and has tried to develop that at USC over the last two years. Last week, the Trojans offensive line mauled Notre Dame's defensive front, but the head coach needs to see more. "We're not there yet," he hesitated to call his offensive line a strength. "As [Lee] Corso says, 'Not so fast.'"
- However, the running back rotation has finally taken shape with Marc Tyler and Curtis McNeal splitting carries. "Marc played really well [against Notre Dame] even though he was banged up," Kiffin said. "Curtis, obviously, two games in a row has played exceptionally well."
- Stanford's run offense is ranked 17th in the nation, while USC will counter with the country's 11th best rush defense.
- The Trojans were known for great run stoppers like Mike Patterson, Shaun Cody and Sedrick Ellis in the last decade, but this group of defensive tackles has received little publicity. "We don't have the production that those guys had, but we've got some journeymen guys who do a great job and they've proved it during the season," said defensive coordinator Ed Orgeron.
- DE Wes Horton has a pair of sacks this season, but he would like to add superstar QB Andrew Luck to his book. "I had dreams right after the Notre Dame game of getting after Andrew Luck. He's a possible Heisman candidate, a good offensive line, so it couldn't be a better stage to get after the quarterback and have a productive game."
- CB Isiah Wiley made a great play to break up a pass intended for Robert Woods today. We'll have a feature on Wiley later today.
- The local firefighters from across Jefferson came to practice this morning as special guests.
- Here's Coach Kiffin...
University Southern California Trojans
Stanford Wednesday: Notes
October 01, 2011 | USC Ripsit Blog
Stanford Wednesday: Notes
A second consecutive shortened practice as the Trojans get their legs back ahead of a grueling test against Stanford.
Wednesday, July 08
Wednesday, July 08
Wednesday, July 08
Monday, July 06
