- The injury report was the longest it has been all year. Here are the major players that did not participate in practice: WR Darreus Rogers (hamstring), WR Steven Mitchell Jr. (ankle), DE Claude Pelon (knee), TE Taylor McNamara (illness), S John Plattenburg (illness), LB Michael Hutchings (illness), OT Chad Wheeler (concussion) and OLB Scott Felix (knee).
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With all the injuries at wide receiver, Adoree' Jackson practiced with the offense today, so he is "totally prepared" for everything that they might need him to do on that side of the ball this week. - With fewer wideouts available, freshman TE Tyler Petite played a bigger role against Notre Dame, catching three passes for 26 yards. "I think we can definitely be used more," said Petite about the tight ends. "Honestly, if I were Cody, I think we still have a lot to prove as a tight end group. We're a bunch of new guys. We still are proving ourselves to be viable targets. I think as we get more involved, we'll make big plays."
- Freshman WR Deontay Burnett will also continue to see his opportunities increase, especially after rising to the occasion in South Bend. "Being a true freshman, he wasn't afraid of the moment," said WR coach Tee Martin. "He went in against Notre Dame and blocked his tail off, caught some big balls as well. He's a young guy with a bright future."
- The third new piece of the pass catching puzzle is Jalen Greene. "One of the faster transitions I've seen in my career," said Martin about Greene's conversion from quarterback. "We try and use all his talent. Throwing the ball a couple times this year and then obviously as a receiver. The thing that's shocked me about him is how physically he's played. Not saying quarterbacks aren't tough, but he's surprisingly playing really, really physical as a receiver and it's good to see."
- The center position is the other big change on offense. Toa Lobendahn (pictured) stepped in for Max Tuerk, who is lost for the season due to a knee injury, and performed well, but he needs to improve his shotgun snapping. "There's a lot that goes into it," said Lobendahn about an accurate snap. "Main thing is just trying to get a good snap and remember that feeling and repeat it every time."
- Lobendahn also has increased responsibility in terms of communication, which was not easy at Notre Dame Stadium. "It really forced me to yell everything at the top of my lungs and point. I was almost giving hand signals out there," he said. "It was challenging, but it was fun. I like those type of challenges. At our own stadium, it will obviously be a lot easier, but I think it will prepare us for games in the future like playing at Oregon."
- Cody Kessler summed up all the changes on offense, saying, "So many young guys have to play right now. With [Deontay] and some of the young guys on the o-line. Toa's just moving to center now as a sophomore and getting thrown into that, which is a huge position. I think it's really underestimated how important that is for an offense and he's doing a great job with it," he said. "There's a lot of youth on this team, but these guys are responding great and doing a really good job."
- On the defensive side, the Trojans are trying to evoke their nastiness. "Everybody wants to get back to the grind and everybody wants to hit somebody after that loss so I was expecting that," said OLB Su'a Cravens about the chippy practice. "I like being physical, I invite it."
- Cravens is related by marriage to Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. "He's just done a great job with recruiting and running what he wants to run," Cravens said about Whittingham. "He succeeded since his first year there. He's doing a great job."
- Here is Helton's post-practice press conference, in which he said, "The guys inspired me. You can tell how much they want to win."
