Cal Wednesday: Notes

The Trojans are preparing for Cal's two quarterback offense.

The injury report only had one addition as RT Chuma Edoga was held out to rest his sore knee, head coach Clay Helton announced.

USC's cornerback situation is uncertain with Iman Marshall and Greg Johnson getting injured last week, so senior CB Jonathan Lockett is working both inside and outside in practice. The fifth-year senior has reemerged as an important player for the Trojans. "He's been really solid for us all year long, he just hasn't played a lot until the last couple weeks," DC Clancy Pendergast said about Lockett. "Continuity-wise, I like to keep the same guys out there in the secondary at one time, so he probably should've played more earlier in the year, but it's hard to pull Ajene out because he's played really well. Some of the games didn't go as we anticipated where he could've played a little bit more but he's always been ready to go."

Helton compared Lockett to Kevon Seymour as someone who is "getting his opportunity in the second half of the season and making the most of it" and called him a "tremendous utility guy."

Despite the lack of game time, Lockett was ready when his number was finally called because he works at his craft every week. "It's just myself and telling myself that my time is gonna come and to keep on practicing hard," Lockett said. "It's all about talking to yourself and being prepared."

The former highly-touted recruit out of Mater Dei has faced adversity throughout his USC career, but never thought about throwing in the towel. "You know I'm a competitor. And it's 'SC," he said. "I don't want to leave this place. People were in my ear transfer, transfer here, transfer there, but I didn't want to do that. I want to stay here, just grind it out and hopefully when my time comes be ready."

Lockett is not the only player moving up the depth chart this week. Freshman CB Olaijah Griffin is expected to return, and if he is healthy, "He will get a lot of reps," Helton said.

On the offensive side of the ball, freshman RB Markese Stepp is slotted in as the third running back in place of the injured Stephen Carr. He is also preparing for special teams. Stepp can play in two more games without burning his redshirt.

All the talk this week has been about Cal's impressive defense, but the Trojans have the difficult task of preparing for the Bears offense without knowing which quarterback will start. "It's kind of difficult because one is a runner who's basically like a running back playing quarterback and the other is a thrower," Lockett said. "But I think Coach Clancy has a good scheme for them and we should be good."

USC's run defense will be called upon to slow down senior RB Patrick Laird who is the focal point of Cal's offense. "They're attacking a lot of different areas, ton of different personnel," LB Cameron Smith said. "They like to run the ball and every defense's goal is to make the offense one dimensional and that's our goal this game."

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