2018 Mock Game Wednesday: Notes

Some Trojans' tempers flared at a competitive practice on Wednesday.

Full injury report, per USC head coach Clay Helton: CB Je'Quari Godfrey (groin), OL Bernard Schirmer (stinger).

After three weeks of competing against each other, it's clear the Trojans are ready to take out some aggression on their opponents. WR Michael Pittman Jr. and S Bubba Bolden got into an altercation during 11-on-11, but Helton was more pleased than bothered by the scuffle. "We talked to them yesterday about how we wanted to be competitive and not be lackadaisical in practice," Helton said. "You have to let kids compete, because when you do that, Saturdays get easier ... You want to be right there on the edge where you're competing at the highest level, but still staying disciplined, fundamental, within your assignment, and making sure you're not getting penalties."

Helton noted that Bolden (pictured) has always been a guy that "doesn't mind hitting," which has translated to success on the field. "He's very physical, and he showed that on special teams last year," Helton said. "Now with spring camp and another training camp, his knowledge has really grown."

USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast has been pleased with Bolden's growth as well as he fights for a starting safety position. "He's really getting a feel for playing a more extended role than he has in the past," Pendergast said. "I think he's improved his tackling up around the box for sure and in the open field, and those are two things we identified that he needed to work on. We would like to see him play the ball a little better in the deep part of the field, but I think he's had a pretty good camp."

Despite today's chippiness, senior LB Cameron Smith — who recently returned from hamstring injury — remained as cool-headed as ever. The captain has undergone quite a transformation since January, dropping approximately 22 lbs. to currently weigh in at 233. "I feel like I have a lot more energy and can better run sideline to sideline," he said. "It's the lightest I've weighed since my sophomore year in high school, so I feel great."

Pendergast had nothing but praise for Smith's development at USC. "I'm real proud of him," he said. "He's really been a fun guy to coach and from where he was coming off a knee injury in 2016 to going from middle linebacker to dime and then last year playing in the middle again and now he's got a full year under his belt playing in the middle where he's not just seeing half the field but he's seeing the whole field. I think he's gonna have an opportunity to have a real big year this year."

Pendergast also gushed about LB John Houston Jr. "He is really like night and day," Pendergast said. "He needed to just get experience and if you look at how he played down the stretch last year, most of the times if a guy has that kind of talent, the more he plays the better he's going to get so a lot of the reason he played as much as he did was because I wanted to see him develop."

USC football alum Soma Vainuku attended practice today, as did a few hundred USC students as part of the Trojan Fever program.

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