2018 Texas Tuesday: Notes

After suffering their first loss of the season, the Trojans hit the practice field hard to prepare for a trip to Texas this weekend.

Full injury report, per USC head coach Clay Helton: S Isaiah Pola-Mao is out for the Texas game with a shoulder injury. QB JT Daniels looked "really good today" despite suffering a hand bruise against Stanford. OL Jalen McKenzie (illness) and CB Isaiah Langley (hip/groin) missed practice. Dl Christian Rector practiced despite a back issue. LB Juliano Falaniko (AC sprain) and TE Josh Falo (hamstring) returned to practice.

Daniels missed a series against Stanford after hitting his hand on a player's helmet. "I didn't see any hesitation, didn't see any wincing," Helton said of Daniels' performance today. "He really looked good today, so I'm confident that he'll be available come Saturday."

Daniels threw the first two interceptions of his young career on Saturday, but USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin is confident that they can work together to get the best out of the QB going forward. "I'm learning the quarterback and he's learning me," Martin said. "I've got a good feel for what he likes now after watching the last two games. We sat down and watched film and talked about it, and that's part of the learning and maturation process."

Daniels kept his head on straight and his eyes forward despite the loss to Stanford. "You just keep playing football," he said. "Just because it hasn't gone good to that point doesn't mean it can't go good at any point. It takes one big play and the whole momentum shifts. I'm just trying to think about my job and what coach is calling and how to execute it."

To take pressure off the young QB, USC has placed extra emphasis on the run thus far. "I feel good about where are right now running the ball," Martin said. "It'll be a challenge against Texas, who last year we didn't run the ball great against. They're stout."

Senior RB Aca'Cedric Ware is ready for his big moment this weekend. Ware hails from DeSoto, Tex., just outside of Dallas, so he's looking forward to heading back to the Lone Star state. "I'm very excited," he said. "I can't wait to get home. I've got a lot of family coming, and I've got to put on a show for them.

Ware (pictured below) and the coaches acknowledged that Stanford brought a lot of exotic pressures to attack the freshman quarterback on Saturday, and they're expecting the same from Texas. "I've always been a big fan of [Texas defensive coordinator] Todd Orlando," Helton said. "Unbelievable amount of zone pressures coming from everywhere. It's different each and every game. Multiple coverages, disguising coverages. Makes it hard on young quarterbacks."

Helton singled out Texas DB P.J. Locke III, who leads the Longhorns in tackles through two games. "I think he's all over the field," he said. "He just shows up everywhere."

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