Several younger players will be on full display during the bye week as coaches put them in places to move up the depth chart and position themselves for starring roles in future years. The extra practice reps for the inexperienced players also give the older guys more rest so they can be healthy for the stretch run of the season. It's a strategy Carroll has used for bye weeks in each of his nine seasons at USC.
"It's development time," Coach Carroll said of the bye.
With several starting spots opening up just three games from now, the players Carroll and his assistants will be watching the most this week are:
- Safeties Jawanza Starling and T.J. McDonald
- Offensive linemen Matt Kalil, Khaled Holmes, John Martinez and Kevin Graf
- Wideout De'Von Flournoy
- Defensive lineman Kevin Greene
