McKnight wore a boot on his right foot. He said he would undergo X-rays Tuesday and would try to practice. If McKnight has turf toe, it could put his status in doubt for Saturday’s game at Washington State.

McKnight hurt the toe on his final carry against Arizona State.

Others who missed practice included:

• Tailback Stafon Johnson (illness)
• Linebacker Brian Cushing (shoulder)
• Linebacker Kaluka Maiava (ankle)
• Tailback Allen Bradford (hip)
• Offensive tackle Charles Brown (undisclosed)

Related link:

• More on McKnight
• Mark Sanchez stays the course

Number of knockdowns offensive tackle Charles Brown had against Virginia.

Make that a thin cardinal line protecting USC's backfield, which also happens to be hamstrung by injuries. While every team looses players during the season (Cal lost to Oregon State without their starting QB, Stanford beat USC without their's), can anybody in the nation match up with the Trojan's carnage?

From USC football's weekly press release:

Already this season, 11 starters or projected starters have missed games with injuries:  S-CB Josh Pinkard (6 games), C Matt Spanos (3 games), TB C.J. Gable (3 games), LB Brian Cushing (3 games), CB Shareece Wright (2 games), OG Chilo Rachal (2 games), C Kristofer O’Dowd (2 games), QB John David Booty (1 game), CB Cary Harris (1 game), WR Patrick Turner (1 game) and TB Chauncey Washington (1 game).

Also, a number of key backups have missed games due to injuries: CB Kevin Thomas (6 games), OG-C Nick Howell (6 games), TB Broderick Green (6 games), TE Jimmy Miller (5 games), LB Chris Galippo (3 games), TB Stafon Johnson (2 games), WR Travon Patterson (2 games), OT Butch Lewis (2 games), OT Charles Brown (1 game), QB Mark Sanchez (1 game), S Will Harris (1 game) and CB Vincent Joseph (1 game).  Pinkard, Gable, Thomas, Howell, Green, Galippo, Patterson have season-ending injuries.

The impact of these injuries has been enormous. The team could be one fractured finger or a healed foot away from a 6-0 record.

Looking ahead to Notre Dame, here's more from the Sports Information Department:

POSSIBLE:  TB Stafon Johnson (foot), OT Sam Baker (hamstring), S Kevin Ellison (nose), OT Charles Brown (ankle), LB Rey Maualuga (hip), OG Zack Heberer (shoulder), QB John David Booty (finger), LB Brian Cushing (ankle), OG Chilo Rachal (knee), CB Shareece Wright (hamstring), C Kristofer O’Dowd (kneecap), TE Jimmy Miller (back).

OUT:  TB C.J. Gable (abdomen), WR Travon Patterson (foot), LB Chris Galippo (back), S-CB Josh Pinkard (knee), OG-C Nick Howell (hernia), TB Broderick Green (foot), CB Kevin Thomas (shoulder), OT Martin Coleman (shoulder), DE Trey Henderson, WR Damian Williams (shoulder).

That ignores all the players who are just dinged up (see Jeff Byers, pictured above) and leaves out two recently announced injuries to Kyle Moore and Terrell Thomas (hamstring).

Here's what John David Booty's hand looked like after practice today. He didn't throw at all, but he's supposed to try tomorrow with a glove.

*** "I don't know any more about Chauncey (Washington) than I did last night. He has
a sore shoulder. (PER THE TRAINERS--Shoulder sprain, day-to-day)''

*** "C.J. (Gable) is fine. He could've scrimmaged last night. He's
available. I'd think McKnight would have to get back Monday to have
a chance. He was running well last night.''

*** "The offensive line did a nice job in general in the
scrimmage. Carswell and Ausberry had good nights. Hazelton made a
ridiculous catch on the touchdown. (Garrett) Green did well. The catchers did
well and so did the runners. We handled all the game administrative
situations really well. The scrimmages were just like having three
preseason games in the Coliseum.''

*** "I think Charles Brown is okay. He just had back spasms. Radovich
got some playing time. Baker should be okay, too. He could've
played last night.''

*** "Thomas Williams got an ankle and achilles. I think he'll be
okay. Bradford has a little groin and should be fine. Rivers went
back and played.''

"This (Thursday) would normally be a day off after a game. Tomorrow we start
getting into stuff with Idaho."

After X-rays Tuesday, it turns out that Baker has a hairline crack of a rib and will be out through the weekend, giving Charles Brown and Thomas Herring a few more days as starters.

Drew Radovich was making some progress with his lower back strain, getting into shoulder pads for the first time in the afternoon, but not having worked since before the start of practice, he's not in shape to play, Carroll said.

USC offensive tackle Charles Brown filled in as a starter since training camp opened because senior Drew Radovich is out with a back injury. But as the first week closes, Brown is on the verge of winning the position outright based on his performances. “He’s really close to winning the job,” offensive line coach Pat Ruel said. “He’s making calls at the line, I’m real impressed. If he just gets a little more physical, he’ll be fine.” continue

• I spent most of the day watching the defensive line during the positional drills, and later the unit drills, when they combine with (and go up against) the offensive line. The focus of today's d-line drills was on defeating cut blocks (where offensive blockers dive at a defender's legs in order to get them to the ground). The younger players seemed to struggle early on, but got better as the drill progressed. The next drills emphasized hand use techniques such as swim moves and slapping a blocker's hand away. I must say, I'm very impressed with the hand speed and power of the Trojan d-linemen. The 1-on-1 battles between the offensive and defensive linemen featured some great match-ups. Starting left guard Jeff Byers in going to be nasty this season. He displayed incredible technique and physically dominated starting DT Fili Moala twice. Averell Spicer showed that he is ready to contribute at NT this season as he beat starting C Matt Spanos on the same pass rushing drill. The best battle of the drill however, was DE Kyle Moore going against All-World OT Sam Baker. Moore has a very quick first step and gave Baker all he could handle. There is no doubt in my mind that Moore will be the starter on the right side this season, as highly touted freshman DE Everson Griffen continues to learn what big time college football is all about. The o-line looks very solid and has not skipped a beat with Charles Brown filling in at RT for projected starter Drew Radovich.
  

• During the 11-on-11 team scrimmage segment, there wasn't really much separation at RB. Marc Tyler and Hershel Dennis didn't practice, and Broderick Green (along with WR Brandon Carswell) wasn't in full pads, which meant more carries for the 7 other backs. Redshirt freshman WR David Ausberry was the star of the day for the offense, showing off his big-play capability with an impressive touchdown grab in the back of the end zone. Ausberry's size is a definite mismatch for any opponent, and is making a strong case for extensive playing time this season. CB Jim Abbot had the hit of the day when he leveled sophomore RB Stafon Johnson, who had broken off a nice run on the play, with a crushing tackle that got Johnson off his feat and put him on his back.
  

• Joe McKnight had a sub-par workout today and, like Everson Griffen, is still getting introduced to the rigors of big time college football.

• Safety Will Harris did not participate in today's practice. Apparently he suffered a stinger in his neck after yesterday's vicious hit on Jamere Holland. The coaches held him out as precaution and he should be back for tomorrow's practices.

• Today Josh Pinkard took the majority of the first team reps at free safety alongside Kevin Ellison during the 11-on-11. When he wasn't with the first team at safety he was in at corner. Pinkard is playing very well and if he continues to play at such a high level there is no way the coaching staff will be able to keep him off the field.

• Linebacker of the day... Clay Matthews. Matthews had a great day in practice today. He was blowing by offensive linemen in the 11-on-11 team scrimmage, batting down passes, and chasing down ball carriers.

• Fielding punts today were the freshmen Joe McKnight, Brandon Carswell, and Ronald Johnson and senior Desmond Reed. The freshmen had difficulties holding on to the ball as Reed looked the most comfortable and consistent.