The headline injury in training camp was a dislocated kneecap suffered two weeks ago by starting quarterback Mark Sanchez. After seeing him throw in 1-on-1 and 7-on-7 drills, Carroll was pleased with Sanchez's progress and said that he could be practicing at full speed in the next couple of days. That would allow Sanchez, who watched the mock game from the sideline, to participate in game-week preparations.

Asked about his other quarterbacks, Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp, Carroll wasn't saying much without watching the film. "There were no major breakdowns in communication ... we made it through, I think this was just another day for those guys growing."

Sophomore tailback Joe McKnight appeared fine despite dealing with a series of random and presumably painful injuries over the last couple of weeks.

There was some concern over how sharp USC looked on the lines, with a few penalties and turnovers sprinkled in. More coverage after the jump.

--Adam Rose
Photo: Mark Sanchez (6) flanked by Mitch Mustain (16) and Aaron Corp (15). Credit: Lori Shepler / LA Times.

Quick picks:

• Full scrimmage recap from Gary Klein.
• Details on a surprising camp for Garrett Green and other updates from David Wharton.
• Scrimmage stat report (PDF file) from USC.

Click play to listen to Pete Carroll's press gaggle held immediately after the scrimmage:

Media release from USC Sports Information:

WHITE TEAM DEFEATS CARDINAL TEAM, 28-7, IN USC FOOTBALL INTRASQUAD SCRIMMAGE

        LOS ANGELES–The White team, comprised mainly of first and second teamers, defeated the Cardinal (reserves) team, 28-7, in the USC football team’s final intrasquad scrimmage of fall camp in front of 8,000 fans in the Coliseum on Thursday (Aug. 21).
         The White team scored a touchdown in each quarter.  After defensive end Kyle Moore deflected a first quarter pass by Cardinal team quarterback Garrett Green, fellow end Everson Griffen intercepted it in the end zone for a score.  But the Cardinal team responded on its following possession, capping a 74-yard drive with Green’s 12-yard TD pass to wide receiver Brice Butler. 
        Late in the first half, tailback Joe McKnight scored on a 6-yard run that culminated a 69-yard drive for the White squad.
        The White team scored on its first possession of the second half on an 88-yard drive.  Quarterback Aaron Corp hit tight end Blake Ayles on a 12-yard pass, but Ayles fumbled the ball into the end zone and offensive guard Zack Heberer fell on it for a touchdown.
        Quarterback Mitch Mustain hit fullback Adam Goodman for a 2-yard TD on the White team’s final possession of the game to finish the scoring.
        Corp (8-of-10 passing for 85 yards) and Mustain (10-of-14 for 92 yards) split time in the scrimmage.  Mark Sanchez, who entered fall camp as the starting quarterback before dislocating his kneecap on Aug. 8, participated in pre-game drills and could return to practice fulltime next week.
        McKnight ran for 32 yards on 3 carries and had 34 more yards on 3 punt returns.  Tailback Allen Bradford added 39 yards on 6 rushes. Wide receiver Vidal Hazelton had 5 receptions for 44 yards, while Ayles had 3 for 55 yards.
        For the Cardinal team, Green was 10-of-19 passing for 134 yards, but was intercepted twice.  Wide receivers Jordan Cameron (81 yards), D.J. Shoemate (36 yards) and Butler (19 yards) each had 3 catches. Shoemate added 63 yards on 3 kickoff returns.
        The Cardinal defense was led by safety Drew McAllister’s 8 tackles and linebacker Jordan Campbell’s 5 stops.
        Garratt topped the White squad with 3 tackles, while safety Taylor Mays had 3 deflections.
        Six-time defending Pac-10 champion USC opens its season on Aug. 30 at Virginia.

Photos: Pete Carroll (above) and Garrett Green (14). Credit: Lori Shepler / LA Times.

Corp's in and throws a low pass to Vidal Hazelton at the line of scrimmage that falls incomplete. Stafon Johnson picks up four yards on the next play. Corp under heavy rush, finds Hazelton for two yards.
TOUCHDOWN: Green's back and Everson Griffen tips his pass and intercepts it in the end zone. 7-0, white team. Green again and the reserves fail to do much until Kevin Thomas is called for pass interference on Cameron.
Green scrambles for his life but then sets up and finds Cameron wide open behind the defense for 48 yards. Remember this is the vaunted No. 1 defense. Does Virginia have a mobile QB?
TOUCHDOWN: Green then finds Brice Butler for a 12-yard TD pass. Green is 3 for 6 for 83 yards with an interception. Cardinal 7, White 7.
And that's the end of the first quarter. Mitch Mustain must be thinking it would be more fun to be the No. 4 QB, you get more reps.

2008 CFN Unit Rankings

Defenses

1. USC
When linebackers Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing decided to forego the NFL Draft for one more year, it ensured that the Trojans would have one of the nastiest back sevens in the country.  Not only are the two seniors All-America-caliber, but the secondary is sensational. Safeties Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays are among six players with starting experience.  Even without current pros Sedrick Ellis and Lawrence Jackson, the defensive line will be just fine. On the outside, speedy Everson Griffen is good enough to make folks forget about Jackson. On the inside, senior Fili Moala is about to shed his anonymity while making a strong push for All-American honors and a spot in the first round of next year’s NFL Draft.    

Offenses

10. USC
Mark or Mitch? The battle between Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain to replace John David Booty at quarterback isn’t exactly over. Sanchez got the nod in April, but he got hurt and is questionable for the start of the season. Mustain has done nothing but impress the staff since transferring from Arkansas. Whoever gets the ball will have gobs of speed and explosiveness surrounding him. After getting a taste of action as a freshman, RB Joe McKnight is on the tarmac and preparing for national lift-off. The receivers are a year older, with the size, athleticism, and addition of former Hog Damian Williams to dominate opposing secondaries. The line loses four starters, putting the onus on sophomores Kristofer O’Dowd, Butch Lewis, and Zack Heberer to perform like vets.         

Defensive Backs

2. USC
SC has had the Pac-10’s best pass defense two years running. There’s more than enough returning talent and former prep All-Americans to run that streak to three, although a few more interceptions would be nice. In Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays, USC is home to a couple of hard-hitting enforcers with All-America potential. If Josh Pinkard is even close to where he was a couple of years ago, no program in the country will be able to match them at the position. Sure to get picked on early, Shareece Wright needs to give opposing quarterbacks a reason to not look to his side.

Defensive Lines

3. USC
Sedrick Ellis and Lawrence Jackson were two of the first 28 picks in April’s draft, yet the Trojans are going to be more than fine up front. Fili Moala and Everson Griffen are the new headliners of a front wall that’ll rely on a deeper group of players this fall. The Trojans are so quick and strong up front, opposing backs are rarely able to get to the second level. Of course, not that things get any easier there. Moala is going to make himself plenty of money this fall, and Griffen and Kyle Moore are big enough on the outside to be valuable assets in run support.

Linebackers

1. USC
Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing are a pair of NFL-ready linebackers still hanging around the Pac 10. Their presence will help ease the transition of Luthur Brown or Kaluka Maiava into the lineup, while giving the program a couple of intimidating defensive players who opposing coaches will have to account for every Saturday. Led by Maualuga and Cushing, this group has a nose for the football and a gift for fighting through blockers to get to the ball carrier. With the front seven that USC will be rolling out this year, the only tackles the safeties and corners make will be on completed passes.

Running Backs

6. USC
Even after Emmanuel Moody transferred to Florida, there isn’t a school in the nation that features four backs as talented as the ones in this backfield. The Trojans are basically injury-proof, meaning even if one or two players went on the shelf, the running game would survive. As is the case with many USC positions, Pete Carroll will be forced to do a juggling act to be sure that all of his gifted runners are well fed throughout the season.  It’s going to be a challenge.  While Joe McKnight is the star-in-waiting, Stafon Johnson might actually finish the year with the most carries.

Defensive End

1st Team–Everson Griffen, USC; Greg Middleton, Indiana

Middleton was a 2007 HP All-American and should have another great year. Griffen is a physical phenom who is ready to explode on the college scene.

2nd Team–Greg Hardy, Ole Miss; George Selvie, USF

3rd Team–Nick Reed, Oregon; Ricky Sapp, Clemson

Defensive Tackle

1st Team–Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma; Ricky Jean-Francois, LSU

McCoy will key the interior of the Sooner defense, while Jean-Francois is a unique jumbo athlete who should finally put it all together on the field (just like he did in the BCS Title Game) for a whole season.

2nd Team–Fili Moala, USC; Geno Atkins, Georgia

3rd Team–Brian Price, UCLA; Marvin Austin, North Carolina

Outside Linebacker

1st Team–Brian Toal, Boston College; Marcus Freeman, Ohio State

Seems like Toal has been making tackles forever. Freeman is underrated playing in the shadow of Laurinaitis.

2nd Team–Brian Cushing, USC; Rico McCoy, Tennessee

3rd Team–Clinton Snyder, Stanford; Ryan Reynolds, Oklahoma

Middle Linebacker

1st Team–Brandon Spikes, Florida

Spikes did it all for the Gators last year, accumulating 131 tackles, including 14.5 for losses.

2nd Team–Rey Maualuga, USC

3rd Team–James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

Cornerback

1st Team–Walter Thurmond, Oregon; Vontae Davis, Illinois

Thurmond had 103 tackles, 8 TFL, 18 deflections and 5 interceptions. Vontae Davis is a future first-rounder who was a shut-down corner for the Illini.

2nd Team–Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State; Victor Harris, Virginia Tech

3rd Team–Syd’Quan Thompson, Cal; Tony Carter, Florida State

Strong Safety

1st Team–Patrick Chung, Oregon

Chung had 117 tackles and 7.5 TFL last year.

2nd Team–Chad Jones, LSU

3rd Team–Kevin Ellison, USC

Free Safety

1st Team–Taylor Mays, USC

Mays is a physical freak who will probably be the first safety taken in the next draft.

2nd Team–William Moore, Missouri

3rd Team–Rashad Johnson, Alabama

Sorry, no punters or kickers or return guys on this team.

Ted Miller has a good piece on the E Train:

"I don't know how to explain it, because it's the greatest feeling in the world," Everson Griffen said. "When you're coming off the edge and [the quarterback] doesn't see you -- it's like a free shot to heaven."

Miller predicts that Griffen will be going to heaven 10-15 times next fall.

Griffen ready to leave his mark on Pac-10 QBs [ESPN]

Polk High is where Al Bundy played his legendary high school football, before his life spiraled into dismal mediocrity. Redlands East Valley recruit Chris Polk must have been high to retract his commitment from USC and switch over to Washington. It's not exactly "Everyone Hates Chris" over here, -Polk deserves to go to college and play his ball where ever he wants. But for the kid prized by rivals as the number four all-purpose back in the nation, a kid prized for his good moves, he sure as hell just made a stupid one.

Look, USC "stole" Joe McKnight from LSU and never looked back. And Chris Polk and a seasoned Jake Locker are sure to be a threatening combination. But you don't think after this season DeSean Jackson is rethinking his college choices? What could have been had he decided USC? And when Everson Griffen brings his crushing weight down on Chris Polk, don't you think he might reconsider? Just a little?

No you're right, probably not. He'll be in too much pain to breathe, let alone mull over the past.

USC’s defense, ranked first in the Pacific 10 Conference and third nationally, will try to stop Arizona State with two starters relegated to backup roles because of injuries. Junior Kaluka Maiava will start in place of Keith Rivers at weak-side linebacker and freshman Everson Griffen will start in place of Kyle Moore at defensive end, Coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday… continue

Frankly, I feel a little sorry for young Mr Longshore.