The Trojan’s most dynamo player (in my humble opinion), Damian Williams, is no longer wearing a protective boot on his injured ankle. Williams will not practice tonight or tomorrow but he will try to run on Monday to test his ankle. Hopefully he will be back in time for FUCLA. We will update you as soon as we learn more.

Since it is such a slow news day in the land of Troy, how bout a little song girl love.

Williams’ playing chances are improving [dailytrojan]

The USC men’s basketball team kickoff their season tonight against UC Riverside at the Galen Center. There is a 2-for-1 ticket deal for tonight’s game. To purchase tickets, click here.

USC MEN vs UC RIVERSIDE [usc]

One good thing that came out of this weekend is that Stafon Johnson spoke for the first time since his horrific weight room accident.

Johnson repeated the same words that his late grandfather said to him before he died:

"God has a plan. Run, Stafon, run."

It has only been three months since Johnson crushed his throat while bench pressing before practice, but along with speaking in a soft voice, Johnson can also eat solid food and swallow. Johnson no longer has a feeding tube in his stomach or tracheostomy tube in his throat, both have been removed.

Dr. Ryan Osborne said of his recovery:

"Due to a gladiator-type mentality toward his outcome ... he has regained the ability to swallow."

Keep fighting on Stafon and we will keep you in our prayers.

USC's Stafon Johnson: 'God has a plan' [espn]

A lot is being made about the USC offense and Matt Barkley’s recent “struggles.” When asked about this Matt Barkley told the LA Times:

"I'll take the responsibility for that and for the offense because it does start with the quarterback."

I would personally put the blame on the play calling, injuries, stupid penalties and some costly drops by our tight ends, but what do I know. To read the full article click here.

USC's Matt Barkley wants to get the shine back [lat]

Here is a quick run down on some injured Trojans.

The Good News:

Fullback Stanley Havili practiced yesterday and is expected to start on Saturday. Havili injured his shoulder vs. Notre Dame last month.

Defensive end Everson Griffen got some work in yesterday and said that he will play on Saturday. Griffen missed the ASU game because of turf toe.

Tight end Anthony McCoy is close to returning to practice. He did some light rehab work yesterday and is going to try to practice on Tuesday or Wednesday. He is anxious to get back on the field.

The Bad News:

Our all world receiver, Damian Williams, has a boot on his ankle after injuring it against ASU. Williams leads the team in catches with 45, receiving years with 688 and five TDs. He is also the most clutch player on the team, delivering big plays (two punt returns for TDs) when the team needs them most. If Williams can’t play, look for Brice Butler to start opposite Ronald Johnson. Travon Patterson and Jordan Cameron will fill in at the third receiver spot.

Ankle sprains keeps Williams on sideline [ocregister]
Dispatch from Howard Jones [uscripsit]

Congrats to USC safety Will Harris for being named the Pac-10 defensive player of the week. Harris finished the day with five tackles and intercepted two passes. One of those interceptions he returned 55 yards for a game changing touchdown in the Trojans 14-9 defeat of ASU. Harris also did his best Neon Deon impression high-stepping into the end zone on his pick six. The announcers gave Harris a tongue lashing for his enthusiastic return, TrojanWire gives Harris our official seal of approval.

Acting like you have been there before is boring.

Gerhart, Harris and Whitaker Named Pac-10 Football Players of the Week [pac10.com]

It might not have been pretty, but the Trojans pulled out a win in Tempe. You wanna know what is pretty... Song Girl Monday! Have a great week...

(Photo by Icon Sports Media)

For four out of seven weeks of this NFL season, a USC rookie has won the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award. Mark Sanchez won the award three times and Clay Mattews won in week 6. This week Brian Cushing is nominated. Cushing had 10 tackles, one sack and an interception last week vs. the Bills. Houston defeated Buffalo 31-10.

To vote for Brian Cushing click here.

Week 8 nominees for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week [nfl.com]

Nothing has been easy this season for the Trojans. It seems like every week they face another tough test on the road. This week it is the Oregon Ducks (6-1, 4-0) and their terrible uniforms. Saturday’s contest will be the fourth road game against a ranked opponent. Also increasing the degree of difficulty is the Trojans must play in Autzen stadium. Even though it only seats 54,000, it is one of the loudest stadiums in the country. And it’s Halloween, so fans will be extra lubricated and extra spooky.

To make matters worse, the past few years, the Pacific Northwest has not been friendly place to visit for the Trojans. USC has lost three straight years in the state of Oregon and we all can’t forget what happened to the Trojans when they traveled to Washington earlier this season. The weather conditions in Eugen should be dark, cold and gloomy. At kickoff the weather report is predicting 57 degrees with a 60% chance of precipitation.

So to recap, a ranked opponent playing their best football of the year, in a hostile environment, with a possibility for rain, in a high-stakes game, with tens of thousands of students dressed in costumes and extra inebriated, in a part of the of the country that the Trojans have not played well in recent years…. Does it scare you?

It shouldn’t. It should fire you up. Saturday night is the perfect opportunity to for the Trojans to come together and show the haters and doubters in the country that even though we have a freshman QB, a defense that has struggled the past two games against potent offenses and are banged up with injuries, when it comes time to strapping on the pads the Trojans always come to play in big games. How does Coach Carroll fare against ranked opponents? Pete has played 38 ranked opponents since 2001. USC is 34-4 in those games. Let’s make it 35-4.

More Thoughts of the Day and Halloween costume ideas after the jump (if you dare)…

Jeff Fellenzer, a professor at USC's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, sat down with Matt Barkley for a very candid Q & A session. Here is a link to that interview and two excerpts

Fellenzer: Have you experienced any special moments when your older teammates really showed faith in you as a leader?

Barkley: At Ohio State, right before we got the ball back for that fourth-quarter drive, [linebacker] Chris Galippo and [safety] Taylor Mays each came up to me at different times, saying, 'We're gonna get the ball back for you. We believe in you.' That was confirmation for me right there, getting all the guys in the mind-set that it doesn't matter who we are or what age we are, hey, we can do this. But I'll remember those two guys coming up and saying that stuff. That was pretty cool.

Fellenzer: What stands out among the things you've learned so far from Pete Carroll?

Barkley: I love everything he says and I try to apply everything, and even try to echo him in interviews . . . just because they're the right things to say. [Laugh] We have three rules: 'Be early' -- it can apply to everything, to class, to outside settings, but especially for football. It shows respect. 'Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses,' from Coach [John] Wooden. These all can apply off the field, too. 'Protect the team.' It's simple, but it goes a long way. Also 'protect the ball' is a huge part of the philosophy. It's made me change for the better, just being mindful that if we have control of the ball, obviously they don't . . . and they can't score. That's been a huge thing. Competing is another central theme of the program. I've always been a competitor, but just to hear that reinforced every day, and to have the defense hearing it, too, so they're competing right back . . . it's making me a better player. Being even-keeled, not underestimating your opponents, treating them the same every week. I love all that stuff he says.

There is no goal that USC's Matt Barkley won't pursue [LAT]

Here's a piece from ESPN’s Ted Miller on Allen Bradford's breakout game vs. on Oregon State. Bradford rushed for 147 yards on 15 carries (both career highs) and scored two touchdowns. Miller compares Joe McKnight and Bradford to LenDale and Reggie, Thunder and Lighting 2.0. Bradford doesn't agree though:

"Me and Joe will never be Reggie and LenDale," Bradford said. "All we can be is Joe and Allen, so that's what we're going to be."

Someone that does agree with Miller is Oregon coach Chip Kelly:

"With their stable of running backs, they've got thunder and lightning and hurricane, typhoon -- you name any storm, they've got it," Kelly said.

The USC ground game has unlimited potential. Can Joe and Allen be Thunder and Lighting 2.0? With the O-Line looking better and better each week, anything is possible. It would definitely be a treat to see Joe and Allen do their best Reggie and LenDale impersonation and go off on Halloween.

To read Ted Miller’s full article click here.

USC RB Bradford ready to thunder his arrival [espn]

Here is a fantastic feature from the LA Times on Damian Williams punt returning abilities. Williams has already returned two punts for touchdowns this year, a 66-yarder at CAL and the game changing 63-yard return last week vs. Oregon State that Coach Carroll called, “the play of the year.” The last player to return two punts for TDs for USC was Reggie Bush in 2004. Williams also leads the Trojans in receptions with 34 and has three touchdown catches. Here is a tease from the piece:

Damian Williams does it while walking to and from classes at USC. He does it when navigating a crowded off-campus sidewalk. As pedestrians approach from the opposite direction, Williams fakes. He cuts. He finds a seam, slips through and continues on his way. Williams is practicing punt returns "It used to be a game," he said. "Now it's a habit." So is the fourth-year junior's propensity for making big plays....

To read the full article click here.

Damian Williams' jukes put USC's opponents out of joint [LAT]

License to kill Beavers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill Beavers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote…

We are in the second half of the season. This week the Trojans face the Oregon State Beavers. A team that shocked USC last year. The loss to Oregon State was the only thing that kept Trojans out of the national championship game. The Beavers are a well coached team under Mike Riley and have some dynamic players on their roster. The Beavers won’t roll over and quit Saturday night. So how do the men of Troy win this game? In the words of Carl Spackler, with superior intelligence and superior firepower.

The superior intelligence will first need to come from our coaches. We all know that Pete is the man. He loves his job and it shows with the passion and joy he brings to it every week in everything he does. His football intelligence is starting to rub off on our new coaches. I thought Jeremy Bates called a hell of a game last week. He is finally taking advantage of his weapons and it is fun to watch. Matt Barkley looked phenomenal. What was the key to his success? In my opinion it was the play calling. On most of his passes, Trojan receivers were wide open. That is what we are used to seeing at SC, wide open receivers down the field. I hope the tradition continues on Saturday.

The superior intelligence will also have to rub off on the players. If USC plays smart football they can run the table. I think after last weeks game, the Trojans are finally starting to learn that the biggest enemy and obstacle they face each week is themselves. They are their own worst enemy. USC had five personal fouls in the second half last week. That trend cannot continue. When the Trojans limit their mistakes, no one can beat them.

We will save the superior firepower portion of thoughts of the day for our finale after the jump…

SC 34 – ND 20. That is what the score should have read at the end of regulation last Saturday. After reviewing the game film the Pac-10's coordinator of football officials, Dave Cutaia, said the Pac-10 crew working the game should have called a penalty against Notre Dame’s fake field-goal that led to an eventual score. Cutaia said:

"It appears a foul should have been called for using substitutions to deceive.”

If the officials followed the rules correctly, Notre Dame deserved a five-yard penalty for this illegal substitution.

Another call the refs mucked up last Saturday, Taylor Mays’ personal foul for crushing a ND player near the sideline. It was obvious to me and anyone with semi decent vision that the Notre Dame player was still in the field of play. Cutia noted that the ND player was inbounds when Mays hit him and he should not have been flagged for an out-of-bounds late-hit penalty.

Cutaia also questioned Mays’ penalty on Notre Dame’s last drive, the “defenseless” player flag. Cutaia said Mays “led with his shoulder, went over top of the receiver and did not contact the receiver above the shoulder.” In his eyes this was a very questionable call.

Refs need to recognize that Mays is bigger, stronger and faster than everybody on the field. When he hits people, bodies are going to get jacked up. Wake up officials! Get your learn on and read some Taylor Mays facts. News flash Pac-10 refs, Mays is big, fast and lights fools up.

Is it me or do officials call the game differently when the Trojans take the field?

Reversing some penalty calls [uscripsit]
Trojans are in recovery mode in practice [LAT]

``In the press room beneath the Rose Bowl there are four big plasma screen televisions. One of these televisions was showing the thrilling game between USC and Notre Dame Saturday afternoon. Media that gathered in the press room had clustered to watch the dramatic finish.
``At that moment UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel walked into the room, sunburned and exasperated after his team's 45-26 defeat to rival Cal.
``Almost no one moved. Necks remained craned toward the USC game until a frustrated Neuheisel spoke sharply. ``Would everyone like to watch the end of that ball game?" Neuheisel asked. "I am more than willing to wait."
``There was a hint of bitterness in Neuheisel's voice, a slight sign of the wounded pride of UCLA football.''