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LOS ANGELES -- Injuries continue to be one of the big stories for the Trojans this spring as it was confirmed after practice that both George Farmer and Su’a Cravens will undergo knee surgeries.

The news was more dire for Farmer after Kiffin confirmed the earlier media reports of a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee, which will force him to miss the 2013 season. For Cravens, he has a torn meniscus in his right knee and will undergo surgery Friday. The injury is the same as the one suffered by Silas Redd. Cravens is expected to miss 4-6 weeks and will be back in plenty of time for fall camp.

“Whenever there is an injury you hope, like Su’a, that’s it’s not going to be a long setback,” USC coach Lane Kiffin said. “With guys like George, those are the ones you feel really bad for. A guy who battles back and was playing well and then to have this setback.”

The Trojans entered the Thursday practice session with 20 players out of action because of injury and two more left practice – Torin Harris and Cyrus Hobbi.

“I don’t see any way we could practice like this in the fall. We wouldn’t be able to play a game,” Kiffin said. “Of the 22 guys who ended up being out today, 18 of them are scholarship players. With the roster reductions we already have we would not be able to give up that many players. We will start fall camp practicing this way, but I don’t think we will end fall camp this way.”

There was some good news on the injury front as Marqise Lee returned, albeit in a limited role, after missing two-and-a-half weeks with a knee injury. Lee seemed to be running fine with no major issues but he was held out of contact team drills. Kevon Seymour and Jordan Simmons also returned to action.

“Marqise was back, which was obviously good to see,” Kiffin said. “He basically took part in the first hour of practice and we’ll add to him as we go.”

George Uko was out today and J.R. Tavai took his spot with the first unit at defensive end. During the final team drill, Aundrey Walker was out and Max Tuerk had moved to center with Hobbi out, so the first unit left side of the line was walk-on Nathan Guertler at tackle and Giovanni Di Poalo at guard.

Receiver shuffle

With Farmer out, that means opportunities for players such as Victor Blackwell and De’Von Flournoy along with first-year players Darreus Rogers and Steven Mitchell. Kiffin also made sure to note the high level of play from Nelson Agholor this spring when discussing the receiver group.

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It’s easy to notice the upbeat style of play through the first two days of USC spring ball, and it was evident on Thursday with a team drill that featured some explosive plays from the offense.

The team drill started off strong for the defense, as the offense was backed up near its own goal line on the south end of Brian Kennedy-Howard Jones Field, and the defense had some stops, led by the interior front with Antwaun Woods, George Uko and Leonard Williams.

After the offense switched to the north end of the field, however, things began to change. Max Wittek hit Nelson Agholor for a short gain, and Agholor showed his burst of speed to outrun the secondary and make it a long gain. With the ball placed again deep in the offense's end, Silas Redd took a handoff and went 85 yards down the left sideline before being driven out at the 10-yard line by Kevon Seymour.

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With two spring practice sessions in the books for the Trojans, it’s time to take a quick look at how a team depth chart might look if it were released today.

Quarterback
Max Wittek (6-foot-4, 235 pounds, RS So.) OR Cody Kessler (6-1, 215, RS So.) OR Max Browne (6-5, 215, Fr.)

Kessler opened up spring camp with a big performance on Tuesday, but Wittek has certainly had his moments, and even the young freshman, Browne, has caught USC coach Lane Kiffin’s eye, making this battle too close to call. And that’s the way it could stay throughout the spring, as Kiffin revealed he’s in no hurry to name a starter.

Tailback
Silas Redd (5-10, 200, Sr.); D.J. Morgan (5-10, 190, RS. Jr.) OR Tre Madden (6-1, 220, RS So.) OR Javorious Allen (6-1, 210, RS So.) OR Justin Davis (6-1, 215, Fr.)

With a full season under his belt at USC, Redd looks comfortable and focused as the starter. Morgan showcased a couple of big plays this week, while Madden looked much sharper than you might imagine a year removed from his knee injury. Davis, meanwhile, has been perhaps the hit of the early-entrant group so far, making the most of his limited carries in practice.

Fullback
Soma Vainuku (6-0, 250, RS. So.); Jahleel Pinner (5-11, 225, So.)

Two of the team's hardest workers, Vainuku and Pinner alternated as the team’s primary fullbacks. It remains to be seen, however, if they’ll take on a bigger role in the offense.

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USC receiver Marqise Lee was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, conference representatives announced Monday.

In a vote of the conference's head coaches, Lee was chosen as the top offensive player. He also was the only sophomore in the conference unanimously selected to the Pac-12 first team this season, during which he totaled 112 catches, 1,680 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns.

One other Trojan, senior center Khaled Holmes, was selected as a first-teamer. Receiver Robert Woods, defensive end Morgan Breslin, cornerback Nickell Robey and safety T.J. McDonald were all second-team honorees, as was Lee as a return specialist.

Thirteen USC players earned honorable mention, with quarterback Matt Barkley, running back Silas Redd, tight end Xavier Grimble and offensive linemen Max Tuerk and John Martinez leading the way on offense.

Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Arizona's Matt Scott, two quarterbacks who beat Barkley this season, were named the Pac-12's first- and second-team signal-callers, respectively.

Barkley will leave USC having never been a first-team all-conference performer, which is remarkable considering the conference records he owns for all-time passing yards and touchdowns.

USC defensive linemen Leonard Williams, George Uko and Wes Horton and linebackers Dion Bailey and Hayes Pullard received honorable mention.

Williams also was named the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, after recording a 7.5-sack, two-fumble-recovery season.

Kicker Andre Heidari, punter Kyle Negrete and reserve linebacker Tony Burnett rounded out USC's honorable-mention recipients on special teams.

LOS ANGELES -- USC Trojans coach Lane Kiffin reviewed his team’s 38-17 victory over Arizona State on Saturday at the Coliseum in his standard Sunday evening conference call with reporters. He also looked ahead at Saturday's game against the UCLA Bruins, scheduled for a 12 p.m. PT kickoff at the Rose Bowl:

No more penalty problems

One positive item dominated all conversation for Kiffin on Sunday night: USC's sudden increase in on-field discipline.

Kiffin said he was more pleased with the Trojans' penalty total on Saturday -- just four -- than any other statistic.

USC has now committed just seven penalties in its last two games after being called for 23 in the prior two games.

There's still one more big thing to fix, though: the turnovers. The Trojans have given their opponents the ball eight times during the last two weeks and have created just five of their own.

“Red-zone turnovers have really cost us this season," Kiffin said. "We've left a lot of points out there."

More on Marqise

Kiffin was exceptionally coy about potentially using Marqise Lee on defense against UCLA on Saturday, saying a variety of factors could determine whether he logs any time there.

Those factors included kickoff temperature and Lee’s recovery from the allergic reaction that kept him at less than 100 percent against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Kiffin again mentioned the deep ball that went off Lee's hands as evidence that his star receiver wasn't feeling great.

"I know it's kind of crazy, but he wasn't himself on Saturday," Kiffin said, despite Lee’s 10 receptions for 161 yards. "He wasn't Marqise."

Lee, now firmly cemented as a Heisman Trophy contender, went in as a free safety for one fourth-down play on Saturday, then left the field after Arizona State called a timeout and decided to punt.

The uniform question

USC and UCLA have a tradition of each wearing their home uniforms for the annual rivalry game between the two schools.

The Bruins broke it last season with an all-white get-up at the Coliseum, but Kiffin said he intends to have his team dressed in the Trojans' home cardinal uniforms at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

He said he had not discussed the jersey situation with UCLA coach Jim Mora.

Advice for Mora?

On the topic of Mora, Kiffin was asked what sort of suggestions he'd have about the nature of the USC-UCLA rivalry for his crosstown counterpart experiencing it for the first time.

Kiffin deflected.

"He doesn't need my advice," he said. "He's ranked ahead of us in his first year. He's doing really well over there."

The coach is right: UCLA is 17th in both the BCS standings and the AP poll, whereas the Trojans are 18th in the BCS and 21st in the AP poll.

Final notes: Kiffin said left tackle Aundrey Walker played his best game of the season, subbing for Max Tuerk on Saturday. … Kiffin said the wind at the Coliseum on Saturday was unusual and attributed Kyle Negrete's unusually poor punting to the conditions. ... Two of the three interceptions quarterback Matt Barkley threw against Arizona State were the result of "phenomenal plays" by Sun Devils defenders, Kiffin said. … UCLA's defense has "kind of had some very different games," Kiffin said, which appeared to be his way of saying the Bruins have been inconsistent on D. … Kiffin said he hoped running back Silas Redd would be available to play against UCLA. Redd did not play on Saturday but was in uniform on the sideline.

LOS ANGELES -- The NCAA has allowed freshman to play varsity football since 1972.

In the 40 years since, the USC Trojans have never started a first-year player at left tackle. That should change this Saturday, with true freshman Max Tuerk looking like the player of choice to protect Matt Barkley's blind side.

Aundrey Walker has started the first seven games of the season at the spot, but he went down in the third quarter of last week's game with a neck injury. He was not on the practice field during Thursday's practice.

Tuerk has been taking significant reps at the position in practice all week, and Kiffin said the coaches' comfort level with with him is at an all-time high.

"We're really comfortable in this situation," Kiffin said. "It's halfway through the year, and he's played over there. He's done really well for us.

"It'd be a little different if it was the opener and we didn't know outside of practice."

Tuerk has gotten significant in-game time at left tackle on two other occasions this season: against Cal, after Walker's lackluster performance in the loss to Stanford, and last week against Colorado, in the first half while splitting time with Walker and then after the injury.

On Thursday, Kiffin declined to name Tuerk the for-sure starter against Arizona, but expressed plenty of confidence in the 18-year-old from nearby Santa Margarita High.

"If he plays, I think he'll play really well," Kiffin said. "Just like he has."

LOS ANGELES -- Here are notes and quotes from the USC Trojans' 50-6 smashing of Colorado on Saturday at the Coliseum that won't make it into our other coverage from the day.

The best of the records

Tee Martin, USC's first-year receivers coach, remembers it vividly.

It was Halloween 1998, Tennessee's national championship season, and his Volunteers were taking on South Carolina on the road.

As the quarterback, he completed his first 23 passes on the day in a 49-14 win, finishing 23-of-24 for a 95.8 completion percentage. The national championship win takes precedence in his pantheon of collegiate memories, he said Saturday, but that performance might well be second.

So it's not crazy to assume that Matt Barkley's completion percentage in Saturday's win was actually the best record he set on the day. In a magnificent performance against a horrific defense, Barkley completed 19 of his 20 attempts for 98 yards and six touchdowns. He tied his own record for scoring throws in a game and set a new school and conference record for them in a career, breaking Matt Leinart's mark of 99.

And he did it all in about 35 minutes, coming out before the third quarter was even half over. And the only incompletion came on a dropped pass by Curtis McNeal, too -- on an on-the-money throw.

Barkley's 95 percent completion rate set a USC and Pac-12 record and came just short -- by .8 percent -- of Martin's all-time NCAA record set that day in Columbia. Martin knew what was going on in the second half and half-expected Trojans coach Lane Kiffin to send Barkley back in to challenge for the record.

Barkley used the word "special" at least five times discussing his record-setting day in the postgame press conference, but he used a different word talking about his accuracy.

"To have a nearly perfect game in that sense was something cool," Barkley said.

Similarly, Kiffin seemed to expect most of the records Barkley and receiver Robert Woods set against the Buffaloes. But he didn't expect his quarterback to complete 19 of 20 passes.

"I think we really felt that this was gonna happen," Kiffin said. "I don't know if I could have predicted a 95 percent completion percentage, but I really felt we were going to throw the ball really well."

The turnovers

Nickell Robey and Jawanza Starling bowed their heads in shame recalling the incident.
Starling messed up a for-sure interception -- and likely pick six -- late in the second quarter when he overran a Jordan Webb pass intended for Tony Jones that was thrown more closely to him. Starling reacted violently to the mistake and still groaned when asked about it afterward.

He simply got too excited.

"I hate to admit it," Starling said, "but, yes."

Said Robey, who was nowhere near the play but saw it all happen: "Don't remind me. It made me mad. I told him, 'Bro, you just ran through the ball. You would've been gone.'"

Here's the crazy thing, though: That would have been the Trojans' seventh turnover of the night. The fact that they were lamenting that says a lot about the progress Monte Kiffin's unit has made over the past year-plus.

"We want more," said linebacker Tony Burnett, who had one of the three interceptions. "If we can get six turnovers against these teams coming up, it's gonna look really good for us."

First-time interceptions

Three Trojans made the first interceptions of their major-college careers Saturday -- well, two, but Drew McAllister's previous picks were so long ago that they barely count.

Burnett's and safety Gerald Bowman's were both legitimate, though. In a crafty third-quarter play, Burnett snatched the ball out of the hands of Colorado's Nelson Spruce and returned it 55 yards, with only the opposing quarterback preventing him from scoring. Bowman later picked off Webb just short of the end zone and returned it 19 yards.

"It fell right into my lap," Burnett said of his play. "While he was bringing his hands down, I slapped at it, the ball popped in the air and I grabbed it. Then I turned around and I was like, 'Whoa, I got the ball.'"

USC is now averaging almost three times as many interceptions this season as last, with 14 through seven games compared to nine in 12 games.

Still with the penalties

USC had set a goal to limit its penalties against the Buffs after leading the nation in flags per game midway through the 2012 season.

That didn't work too well. The Trojans finished with 10 penalties, including four of the personal-foul or unsportsmanlike-conduct variety.

"It was just really upsetting," Kiffin said. "That's not who we want to be and not the product we want to put out there."

The flags cost USC a total of 90 yards. Colorado, by contrast, had only four for 46 yards.

Williams' ejection

Freshman defensive tackle Leonard Williams was ejected in the second quarter after he threw a punch at a Colorado offensive player's facemask.

Teammates said Williams was spit on in the bottom of the dogpile. Because he was ejected due to a flagrant foul, the play will be reviewed by the Pac-12 office to determine whether he'll be suspended for the Trojans' next game.

Williams could miss half or all of the Arizona game. Kiffin said he didn't get a good look at what Williams did but was going to pull him from the game even if the officials didn't.

Injury update

Left tackle Aundrey Walker went down with an apparent neck injury in the third quarter and was carted off the field and transported to the hospital.

Freshman Max Tuerk, who replaced him Saturday and stands to take his place if Walker's out for an extended injury, said the injury looked "really bad."

"I really wish the best for him," Tuerk said. "We'll see how he is tomorrow."

Walker and Tuerk had been rotating in every other series in the first half.

In other injury news, receiver Marqise Lee had stitches in his hand, Woods said, which played a role in Barkley throwing the ball to him only six times Saturday.

Final notes: De'Von Flournoy's 21-yard second-quarter catch was the first of his career. Woods recalled a passing-league tournament from his junior season of high school football when he was playing safety and Flournoy tore him up as a receiver. Woods said that was one of the reasons he came to USC. ... Receiver George Farmer said he was "caught off guard" when Kiffin called him into the game late in the fourth quarter at running back. Farmer's one carry, which went for nine yards, was called back because of a penalty. ... One of the most famous members of Earth, Wind & Fire, falsetto Philip Bailey, was in attendance at the Coliseum, invited by Colorado coach Jon Embree. ... Said Embree of Barkley: "There's a reason why he's gonna go like that in the draft. I'm glad he's done and I don't have to see him in person anymore."

LOS ANGELES -- USC Trojans coach Lane Kiffin has not yet decided who will be the starting left tackle for Saturday's game against Colorado.

Or he has and he's not telling. Either way, USC's Max Tuerk and Aundrey Walker will split time protecting Matt Barkley's blind side from the Buffaloes after Walker's poor performance against Washington. Who will get out there first is still unknown.

"I think both guys will play," Kiffin said Thursday when asked for a decision on the matter. "We'll go back and look at this film and make a decision on who will start."

There appears to be a good chance that it'll be Tuerk this time. The two competed for a starting spot a month ago and split time for a half before Walker took over again, but Tuerk has continued to put himself in the conversation since.

He even made his tight end debut against the Huskies, temporarily switching to No. 84 to add an extra blocker to the Trojans' front.

Technique is not much of an issue for Tuerk -- he joined the team in the summer out of Santa Margarita High -- but as they often are for true freshmen, weight and bulk are still issues.

The two are about the same height, but Walker is at least 30 pounds heavier.

The last time they rotated, Walker said it helped him focus on each one of his reps while he's in the game. A two-man platoon could conceivably be a long-term option until one of the two players truly pulls away.

LOS ANGELES -- It happened after the USC's loss to Stanford, and it's happening again now, after the Trojans beat Washington.

Left tackle Aundrey Walker's starting job is being challenged.

The sophomore has been wildly inconsistent in his first season as the team's starter, with effort issues being part of the problem and technique too, according to head coach Lane Kiffin.

So, for the second time in a month, freshman Max Tuerk is getting a crack at Walker's first-team spot in practice. The two players split reps at the position Tuesday, and that should continue the rest of the week.

Last time they competed in practice, they rotated in for the first half of the Trojans' next game before Walker took back over in the second. If Tuerk doesn't overtake Walker this time, it's likely the two will at least share the position on Saturday against Colorado.

While Walker's effort wasn't an issue last week, according to Kiffin, he was whistled for several penalties against Washington. He also disappointed the coaching staff with lapses in technique.

"Aundrey has got to play better," Kiffin said after Tuesday's practice. "He leads our team in penalties."

False starts have been a serious issue for the 6-foot-6, 300-pound Walker, who did not speak with reporters Tuesday. He also had problems with snap reactions in the early part of fall camp but happily reported that he had solved his troubles later.

Tuerk has demonstrated a strong work ethic since arriving on campus in the summer, and his 6-6 frame is ideal for the left tackle spot down the road.

For now, he's considerably undersized, at about 270 pounds. He said Tuesday he was unsure of how many snaps he has played on the line this year but indicated he felt better prepared than a month ago.

"A little experience always helps," Tuerk said.

SEATTLE -- USC Trojans coach Lane Kiffin addressed the media in his normal day-after game conference call Sunday night, discussing several topics pertaining to Saturday's 24-14 win over Washington and looking forward to the rest of the Trojans' season.

Here are notes and quotes from the call:

BCS standings of little importance

The first BCS standings of the 2012 season, released Sunday evening, feature USC as the No. 10 team, and predictably, Kiffin downplayed their importance.

"First off," Kiffin said in response to a question about them, "they do mean nothing right now, whether you want to believe that or not."

He did eventually allow for some value to be taken away from the news, saying USC obviously wants to be in the national-championship conversation "after two years of not being there" because of NCAA sanctions.

USC will face both Notre Dame and Oregon next month, and both teams are currently above the Trojans at No. 5 and No. 3, respectively.

So there will be opportunities to improve.

The three concerns

Kiffin had an interesting observation Sunday night. He said he has three primary concerns about his team with half the regular season remaining.

In order, they are: third-down efficiency on offense, penalties in all phases of the game and pass defense.

The first two are obvious. The third is less so, because the Trojans haven't had serious issues there this season.

But the competition is going to get tougher and USC's secondary will be facing significantly better passing offenses in the coming weeks.

"We know what's coming," Kiffin said.

Shaw not locked in yet

Redshirt sophomore Josh Shaw made his corner debut for the Trojans in the second quarter of Saturday's game and performed well, but Kiffin is not ready to hand the No. 2 corner job to him just yet.

Shaw was just the fourth corner on the depth chart entering the game but was pressed into duty when Torin Harris and Kevon Seymour went down with injuries. He "played about as good as you could expect," Kiffin said.

The second corner spot has been USC's most problematic position all season. Shaw spent some time at the position in fall camp but was almost exclusively a safety until the last week of practice.

He now has two interceptions on the season after recording one in the fourth quarter against Washington.

Final notes: Kiffin cited Bill Belichick's New England Patriots and their Sunday loss to the Seahawks in asserting that CenturyLink Field is a difficult place to play. ... Twenty-one of the Trojans' 22 sacks this season have been made by a defensive linemen. Backup linebacker Anthony Sarao has the other. Kiffin pointed out that stat Sunday. ... Left tackle Aundrey Walker's effort wasn't an issue against Washington, Kiffin said, but his technique needs work. Walker was whistled for a false start on multiple occasions. Freshman Max Tuerk could still challenge him despite switching to No. 84 and playing as an extra lineman/tight end on Saturday.