Trojans will try to move past Josh Shaw controversy in final practice

Members of the USC football team will attempt to put the Josh Shaw controversy behind them Thursday when the Trojans practice for the final time in preparation for Saturday’s opener against Fresno State.

On Wednesday, Shaw admitted to school officials that he fabricated a story about rescuing a nephew in a pool and lied about how he suffered ankle injuries.

Shaw, a starting cornerback and team captain, was suspended from the team indefinitely.

Can the Trojans move on and perform well in spite of the distraction?

Veteran players endured what sometimes seemed like a distraction-a-week environment during the last two seasons under former coach Lane Kiffin.

“We’ve had to deal with so much more adversity in past years, even before this,” junior defensive lineman Leonard Williams said Wednesday, about six hours before USC announced that Shaw was suspended. “Our team has become adjusted to playing through adversity.”