Knee Problem Not a Concern for Kelly

His right knee bothering him for a third day, USC receiver Kareem Kelly practiced sparingly Thursday at UC Irvine.

The sophomore has skipped portions of practice every day since Tuesday afternoon. That’s when he felt the ligaments tighten.

“It’s nothing major,” he said. “I should have started slowly instead of coming out full speed and making sharp cuts.”

Coach Paul Hackett also downplayed the injury, expressing more concern about the continuing absence of receiver Steve Stevenson, who has not practiced since Monday because of a pulled hamstring.

Kelly expects to participate in the team’s first scrimmage Saturday. Until then, the medical staff has him riding a stationary bicycle, working out in the pool and easing up when he feels the knee tighten.

“They’re telling me to take a break,” Kelly said. “If this was the season, I’d have to fight through it.”

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The Trojans will spend time on their ground game in Saturday’s scrimmage, Hackett said. That’s because they expect to see a lot of rushing against Penn State in the Kickoff Classic Aug. 27. “We want to get our mind-set to stopping the run,” Hackett said.

The coaches also want a look at several players--Sultan McCullough, Malaefou MacKenzie, Petros Papadakis and Chris Howard--competing at tailback.

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The prospect of facing Penn State in a little more than two weeks has added a sense of urgency to camp. Several players said they have noticed a faster tempo to practices.

“We’re not playing Hawaii this year,” defensive tackle Ennis Davis said. “We have got to get tougher, and I don’t think we’ve gotten over that mountain yet.”

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Defensive end Sultan Abdul-Malik has a sore back but is expected to practice today. Also hoping to return are tight end Antoine Harris (hamstring), defensive end Nathan Goodson (ankle), and defensive tackle Kenechi Udeze (neck). . . . Carlos Acosta, a Moorpark College transfer, has been absent from camp for personal reasons but will resume practicing when school begins and redshirt, Hackett said. . . . Defensive lineman Shamsud-Din Abdul-Shaheed, recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, is also bothered by an injured hamstring.