Mood Is About to Change as Irish Approach

Any questions about the mood among USC players were answered as the team came out of the locker room after practice on Wednesday.

Tailback Sunny Byrd was nursing a hip pointer and sore ribs. Fullback Charlie Landrigan had a sore shoulder. Cornerback Kris Richard wore a fresh cast on his fractured right wrist.

And all of them said they couldn’t wait to play against Notre Dame on Saturday.

Coach Pete Carroll wanted an intense week before the team leaves for South Bend today and he got it. On Wednesday in particular, coaches screamed at players to hustle and the players responded by hitting a little harder.

“There’s a tension that’s obvious,” Carroll said. “And it’s good.”

Practice ended with safety Troy Polamalu tackling freshman Darryl Poston and giving him an extra push out of bounds. Center Norm Katnik rushed over to shove Polamalu. At that point, Carroll gathered his players and warned them that emotion has its limits.

“Think clearly,” he said. “Make the right choices.”

Polamalu dismissed the scuffle as no big deal.

“We’re always going at it with our offense,” he said.

*

The Trojans started the week with questions about who would replace two injured players, tailback Sultan McCullough and receiver Grant Mattos. As of Wednesday, they had no clear answers.

McCullough has been unable to practice and was tight-lipped about his abdominal injury, saying only that he will see a specialist this morning. Carroll said there is a chance he will not make the trip.

Barring an unexpected recovery, USC will fill his spot by committee with Byrd as the starter, Chad Pierson and Poston as reserves. Pierson, who returned to practice in earnest this week, has been on a crash course and could play tailback and fullback on Saturday.

As for the receiver spot, coaches had hoped that someone might emerge from a group of reserves that includes Sandy Fletcher, Devin Pitts, D. Hale and Steve Stevenson. Fletcher has impressed with his toughness but no one rose above the crowd.

*

The defense is getting thinner by the week. Among the reserves, lineman Jason Wardlow and linebacker Bobby Otani have struggled with hamstring injuries this week. Another linebacker, Chris Prosser, still feeling the effects of a concussion, tried to practice Wednesday but had to come out.... Joe McGuire is ready to play Saturday but Carroll hopes to use the newly returned lineman cautiously.