Now Is the Time to Get Down to Some Real Business

USC held a scrimmage Saturday that featured a little bit of everything.

Punches were thrown. Players scrambling for a fumble converged in a massive dog pile. Safety Troy Polamalu got as many carries at running back (one) as he had interceptions.

And the Trojans moved another step closer to their Jan. 2 meeting with Iowa in the Orange Bowl. USC will take a few days off before resuming practice Thursday, when it begins implementing a game plan.

“Right now we’re just trying to keep football on our mind and work on little things,” linebacker Matt Grootegoed said. “Starting Thursday, we’ll kick it into gear.”

Tempers briefly boiled over when offensive tackle Winston Justice got into it with some defensive linemen.

“That’s just football,” said Grootegoed, the team leader in tackles. “But you could tell we’re not going 100%. We’re working, but next week will be a lot harder.”

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Quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Brandon Hance scrimmaged with the first-team offense, and Matt Leinart and Billy Hart played with the second team.

Leinart, a redshirt freshman from Santa Ana Mater Dei High, reportedly has been dissatisfied with his limited role on the team.

Asked if he would transfer if he doesn’t win the starting job in spring practice, Leinart said, “I’m not going to talk about that because I don’t know. No comment.”

-- Rob Fernas