With Trojans Ahead, No Detail Is Unnoticed

It was opposite day at UCLA. Offensive players wore blue jerseys and defensive players wore white during practice, and it was more than just a whim.

“I want the quarterbacks looking at white jerseys,” Coach Bob Toledo said.

USC, of course, wears white on the road, so the Bruins will stick with these colors for the next two weeks. Toledo won’t go as far as outfitting the defense in red helmets.

“I can’t afford that,” he said.

The switch was one of a handful of subtle reminders that rival USC is the next Bruin opponent. Assistant Todd Littlejohn sang the Trojan fight song after a Bruin defensive back was beat on a long pass by a scout team receiver.

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Receiver Ryan Smith will not play the rest of the season and is seeking permission from UCLA physician Gerald Finerman to have a specialist from outside UCLA perform surgery on his ankle.

Smith, a junior, has not played in the last two games because of recurring pain. Finerman performed surgery on the ankle in February, but the pain has persisted. Dr. Ron Smith, a Long Beach-based foot specialist, evaluated Smith last week and recommended an orthopedic surgeon.

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As defensive tackle Rodney Leisle took the practice field, a teammate shouted, “The big dog is back in the house.”

Leisle, a preseason All-American, has missed the last five games because of a foot injury that required surgery. On Tuesday, he suited up for the first time, but will not participate in contact drills until next week.

He is guarded about the prospect of playing against USC because he believes he played too long with the injury in nonconference games.

“I’ve got nearly two weeks to test it,” he said. “If it’s too sore, it’s not worth the risk. But I’m going to give it my best shot.”

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Receiver Tab Perry (concussion) and cornerback Matt Ware (rib, hamstring) did not practice.... Several players wore numbers that were not their own during practice, and that was a whim. Cornerback Ricky Manning went from No. 9 to No. 99, and receiver Craig Bragg and tight end Blane Kezirian traded numbers.