Wilson Making Progress

Offensive lineman Zach Wilson on Monday donned full pads for the first time this season as No. 17 USC began preparations for Saturday’s game against No. 18 Colorado.

Wilson, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound senior, strained his left foot on Aug. 12, the first day of training camp. He wore a protective plastic boot on his left foot for nearly a month before he was cleared to practice last week.

“It felt good to get out there and practice a little instead of standing around all the time,” said Wilson, who worked at right guard and right tackle for about 30 minutes before team trainers pulled him from the workout. “I’ll do a little more tomorrow, and the next day a little more.”

The Trojans do not want to rush Wilson, but there is concern about depth on the offensive line and Wilson is regarded as a possible solution at two positions.

Wilson said he is a few days away from performing with maximum effort.

“I don’t fully trust it,” he said of his foot. “It’s not that it’s not well. I don’t trust it enough to really get after it.... I don’t want to get hurt again.”

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Senior running back Justin Fargas received treatment for his strained right hamstring over the weekend and participated in drills for about 40 minutes of the two-hour practice.

“I just wanted to move around a little bit, get my hands on the ball a little bit and, hopefully, do more tomorrow,” said Fargas, who missed the opener against Auburn. “The plan is not to do too much. I’m trying to make it to the game. I’ll increase what I do a little bit every day.”

Fullback Chad Pierson, also recovering from a hamstring strain that forced him to miss the opener, participated in the entire practice. Flanker Keary Colbert returned after missing two days because of a sore knee.

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USC should be well prepared if Robert Hodge starts at quarterback for Colorado.

Hodge played the second half of Saturday’s 34-14 victory over San Diego State after starter Craig Ochs suffered a concussion at the end of the first half.

Steve Sarkisian, quarterbacks coach for USC, coached Hodge at El Camino College during the 2000 season. Trojan fullback Sunny Byrd and kicker David Davis played with Hodge at El Camino.

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Coach Pete Carroll said redshirt sophomore Matt Cassel is the No. 2 quarterback but is “fighting for his life to hold that spot and Matt Leinart is right there with him.” ... Receiver D. Hale, out since the second week of training camp because of a bruised bone in his left ankle, is no longer wearing a protective plastic boot.... USC’s game against Kansas State on Sept. 21 at Manhattan, Kan., will be televised nationally by TBS and will begin at 4 p.m. PDT.