Trojans Plan for All Kinds of Absences

Looking toward a meeting with Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 4, USC resumed practice Saturday with two key players missing and two assistant coaches who might soon be gone.

The Trojans worked out in pads and shorts minus quarterback Matt Leinart and tailback Reggie Bush, in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Offensive coordinator Norm Chow was back with the Trojans after visiting Stanford last week. Chow, a leading candidate for that school’s coaching position, said he still had not been offered the job.

“I’ve done what I can do,” he said. “We’ll wait and see what happens.”

Stanford has also interviewed Pittsburgh Coach Walt Harris. The school is expected to act in the next few days.

Chow is also considered a candidate at Brigham Young, and another USC assistant is in the running at Mississippi.

Ed Orgeron, who oversees recruiting and the defensive line, declined to comment Saturday.

A source close to the negotiations said Orgeron had a good meeting with Mississippi officials in Los Angeles on Friday. The school is expected to fly him in for another interview this week.

Coach Pete Carroll said he would not be surprised to see either of his top assistants hired away.

“I’ve always been prepared for all of our guys to go,” he said. “I have a plan just about intact with everybody we could lose. I just can’t help going through it in my mind.”

In the meantime, the USC players practiced for the first time since finishing the regular season with a close victory over UCLA.

Tailback LenDale White stood on the sideline with a protective boot on his right foot. White, who sprained his ankle against the Bruins, said he is scheduled for X-rays on Monday.

“They just want to make sure there’s nothing else wrong with it,” he said. “I should be practicing pretty soon.”

Defensive lineman Manuel Wright, who suffered a more severe sprain against Arizona on Nov. 13, ran through individual drills, then spent the rest of the afternoon watching.