Booty Is Waiting for His Chance

Like most people connected with the USC football program, sophomore John David Booty is curious about fellow quarterback Matt Leinart’s future.

Leinart, a fourth-year junior who is regarded as a top contender for the Heisman Trophy, has publicly maintained that he plans to return in 2005 for his final season of eligibility. But the left-hander is expected to seriously consider making himself available for the NFL draft after the season.

“Whether he stays or goes, it’s just one more opportunity to show them what I can do,” Booty said Wednesday after working with the first-team offense for the first time since training camp. “Regardless of Matt, or bowl preparations or next week or UCLA week, I’m going to go in and try and make the most of it when I get a shot.”

Booty, a redshirt this season, injured his right elbow in August. He did not throw a ball for two months and only recently began passing with velocity.

Booty took extended snaps with the first unit because the top-ranked Trojans have an open date this week.

“He’s throwing the heck out of the football -- his arm is alive and well, finally,” Coach Pete Carroll said.

*

The Trojans had a scare when cornerback Eric Wright needed help off the field after his left knee buckled during a drill early in practice.

“I just tried to throttle down, and my knee just gave out on me,” said Wright, a redshirt freshman who started for the first time against Arizona. “I think I just tweaked it.”

Wright, who sat out the rest of the workout, said the knee was sore the last several games.

*

Kickers Ryan Killeen and Mario Danelo each made field goals during drills. Carroll said he was hopeful that Killeen, who has made only seven of 16 field-goal attempts, will come out of the off-week the way he did the last time the Trojans had an open date. On Oct. 9, Killeen made all three of his field-goal attempts against California.

*

Verle Sorgen, the Pacific 10 Conference’s coordinator of football officials, said game officials erred and should have called a clipping penalty on the play in which Trojan defensive tackle Manuel Wright was injured against Arizona. Wright suffered a high ankle sprain after getting hit from behind in the first quarter and probably will sit out the rest of the regular season.