Mays Might Replace Injured Safety Pinkard

Safety Taylor Mays was among the 12 true freshmen that played for USC in the Trojans’ season-opening victory over Arkansas.

After tests confirmed Tuesday that Josh Pinkard would sit out the season because of a knee injury, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Mays could be forced to grow up fast.

Mays is at the forefront to replace Pinkard, the versatile junior free safety who tore his right anterior cruciate ligament covering a punt during the fourth quarter against the Razorbacks. Pinkard is expected to have surgery in a few weeks and will apply for a medical redshirt, school officials said.

“We’re going to miss Josh badly,” said Coach Pete Carroll, whose team moved from sixth to third in the Associated Press top 25 poll. “He’s been such a special player for us. It hit in the spot where we just don’t have any experience coming in behind him so we are just going to have to work it out.”

Carroll said that if the Trojans were playing today, Mays would start. But with an open date before the Sept. 16 home opener against Nebraska, Carroll began to evaluate several possible solutions.

Freshmen Antwine Perez and Garrett Green worked at the spot and cornerback Mozique McCurtis and kicker David Buehler also practiced at safety Tuesday.

Carroll said linebacker Dallas Sartz is an option but not a probable one.

“He plays back there in certain defenses anyway,” Carroll said. “We’re not trying to pull away from another starting position if we don’t have to.”

Running back Allen Bradford, who switched from safety to running back during training camp, said coaches had not broached returning him to defense.

“I’d go back and forth,” he said. “It really doesn’t matter. I just want to get on the field.”

So does Mays, who arrived at USC during the summer from O’Dea High in Seattle.

Mays said watching Pinkard get injured was like watching a big brother go down.

“When I came in he helped me a lot,” he said.

Mays made two tackles against Arkansas and said he “got the butterflies out” in his first college game.

Mays’ preparation for a starting opportunity began during summer workouts, continued during camp and will be fast-tracked over the next two weeks.

“I was never intimidated physically or by the speed of the game,” he said. “It was all the mental stuff I had to adapt to.”

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Quarterback John David Booty enjoyed a relaxing holiday weekend after his successful debut as a starter.

“Just to feel a part of the win for the first time; I’ve always been a part of it, but never really felt like I contributed anything to that,” he said. “So to have that was a lot of fun.”

Booty, a fourth-year junior who had thrown 56 passes as a reserve, completed 24 of 35 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns without an interception against the Razorbacks.

By comparison, Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart was 17 of 30 for 192 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions against Auburn in his first game as a starter in 2003. Leinart was a redshirt sophomore who had never thrown a pass in a college game.

Heisman winner Carson Palmer was 18 of 31 for 279 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in his first start in 1998, which came in the ninth game of his freshman season against Washington.

Booty is ranked 26th nationally in passing efficiency with a 163.3 rating. Louisiana State’s JaMarcus Russell is first at 259.7.

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Sophomore cornerback Kevin Thomas did not practice because of a high-ankle sprain.... Tests on Tuesday showed that middle linebacker Oscar Lua suffered a strained hamstring against Arkansas.

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gary.klein@latimes.com