Dennis finishes with a flourish

USC Coach Pete Carroll defeated Speedo-clad actor Will Ferrell in a swimming race on Saturday, outpacing the star of “Old School” and other films as part of a fund-raising event after the Trojans’ spring-ending scrimmage.

Shortly before Carroll took the plunge, tailback Hershel Dennis showed once again that old school could be in vogue when the Trojans start training camp in August.

Seven scholarship tailbacks are scheduled to return and three more will enroll in June. Dennis, who missed the last two seasons because of knee injuries, will be the most experienced tailback if the NCAA grants him a sixth season of eligibility.

“I’ve been able to compete and showed the coaches what I can do,” Dennis said. “By the time fall camp comes, I’m going to be 110%, so I’ll be even a little more impressive than I was in the spring.”

After delivering a couple of big plays, Dennis was on the trainers’ table with what he said was a calf strain at the end of the scrimmage. Coaches, players and fans had held their breath when Dennis got up gingerly and shook his twice surgically repaired left knee after he was tackled following a quick move toward the left sideline.

“He went and was going to do a monstrous move on the guy,” Carroll said. “That was the first time he’s made a move like that and it caught him off guard a little bit.”

Dennis said his knee ligaments were fine.

“It was just irritated,” he said. “Nothing big.”

Dennis expects that the NCAA will grant him the extra season, but he also is prepared to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft if his petition is denied.

“They told me I qualify for the sixth year -- all I have to do is graduate so I’m doing my part on that,” he said.

“If I don’t get it back, that would be unfortunate, but I’ll deal with it and move on.”

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With most of the tailbacks out because of injuries, fullback Stanley Havili filled in and rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown in 12 carries during the 64-play scrimmage.

“It was weird being back there again, looking up and standing up, but it was fun,” Havili said.

Senior Chauncey Washington gained 48 yards and scored two touchdowns in nine carries. John David Booty passed for 88 yards and a touchdown in limited work and Mark Sanchez passed for 231 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.

The highlight might have been when speedy safety Taylor Mays caught speedy receiver Travon Patterson from behind as Patterson sprinted toward the end zone.

“I wasn’t paying attention to Taylor, I was paying attention to the dude on the side of me,” said Patterson, who caught a touchdown pass and returned a punt for a touchdown. “And then Taylor came from behind. It caught me off guard a little bit.”

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Despite injuries that kept many starters and key back-ups from participating in all or part of the Trojans’ 15 workouts, Carroll said he was pleased with his team’s progress.

“The whole spring has been positive and it’s been upbeat and I’ve been real happy about the whole thing,” he said. “We got down pretty thin here at the end.”

Carroll said he had spoken to players about avoiding off-the-field incidents and situations that could derail the Trojans, who are expected to begin the season at or near the top of the preseason polls.

“We’re always on those topics,” he said.

gary.klein@latimes.com